Weekend Rewind! 19th CPP Great Northwest Nationals

Goodguys brought another dose of summer hot rodding fun to the Northwest this weekend as the 19th CPP Great Northwest Nationals rolled into the Spokane County Fair & Expo Center in Spokane, Washington for three days of automotive good times and adventure. Nestled in the Spokane Valley of northeast Washington, not far from the Idaho border, this is one of the most picturesque backdrops on the Goodguys calendar and one of the most laid-back Goodguys weekends of the season.

The combination of mountains, rivers, and open space in this region makes it a haven for outdoor recreation. For hot rodders and car enthusiasts, that means plenty of scenic two-lane roads just waiting to be cruised. Those roads all led to the Spokane County Fair & Expo Center facility this weekend, which quickly filled up with a kaleidoscope of brightly colored hot rods, customs, classics, muscle cars, and vintage rides.



One of our favorite things about coming to Spokane is the opportunity to spend some time with builder extraordinaire JF Launier of JF Kustoms. He’s the eagle-eyed pro who selects our Builder’s Choice Top 10 at this event, which are highly sought-after trophies for all in attendance. As we’ve come to expect, JF had some first-rate selections that made for a fantastic Top 10 lineup.

Beyond the Top 10 and the dozens of other awards distributed throughout the weekend, we selected Jacques Longpre’s ’71 Hemi Plymouth GTX as a finalist for the Billet Specialties Muscle Car of the Year. We also chose a finalist for the Chevrolet Performance Builder of the Year GM Iron award, which went to River City Speed & Kustom and their ’52 Chevy build with a tri-powered 350ci SBC under the hood. The Goodguys media team found a couple of cool rides to focus on, too – Hal & Susans Burrows’ rare ’32 Dodge picked up the Goodguys Feature Pick, while Lyon McClenahan’s ’78 GMC built by Finish Line Speed Shop got a photo shoot as part of its Fuel Curve Pick.

Of course, we had a full dose of Goodguys activities for the full-capacity crowd to enjoy throughout the weekend in Spokane. There was the swap meet and cars 4 sale corral full of great deals, some choice rides in the indoor car show display, a model and pedal car display, a great lineup of vendors showcasing parts and products, multiple Nitro Thunderfest exhibitions from the “Lady Elaine” fuel funny car and dragster, and a fantastic burnout competition on Saturday afternoon, and a rockin’ TGIF party at the host hotel. Add in fun activities for the kids, a Goodgals Gallery, live music, and a showcase of late-model rides for Meguiar’s All American Sunday, and it was easy to keep the fun meter pegged all weekend.

We often consider our Pacific Northwest event swing to be our “summer break,” as both the Puyallup and Spokane events tend to be laid back, relaxed, and enjoyable not only for all the participants, but also for the Goodguys event team. Thanks to everyone who came out to both events for sharing some Goodguys Good Times with us. And if you missed us this weekend in Spokane, check out the accompanying photos for some fun-filled highlights.

Photos by Steven Bunker

Editor, Goodguys Gazette

Damon Lee began snapping photos at car shows when he was 10, tagging along with his father to events throughout the Midwest. He has combined his passion for cars and knack for writing and imagery into a 20-year career in the automotive aftermarket, writing for titles like Super Chevy and Rod & Custom and, more recently, working for respected industry leaders Speedway Motors and Goodguys Rod & Custom Association.