Weekend Rewind! Goodguys 27th Summit Racing Nationals Presented by PPG
There is still a distant rumble of exhaust and dust in the air over the Ohio Expo Center just north of downtown Columbus as thousands of hot rodders make their way home after a top fueled weekend at the Gooduys Big One – the 27th Summit Racing Nationals Presented by PPG! It was a solid 72-plus hours of car-family fun with killer cars and trucks, great friends, and unforgettable memories!
Actually, the fun for a select group started the week prior as many rodders made the drive from the Goodguys Heartland Nationals in Des Moines on the Cruise to Columbus and even more got a head start on Thursday with the traditional Summit Racing Nationals Poker Run visiting shops and sites around the region followed by different kickoff parties at the host hotels Thursday evening.
By Friday morning, the gearhead pump was primed and the Expo Center was soon abuzz with trick trucks, cool customs, and muscle machines cruising the grounds or getting parked and detailed for the day – and the days were packed! From the giant indoor swap meet, to the Goodguys AutoCross, SEMA HRIA Education Day Tech seminars, the Tri-Five 70th Anniversary indoor show, giant manufacturers midway, and special star studded Auto Metal Direct display, there was plenty to pack in.
To many street rodders and street machine fans, the Goodguys Nationals is the place to be as two signature Top 12 Of The Year Awards are presented at the show: the Classic Instruments Street Rod of the Year and the PPG Street Machine of the Year. These awards bring out the heavy hitting builders with their latest creations and the competition lived up to expectations! The top five finalists for the Classic Instruments Street Rod of the Year included: Penny Moyer’s ’40 Ford Coupe, Scott Movic’s, ’32 Ford Roadster, Danny Shaffer’s ’33 Ford Roadster pickup, and Beth Myers’ ’32 Ford Coupe. The winning ride went to Ron Myers and his stunning ’36 Ford Roadster built by Rad Rides by Troy.
On the other side of the Celeste Center were a gathering of high-powered, cutting-edge rides vying for the PPG Street Machine of the Year title with the top five rounding out to include: Steve Nettleingham’s ’70 Challenger, Jordan Costello’s ’71 Plymouth Duster, the ’63 Corvette of Jorge V, and Steve Mellon’s convertible ’70 Cougar. The winner of the PPG Street Machine of the Year went to Angelo Vespi’s wicked, twin turbocharged ’87 Buick Grand National built by Dutchboys Hotrods.
Rounding out the Street Rod and Street Machine awards, Goodguys also named several regional finalists for their Top 12 Awards program presented by BASF. These honors included: Mike Seebert’s ’66 Corvette restored by Classic Restorations of Southern Indiana as the Snap-on Muscle Car Finalist; the ’69 Ford F100 of Troy Peck as the Dakota Digital Truck of the Year Late built by Scott’s Hot Rods ‘n Customs; and Janet Cooper’s ’57 Pontiac Safari as the Finalist for the Vintage Air Custom Rod of the Year. The Goodguys editorial team selected the pro street ’55 Chevy of Tony Vestuto as their Feature Pick.
The Goodguys coveted Builder’s Choice Top 10 awards actually include 20 cars at Columbus, with half being picked by Roadster Shop and the other by the Goodguys 2024 Trendsetter , Tyler Nelson of Revision Rods and Rides. First are Roadster Shop’s selections.
And take a look at Revision Rod and Ride’s Builder’s Choice Top 10.
Speaking of award winners, the Goodguys Nationals also hosts the In the Garage Media New Product Showcase, where manufacturers could show off their latest, greatest products – and there were a lot of ’em! We’ll have a complete feature on all the products next week, but to give you an idea, here’s a look at the winners.
On the north side of the Expo Center, Goodguys put together a great collection of Tri-Five Chevys to celebrate the 70th anniversary, sponsored by Golden Star Auto Parts. The air conditioning in Kasich Hall served as a much needed cool-down for the clear, sunny days, with an eclectic range of build styles capable of the veritable ’55, ’56 and ’57 Chevs from restored originals to wild customs.
The action on the Goodguys AutoCross Friday and Saturday was non-stop as racers honed in their lines on the track to qualify for Saturday afternoon’s Forgeline Buckeye Shootout. Unfortunately, as the ladders were being created, the skies opened up, flooding the course and putting an end to the racers’ day. In this case, the Shootout titles go to the top qualifier in each class which included: Josh Leisinger in Speedtech Performance Pro X, Bob Bertelson in Summit Racing Pro, Rob MacGregor in the No Limit Engineering Truck class, Andrew Chenoweth in Forgeline Street Machine, Mark Cronin in Challenger, and Sports Car was Ryan Mathews. By Sunday morning the track was dry and the All American Sunday racers ran all morning with the shootout title going to David Schardt in his C8 Corvette.
Another special event held only at the Goodguys Summit Racing Nationals is the presentation for the 2025 Grand Prize Giveaway car, the ’87 Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe built by Goolsby Customs. Seventeen people were given a key to start the car, with only one being the “magic key.” It was down to three people left when Trent Johnson put the key in, turned it over and the supercharged LT4 engine came to life! Congrats to the Johnsons, who were driving the car the Aerocoupe home to Illinois.
As one Giveaway car drives away, the next one rolls in and for 2026, Goodguys will be giving away a sleek, subtle ’40 Ford Coupe built by Roseville Rod and Custom! Follow here for all the details on this incredible build.
The Goodguys 27th Summit Racing Nationals Presented by PPG was one for the books! Thousands of cool cars and trucks, even more cool people, and the good times just kept rolling! Thanks to all of you who joined the fun this weekend – we can’t wait to see you all again next year!
Photos by Damon Lee, Terry Lysak and Todd Ryden
