Friday First Look! Goodguys 37th Griot’s Garage Pacific Northwest Nationals Presented by Wicked Fabrication
We’re smack in the middle of summer and it’s fitting that we’re right where we belong – in Puyallup, Washington, for the 37th Griot’s Garage Pacific Northwest Nationals presented by Wicked Fabrication. Did you catch that number? Thirty-seven! We’re proud to keep up the good times with the cool people and the amazing cars of the northwest.
Late July is ideal cruising time in this area, and you just cannot beat the Washington weather this time of year. Enjoying your hot rod on the road is key to the Pacific Northwest Nationals, and we kicked off the driving on Thursday morning with a poker run around the area put on by our friends with the King’s Men Car Club. More than 100 vehicles joined the cruising fun, which took us from SillyVille at the fairgrounds to Walt Austin Racing, Chris Holstrom Concepts, Washington Soldiers Home, and wrapped up at Griot’s Garage headquarters for our annual Pacific Northwest Nationals Kickoff Party.
Friday morning brought a steady line of classic trucks, hot rods, muscle cars, and more rolling into the Washington State Fair Events Center. The cruising never stops in Puyallup, as it’s tradition to take slow laps around the fairgrounds, through SillyVille and about! There were plenty of manufacturers and vendors to chat with, the thrill of the Summit Racing Nitro Thunderfest, the Brush Bash smelled of fresh artwork, and the special lowrider gathering was fun to see with plenty of cool stuff to see everywhere you turned.
But the good times kept going Friday evening as cruisers made their way out to Goodguys annual Friday Night Drags at Pacific Raceways! There were plenty of door slammers, dragsters and even a few nitro-burning nostalgia Funny Cars blasting to speeds over 200 mph! (We’ll have highlights from those in our Weekend Rewind on Sunday!)
It was a terrific Friday that ended up with blue skies and serious cruising – and we’re just getting started! Every year we’re reminded that there’s no party like a Pacific Northwest party, and we’re looking forward to the rest of the weekend. If you’re in the area, pack up the family and make your way out the Washington State Fair Events Center – we’ll see you there.
Photos by Terry Lysak and Todd Ryden
