Weekend Rewind! Goodguys 2nd Grundy Insurance Mid-Atlantic Nationals Presented by R&M Performance
Goodguys took on Delaware’s Monster Mile over the weekend filling the infield of Dover Motor Speedway with a full lineup of hot rods, cool customs, classic trucks, street machines, and other vintage rides for the 2nd Grundy Insurance Mid-Atlantic Nationals presented by R&M Performance! We brought a new format for our second visit to this storied track and delivered a full weekend’s worth of automotive fun into two action-packed days of Goodguys Good Times!
Following a double dose of kickoff parties on Thursday evening, the event accelerated slowly and steadily on Friday as a damp morning gave way to a sun-filled afternoon complete with AutoCross action and a Track Cruise around Dover Motor Speedway to finish off the day. There were more festivities in the Bally’s Dover Casino parking lot to finish off our Friday.
Overnight showers didn’t dampen any spirits, as Saturday dawned sunny, breezy, and bright and the DMS infield filled to the brim yet again. The Saturday Specialty Parking Areas in front of the Cup garages were bustling, as was the Builder’s Choice parking area along pit road. That’s where Mark Giambalvo from Creative Rod & Kustom inspected cars and trucks and selected his Builder’s Choice Top 10 winners – an impressive lineup that showcased some of the best rides on the Eastern seaboard.
The Goodguys awards team was out in full force, too, choosing recipients for dozens of awards and picks, plus finalists for four different regional Goodguys Top 12 awards presented by BASF. Those select rides included Jason Owens’ ’69 Nova as the Snap-on Muscle Car of the Year finalist, Michael Chastain’s ’69 Camaro as the Griot’s Garage Muscle Machine of the Year finalist, Ralph Baldwin’s ’59 Corvette as the Vintage Air Custom Rod of the Year finalist, and Gene Dickenson’s ’50 Ford as the Scott’s Hotrods N’ Customs Custom of the Year finalist. The Goodguys media crew tapped John Helmuth’s clean ’37 Chevy coupe as the Goodguys Feature Pick.
The Goodguys AutoCross course was expanded this year and welcomed a strong lineup of rowdy and ready racers to compete for class points and duke it out in Saturday’s Duel in Dover. Top performers included Ron Scott, Jr. in the Summit Racing PRO class, Chris Mulberry in the Forgeline Street Machine class, Joe Balester in the No Limit Engineering Truck class, Mike Goodman in the Sports Car class, and Jerry Wirick in the Challenger class.
Besides cruisin’, showin’, and catchin’ up with friends, our two days in Dover for the Mid-Atlantic Nationals provided many other activities and options. There were dozens of vendors on site, including many shops and builders showing off recent works and discussing projects with potential clients. There were also some great food vendors, a massive gathering of pro street cars, live music, activities for the kids, and plenty of opportunities to hop in your ride and cruise around the infield.
While a brief downpour on Saturday afternoon resulted in an earlier-than-planned awards ceremony and conclusion to the 2nd Goodguys Mid-Atlantic Nationals, it didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of those who attended. Everyone we encountered was excited to have a Goodguys event in this region to attend. We’re grateful for all of you who came out to enjoy the weekend, and we hope to bring more Goodguys Good Times to this area in the future!
Photos by Damon Lee and Terry Lysak
