Weekend Rewind! Goodguys 42nd All American Get-Together
Let’s get the West Coast cruising season started! With sunny skies overhead, warm temperatures, and the rumble of V8 engines heard all around, Goodguys kicked the California car show season into high gear this weekend with some mechanical March magic at the 42nd All American Get-Together in Pleasanton. The Alameda County Fairgrounds was rockin’ with two straight days of cool cars and good vibes as the Bay Area car community celebrated spring and the opportunity to come together with like-minded friends and enthusiasts.
We couldn’t have asked for a better weekend for this long-running NorCal gearhead gathering. With temperatures reaching the low 80s, plus blue skies and plenty of sun, it was the type of atmosphere that begs you to polish up that special ride, fire up the engine, and do some cruising. Judging by the number of cars and trucks packed into the fairgrounds, lots of hot rodders have been itching to get out and drive!
Like a spring bouquet of flowers, the All American Get-Together was all about variety, as we welcomed all years of American-made or -powered cars and trucks. From classic hot rods to modern muscle, and old-school lowriders to new tricked-out trucks, this event delivered it all. Like America itself, it was like a melting pot of styles and flavors of cool cars and trucks.
For Goodguys AutoCross Series racers, the All American Get-Together provided the first opportunity on the West Coast to hit the track, dodge some cones, and compete for fast times, class points, and a chance to race in Sunday’s AutoMeter American AutoCross Shootout. The action was fast, frenetic, and exciting for both competitors and spectators alike. At the end of the weekend, top performers included Geon McKenzie scoring the All American class and shootout wins in his 2016 Ford Focus RS, Matt Roberts doubling up in Speedtech Performance Pro X in his ’82 Vette, while Nick Relampagos got the Summit Racing PRO class win with his ’70 Camaro while Efrain Diaz got the shootout title in his ’69 Camaro.
Kyle Vallarino piloted his ’65 Mustang to both the class and shootout wins in Forgeline Street Machine, David Carrol also doubled up in the No Limit Engineering Truck class in his modified Blazer, Mike Xuereb doubled up in the Corvette class in his C3, with Jason Benson doubling up in Challenger with his ’72 Monte Carlo.
There was plenty of action to be witnessed beyond the AutoCross track, too. Saturday’s Burnout Competition saw tires roasting and smoke billowing from pulverized rubber, while multiple Nitro Thunderfest exhibitions delivered the sights, sounds, and smells of nitromethane-fueled Hemi engines, along with a ground-shaking experience. Add in plenty of cruising around the fairgrounds by participants, and there was plenty of kinetic energy to enjoy. There were lots of activities to take, in as, well, including a large swap meet and Cars 4 Sale Corral, dozens of vendors to shop with, a Goodgals Gallery, live music, family fun, and much more.
The Good Time weekend culminated with an awards ceremony on Sunday afternoon, where dozens of award-winning cars and trucks were recognized and celebrated. Among the honorees were Cliff and Debbie Horn’s clean and understated ’54 Chevy, which was chosen by the media team as the Goodguys Feature Pick for the event.
Yes, it appears that spring is in full bloom in California, and that means the cruising season is just starting to hit its stride. By the looks of things in Pleasanton, it’s going to be a great year, and we can’t wait to keep the fun going in two weeks at the Goodguys 25th Meguiar’s Del Mar Nationals presented by FiTech Fuel Injection. We hope to see more of our West Coast fans there. Until then, enjoy some of the great sights from this past weekend in Pleasanton.
