goodguys 2020 top 12 update

An Update on Goodguys Rod & Custom Top 12 Awards Program for 2020

For well over two decades, Goodguys Rod & Custom Association has been handing out big hardware by presenting “Of The Year” awards to the top rods, customs, trucks, and classics in the industry. This program has grown to a total of 12 different titles and has become popularly known as the Goodguys Top 12 Awards.

Seven of the Goodguys Top 12 award winners are historically selected on-site at a single event. For 2020, Goodguys was able to select the Classic Instruments Street Rod of the Year and the PPG Street Machine of the Year in Des Moines, Iowa this past July and the plan is still moving forward to crown the FAST AutoCrosser of the Year at the season-ending Speedway Motors Southwest Nationals, presented by Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale, Arizona on November 20-22, 2020.

Given the struggle with COVID-19 restrictions plaguing the 2020 season and our event schedule, the Goodguys team has created a plan to recognize the well-crafted machines that were gunning for a Top 12 award in 2020. Goodguys has established a unique registration and evaluation process through online submission that allows qualifying cars to compete and for the crown in four “Of The Year” classes for 2020.


That leaves the Street Rod Headquarters Custom of the Year, March Performance Street Rod d’Elegance, Tanks Inc. Hot Rod of the Year, and BASF America’s Most Beautiful titles currently undetermined. Those four awards are what we will be awarding online in October.

The remaining five Top 12 awards are historically determined by selecting regional finalists throughout the season, and a single winner in each category in October. Goodguys has made the tough decision put those awards on hold for 2020. Instead, the vehicles shown below that secured a spot for the 2020 running of any regional “Of The Year” title will now become finalists for the 2021 season.

The five regional Top 12 awards include the Vintage Air Custom Rod of the Year (CROTY), RaceDeck Muscle Car of the Year (MCOTY), Griot’s Garage Muscle Machine of the Year (MMOTY), LMC Truck of the Year Late (TOTYL), and Scott’s Hotrods Truck of the Year Early (TOTYE). The current finalists for any of these five categories are welcome to contend for one of the above-mentioned four “Of The Year” titles that Goodguys will be deciding virtually. Your eligibility for a regional “Of The Year” Top 12 award will not be affected for 2021 unless you contend for one of these remaining 4 “Of The Year” awards and are crowned a winner in 2020.

How To Enter:

Street Rod Headquarters Custom of the Year
March Performance Street Rod d’Elegance
Tanks, Inc. Hot Rod of the Year
BASF America’s Most Beautiful (NEW for 2020 – Street Rods, Hot Rods, Trick Trucks, Street Machines, Customs, Custom Rods and Muscle Cars through 1987 vintage eligible. This is simply a beauty contest. The most beautiful will be chosen.)

  • Submissions will be accepted beginning September 1, 2020 through October 2, 2020
  • The Top 5 in each category will be announced on October 9, 2020, (America’s Most Beautiful Top 5 announced October 16, 2020)
  • The overall winner in each category will be announced on October 16, 2020, (America’s Most Beautiful winner announced October 23, 2020)
Director of Media & Marketing

A lifelong car kid, Steven grew up around drag strips – his name may sound familiar because his grandfather is Bob Bunker, a Pro Mod pioneer who piloted the “Folsom Flash” ’55 Chevy from the ’70s through the ’90s. Steven’s father, Bob Bunker Jr., heads up Bunker Motorsports and is a regular in the West Coast racing scene, building chassis and race cars for more than 30 years. With genetics like that, it’s no wonder Steven has a passion for both cars and motorsports. In addition to helping his father and honing his fabrication skills at Bunker Motorsports, Steven began shooting photos at the drag strip and capturing the action with his Canon camera. He is now artfully crafting stories around the awesome machines at the shows, as well as the men and women behind them. When he's is not on the road covering events, he spends his downtime out on the water fishing, building his 1962 Chevy Nova, or cruising his 1987 GMC Suburban.