street machine of the year competition underway in columbus!, fuel curve

Street Machine of the Year Competition Underway in Columbus!

We are on location in Ohio. It’s warm, it’s sticky and it’s glorious because the nation’s top Street Machines have gathered at Mecca – Columbus, Ohio for this weekend’s Goodguys 20th PPG Nationals. Celebrating its 20th year, the event crowns America’s finest Street Machine of the year. The country’s top builders are here, the freshest cars are here and what seems like the entire automotive aftermarket is here. It’s an incredible scene.

street machine of the year competition underway in columbus!, fuel curve street machine of the year competition underway in columbus!, fuel curve

While the Street Machine of the Year will be our focus here in Columbus – the event also crowns the Street Rod of the Year for pre-’49 entries. Like the Street Machine division, the street rods are incredibly nice, many saving their debut for this weekend or a re-debut in some cases (lots of times guys show their cars at SEMA or the Detroit Autorama then shelve them until the PPG Nationals here in Ohio).

The end result is a spectacular weekend full of radical machines which we are proud to present here for your exclusive viewing pleasure.

street machine of the year competition underway in columbus!, fuel curve

street machine of the year competition underway in columbus!, fuel curve

Goodguys 2017 PPG Street Machine of the Year has rigorous competition guidelines. The cars must be between the years of 1955-1972. All participants are required to be in their special parking area by 10am Friday. After our photo shoot of each car, they are whisked across the massive fairgrounds here (measuring 7 blocks long!) to the Goodguys AutoCross track to see how they perform on-track. While lap times do not determine the winner, style points indeed do count.

street machine of the year competition underway in columbus!, fuel curve

The Goodguys officials and selection committee are looking for cars which combine masterful build quality with extreme performance. Quality of craftsmanship, body & paint, overall engineering, the three F’s (fit, form & functionality) stance and overall creativity in design and concept will determine the winner.

street machine of the year competition underway in columbus!, fuel curvestreet machine of the year competition underway in columbus!, fuel curve

At Saturday evening’s awards gala, the Top 5 cars are announced in dramatic fashion and driven up to the stage. Once all five are in position, the competition begins with each owner/builder giving the crowd the details of their machine. Then it’s show time. The sealed envelope is opened and the winner announced. Sheer bedlam breaks out, the winning connections going berserk at having just won America’s top prize for these types of machines.

street machine of the year competition underway in columbus!, fuel curve

As we type this, the cars have completed their AutoCross laps (times below) and are heading into the special judging paddock inside the giant Celeste Center here at the Ohio State Fairgrounds. Hit our social media (@fuelcurve) Saturday evening around 7pm EDT as we announce the big winner! We will have exclusive pictures of the big winner right here in the Fuel Curve news section Sunday evening.

street machine of the year competition underway in columbus!, fuel curve

Goodguys Street Machine of the Year AutoCross results:

35.411 – Rod Parson, Ripley, WV, 1967 Chevy C-10
36.995 – John Wilkus, Lakeville, MN, 1969 Camaro
38.667 – Rich Mutert, Foristell, MO, 1969 Camaro
40.393 – Rob Roberts, Houston, TX, 1971 Chevy Camaro
42.749 – Rob Freeman, Watertown, NY, 1956 VW (Buick 322c.i. nail head)
42.848 – Dennis Johnson, South Hero, VT, 1966 Corvette
43.392 – Terry Minor, Columbus, IN, 1966 Ford Mustang
48.765 – Casey Homik, Lemont, IL, 1970 Plymouth Barracuda
49.488 – Harold & Sally Michael, Hamilton, MI, 1964 Corvette
50.071 – Jay Clifton, Montana – 1955 Chevy
53.338 – Gary Popolizio, North Wales, PA, 1967 Camaro
54.495 – Noah Alexander, St Louis, MO, 1955 Chevy Nomad
63.715 – Don Atkinson, Onalaska, WI, 1969 Camaro

street machine of the year competition underway in columbus!, fuel curve