Weekend Rewind! Goodguys 12th FiTech Fuel Injection Spring Nationals presented by Grundy Collector Car Insurance

Sunny skies and warm temperatures had hot rodders geared up and ready for springtime cruisin’ fun as the 12th FiTech Fuel Injection Spring Nationals presented by Grundy Collector Car Insurance came to WestWorld of Scottsdale this weekend. Arizona rodders are blessed with car-friendly weather most of the year, but it’s always more enjoyable when you can enjoy the four-wheeled fun with a few thousand like-minded enthusiasts as we did over the weekend.

The weekend was kind of like a fuel-fed spring break for many participants, and it kicked off with a fantastic Hot Rod Cruise on Thursday that soaked in some scenic drives and even cooler stops along the way. This was one of our best Thursday cruises in recent memory, taking in some fantastic private collections and fun roads over the course of several relaxed hours. It was a true reward for those who arrived early to take part.

By Friday morning, folks were primed and ready for some candy-colored, V8-powered fun and wasted no time filling the WestWorld grounds with some of the Southwest’s finest iron. From prewar hot rods, to ’90s muscle cars and trucks, there was plenty of variety to be found. We were happy to have Mike and Randy Way from All Ways Hot Rods on hand to select our premier awards, the Builder’s Choice Top 10. It’s easy to see from their selections that these guys know how to pick ’em.

The Goodguys awards team knows how to make some choice selections, too. Among the dozens of event awards and picks, we selected several Meguiar’s Top 12 regional finalists. This included Gord Martin’s low-mileage ’70 Buick GSX as the Snap-on Muscle Car of the Year finalist; Jesse Lindberg’s ’69 Camaro as the Griot’s Garage Muscle Machine of the Year finalist; Kenny Keith’s bright yellow ’64 Ranchero as the LMC Truck of the Year Late finalist; and Mac Caldwell’s ’55 Chevy sedan delivery as the Vintage Air Custom Rod of the Year finalist. The Goodguys media team, meanwhile, went old school by choosing Les Haight’s ’40 Ford sedan – a car he’s owned for 57 years – for the Goodguys Feature Pick.



With one race already in the books, the Goodguys CPP AutoCross Series came to Scottsdale for a second dose and kept the hammer down all weekend through the G-Comp by Speedway Motors Spring Shootout’s. Plenty of familiar names were among the field of racers, including former AutoCrosser of the Year Robby Unser in the Team Speedway ’67 Camaro. It was longtime AutoCrosser Wes Drelleshak who claimed the Speedtech PRO-X class and shootout wins, though, racing the Sheely ’65 Ford Shelby GT replica to victory. Wes’s teammate, Eric Sheely, pulled double wins in the Summit Racing PRO class in his bright yellow ’72 Corvette, while in the Forgeline Street Machine class, Ken Yeo and Bill Graves Sr. had a close battle of mid-’60s Corvettes, with Yeo earning both class and shootout wins. Don Yarbrough brought his well-weathered ’55 Chevy pickup from Colorado to claim double-up class and shootout wins in the LMC Truck Class, while Michael Jakubowski topped the FiTech Challenger class in his ’84 Trans Am. The new Gearstar Sports Car class was won by Mark Golovin in his ’88 Pontiac Firebird, but second-place class finisher Bob Gawlik was able to pull out the victory in the Sports Car shootout in his ’91 Corvette. And it was another electric victory on Tremec All American Sunday when Bruce Hanson raced to class and shootout wins in his 2021 Tesla.

The action wasn’t limited to the AutoCross track, as there was plenty of energy to be found all weekend long during multiple Nitro Thunderfest vintage dragster exhibitions, plus the smokin’ Burnout Competition on Saturday afternoon. A wide selection of vendor booths kept people moving through the display area, while the always-massive swap meet kept treasure hunters active all three days. Mix in other weekend happenings like a model car show, live music, good food, specialty parking areas, kids fun, and more, and it was easy to keep the Goodguys Good Times flowing.

We’re two weeks into our 2022 Spring Swing and are excited to be back on the road! We’re setting our sights on the Bay Area next weekend for some custom car fun at the 38th All American Get-Together in Pleasanton, and then we’ll cruise down the coast for the 21st Meguiar’s Del Mar Nationals in SoCal. Get ready, California – we’re bringing the party to you for some West Coast fun the next two weeks!

Photos by Todd Ryden, Terry Lysak & John Jackson

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.