Weekend Rewind! Goodguys 37th West Coast Nationals
California knows how to party, hot rod style! Goodguys proved that once again this weekend as we rolled into the Alameda County Fairgrounds for our signature summertime Golden State event – the 37th West Coast Nationals!
This is one hot rod happening that has all the elements you want for a good-time weekend. There’s plenty of sun, palm trees, a laid-back West Coast vibe, lots of tradition, and thousands of incredible hot rods, customs, classics, muscle cars, and other vintage rides bringing a special shine to this Crown Jewel event. No wonder rodders have made this a must-attend weekend for nearly four decades!
True to tradition, local rodders and early arrivers were able to take part in the annual Gary Meadors Memorial Hot Rod Week starting on Tuesday, with daily caravans visiting shops, collections, and attractions in the area, culminating in a Thursday Poker Run. That helped get everyone good and ready for Friday morning, when the fairgrounds gates opened, and a steady stream of fine rides rolled into the fairgrounds to get the three-day automotive party underway.
The crowds and excitement continued to grow on Saturday as we packed even more cool cars and trucks into the scenic fairgrounds facility. There were thousands of fantastic rides showing off, which presented a challenge to Ben York from Roseville Rod & Custom to narrow things down to a Top 10 for the shop’s custom-machined Builder’s Choice awards. Ben’s a pro at spotting quality workmanship and timeless style, though, and he delivered a lineup that demonstrated a strong dose of West Coast cool.
The Goodguys awards staff had a busy weekend seeking out dozens of other recipients for awards and picks, too. Among those were finalists for all our regional BASF Top 12 awards. This included Eric Vidmar’s ’69 Dodge Daytona as the Snap-on Muscle Car of the Year finalist; Travis Alford’s ’70 Camaro as the Griot’s Garage Muscle Machine of the Year finalist; Justified Performance’s ’53 Chevy as the LMC Truck of the Year Early finalist; Jesse Lindberg’s ’67 Chevy C10 as the Dakota Digital Truck of the Year Late finalist; Moses Olivera’s ’51 Cadillac as the Fuel Curve Custom of the Year finalist; and Steve Aguilar’s ’67 GTO as the Vintage Air Custom Rod of the Year finalist.
Roseville Rod & Custom took home the Chevrolet Performance GM Iron Builder of the Year finalist spot for their recently finished ’57 Chevy, while Campbell Auto Restoration took home the GM Retro Iron Builder of the Year finalist spot for Sammi Frazier’s ’73 Datsun 240Z. The Goodguys Feature Pick went to Neil Siermachesky for his ’63 Nova SS, which was driven down from Canada.
Following a one-month break since the Summit Racing Nationals in Columbus, the Goodguys CPP AutoCross Series got back up to speed and gave West Coast racers a chance to carve corners, dodge cones, and compete for a spot in Saturday’s Wilwood Disc Brakes West Coast Shootout. There were many tight races and several familiar faces on the winner’s podium late Saturday.
David Carroll claimed the Speedtech Performance PRO-X class and shootout wins in his ’75 Datsun, while Mike Maier doubled up in the Summit Racing PRO class in Mike and Ingrid Ansell’s ’72 Corvette. Matt Roberts clocked the fastest time in the Forgeline Street Machine class in his ’82 Corvette, but Ken Yeo was able to come back and claim the Street Machine shootout victory in his ’65 ’Vette. Anthony Taylor Jr. doubled up in the Sports Car class racing his ’88 Mustang, while the No Limit Engineering Truck class was split, with David Carroll winning the class in his ’74 Blazer and Eric Sheely winning the shootout in his ’70 Chevy C10. Radi Shitsov doubled up in the Challenger class in a Datsun 240Z, while Toni Ercolini did the same in the All American Sunday class in his 2014 Ford Focus ST.
Rodders have come to expect a lot from the Goodguys West Coast Nationals, and there were plenty of features and happenings to keep enthusiasts engaged in every corner of the fairgrounds. Three special indoor displays – featuring 60 years of Chevelles, racecars, and ’30s-era hot rods – filled several indoor buildings, while scores of vendors could be found both inside and out. There was also a sizeable swap meet and Cars 4 Sale Corral, a model car and pedal car display, Pinstripers Brush Bash, and Goodgals Gallery. Multiple Nitro Thunderfest exhibitions shook the ground throughout the weekend, as did a parade of pro street machines. Add in some R/C car demonstrations, live music, kids’ activities, and more, and you can see how it could take several days to soak it all in.
Yes, there’s no party like a West Coast party, and Goodguys is grateful for all of you who came out to make it a fantastic weekend in Pleasanton. We hope you enjoy some of the highlights in the accompanying photos, and we look forward to partying with you all again next year!
Photos by Terry Lysak and Todd Ryden
