Weekend Rewind! Goodguys 34th Fuel Curve Autumn Get-Together

Goodguys celebrated the red, white, and blue – plus just about every other hue – as we embraced the colors of our country and the vibrance of the season this weekend at the 34th Fuel Curve Autumn Get-Together at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. Two fun-filled days in Pleasanton proved yet again that hot rods, customs, and vintage cars and trucks are a beautiful way to bring people together for fuel-injected fellowship and gear-grabbing Good Times.

We could all use a good detox after this year’s election season and California car enthusiasts got it as they gathered with good friends and great rides to hang out in the Golden State sun. Cool mornings reminded us that autumn is upon us, but the blue skies and warm sunshine during the day reinforced the fact that cruising season is not yet over. This event has always been an incentive to get that special vehicle out for at least one more drive before the holidays.

This event also serves as our annual opportunity to celebrate our nation’s veterans. In recognition of Veterans Day on Monday, we hosted a color guard presentation, a live performance of the national anthem, and the signature Goodguys Vettes for Vets parade, where military veterans were chauffeured around the ground in America’s Sports Car. This year’s parade was the longest we’ve ever hosted and delivered patriotic pride to all parts of the fairgrounds.

There were brave heroes being celebrated on the other side of the fairgrounds, as well, where the Hayward Firefighters Local 1909 was conducting its annual hard-hitting Smash 4 Cash Demo Derby. This event welcomes firefighters from across the Bay Area to compete in a three-stage demolition derby while raising money for charity. It’s always a smashing way to raise important funds while having a lot of fun.

Throughout the fairgrounds you could find specialty vehicles in virtually all genres, styles, and vintages, from old-school hot rods, customs, and classics, to ’50s cruisers, ’60s and ’70s muscle cars, trucks from all eras, and an eclectic array of modern machines. We selected two finalists for regional Goodguys Top 12 awards presented by BASF – Chris and Paula Tulley’s ’52 Chevy for LMC Truck of the Year Early, and Todd Hoos’s ’66 Chevy for Dakota Digital Truck of the Year Late. Ronnie Spessard’s gorgeous gold ’54 Ford mild custom caught our editor’s eye for the Goodguys Feature Pick.

There were a variety of special displays both inside and out, too. A selection of trick trucks took over Building A, while the Northern California Oldsmobile Club had a great display of that brand in Building B. And true to tradition, our friends at Deadend Magazine brought some cool lowriders and customs to Building C. Outside that building, we hosted some vintage travel trailers sprinkled among the grass. We also welcomed a group of ground-pounding machines from the West Coast Pro Street Outlaws for a special display.

This weekend gave Goodguys CPP AutoCross Series racers one last opportunity to hit the track before the season-ending competition in Scottsdale later this month, and several dozen competitors made the most of it in class competition and Sunday’s Fall Shootout. Mike Maier pulled double duty – or maybe quadruple – by winning the class and shootout in both the Speedtech Performance PRO-X class (in his ’66 Mustang), and the Summit Racing PRO class (in Mike and Ingrid Ansell’s ’72 Corvette). The Forgeline Street Machine class was split between two generations of Corvettes – Ken Yeo’s ’65 winning the class, and the red ’82 of Matt Roberts claiming the shootout. Jeff Koski wheeled his shortened ’57 Chevy pickup to double wins in the No Limit Engineering Truck class, while Valerie Pichette did the same thing in the Sports Car class in her ’88 Pontiac GTA. Mike Cheney drove his ’70 GTO to a double win in the Challenger class, while the All American class was split between Kevin Hornback’s 2006 Saturn (class win) and Ryan Hall’s 2013 Ford Focus ST (shootout win).

There was much more to enjoy during this weekend of autumn automotive awesomeness, as well. There was a Pinstripers Brush Bash and model car exhibit inside Building C, and a massive swap meet and Cars 4 Sale Corral on the west side of the fairgrounds. We also had multiple Nitro Thunderfest exhibitions, a Goodgals Gallery, live music, family activities, and much more to keep just about anyone engaged for two full days.

And with that, Goodguys is counting down to the end of the season, which will culminate in a fantastic finale a little more than a week from now at the 27th Speedway Motors Southwest Nationals in Scottsdale, Arizona! We’ve got an incredible sendoff in store, so start making your plans to be there!

Photos by Damon Lee & Terry Lysak