Weekend Rewind! Goodguys Inaugural BASF Legends of Hot Rodding
Goodguys counted off a new song in Music City this weekend, and a huge chorus of hot rodders joined in to sing along! We kicked off a new era in Nashville with the inaugural BASF Legends of Hot Rodding event and started a new tradition we feel will be very special. Many of you agreed and helped us pack the Fairgrounds Nashville with hundreds of pre-’65 hot rods, customs, and cruisers, in addition to great music, food, friends, and the sort of automotive camaraderie that only the hot rod community can deliver.
The reinvigorated Fairgrounds Nashville facility is an ideal venue for an intimate, curated Goodguys event like this. The space is clean, open, and inviting, and its proximity to downtown Nashville adds another layer of appeal. The facility is ideal for celebrating the roots of Goodguys and our hobby with this 1964-and-earlier event. It’s also great for amplifying the Nashville connection by including local music acts as part of the mix. Live music playing to the rhythm of vintage V8 engines – what a cool combination!
Nashville-based Goodguys events have long been home to the Tanks, Inc. Hot Rod of the Year competition, and the Legends of Hot Rodding is the perfect vehicle for carrying on that tradition. We had a great Reliability Run on Thursday, which culminated in narrowing the Hot Rod of the Year field down to ten cars. On Friday, we trimmed it down to a Top Five: Harold Chapman’s ’32 Ford coupe, Scott Lorenzini’s ’32 Ford roadster, Todd Samson’s ’32 Ford roadster, Kent Thomazin ’30 Model A coupe, and John Fairleigh’s ’33 Ford roadster.
Anticipation grew for the next 24 hours as participants and observers speculated on which fine Ford would claim the top prize. A special award ceremony Saturday afternoon provided a closer look at each finalist before the winner was finally revealed. When the envelope was opened, Todd Samson’s Ardun-powered ’32 Ford roadster built by Gray’s Garage was announced as the Goodguys 2026 Tanks, Inc. Hot Rod of the Year! Watch for a full feature on this amazing roadster on Tuesday.
Dozens of other awards were bestowed during the two-day event, as well, all of which were handed out during a late-afternoon ceremony on Saturday. The most coveted were the Builder’s Choice Top 10 selections chosen by hot rod legend Bobby Alloway of Alloway’s Hot Rod Shop. It was an epic Top 10 that included past Ridler Award and Slonaker Award winners, plus Goodguys Top 12 winners and finalists. What an epic lineup!
We also anointed three regional finalists for Goodguys Top 12 Awards presented by BASF. This included Mike & Georgeann Long’s ’57 Ford Ranchero as the Scott’s Hotrods ’N Customs Customs of the Year finalist, Brett Clemens’ ’56 Chevy as the Vintage Air Custom Rod of the Year finalist, and Amie Angelo’s ’32 Ford roadster pickup as the LMC Truck of the Year Early finalist. The Goodguys media team selected Steve and Lee Anne Weaver’s ’64 Corvette as the Goodguys Feature Pick.
Besides the incredible cars and trucks, Legends of Hot Rodding celebrated the builders, car owners, and industry icons who have contributed so much to the hobby through the years. A Friday panel discussion took place on the Advanced Plating Soundstage presented by Alloway’s Hot Rod Shop, where Tim Strange talked with event honorees Alan Johnson of Johnson’s Hot Rod Shop, Steve Tracy of Advanced Plating, Dennis Overholser of Painless Performance, and Bobby Alloway of Alloway’s Hot Rod Shop. These honorees also had an autograph session on Saturday, which was followed with another session with past Goodguys Trendsetters like Jesse Greening, Jonathan Goolsby, and Dave Lane.
There were many more great features packed into the two days of this intimate event. The indoor space was filled with great cars and vendors, plus the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed display with some great historic ride, as well as the Gasser Display presented by Lokar. The members-only York Speed Shop Speakeasy presented by Ethos Craft Brewing was also a great space to relax, catch up with friends, and enjoy a drink or two. We also had multiple Summit Racing Nitro Thunderfest exhibitions, plus parking lot parties at the host hotel both Thursday and Friday night.
The combination of elements came together to create a truly special weekend and a spectacular first-time event. Of course, it couldn’t have happened without great participants, and Goodguys extends a heartfelt thank you to all of you who attended and brought out an incredible assortment of hot rods and customs to show off in Nashville. Yes, the BASF Legends of Hot Rodding is a new tune for Goodguys, but it’s music that’s rooted in tradition and already sounds classic. We can’t wait to revive this melody next year, and we know it will be a true earworm until then.
Photos by Marc Gewertz, Damon Lee
