Houston, We Have A Problem

We blew into Houston from Columbus with Project "X" covered in bugs (but running great), and a weather forecast that made us grin from ear-to-ear. It was bright and sunny, and it was expected to be that way for about eight days. Right! Late Saturday night something else blew into town; a couple of storms. But we're a hearty bunch, us Super Chevy folks, so the show went on "rain or shine." Heck, announcer Jerry Daisey just came in from his home in Virginia where he witnessed near total devastation from Hurricane Isabel, so we weren't all that bad off, by comparison.

Brave car owners stuck it...        read full caption Brave car owners stuck it out until the judging and awards were done. Good show, guys!

There are all kinds of cultural...        read full caption There are all kinds of cultural icons around Houston. We just had to stop at Gilligan's and take a photo by the SS Minnow, which was a bit down at the stern.

Here's a very pretty sight...        read full caption Here's a very pretty sight -- a row of C5s on the grass at Houston.

Of course, the drag races went bye-bye, but we still managed to find a bunch of racers in the pits during the morning who were hoping the rain would stop. To nine of those brave souls, we gave Editor's Choice Top Ten Drag Car awards. Even rain can't hide great cars. Yes, we know it's a Top Ten thing, but by the time we were taking the photo of car number nine, we were drowning. Enough was enough.

For the show car entrants, at least they didn't have to dust their cars continually. The frequency of the rain also kept them from having to dry them off all the time, too. The judges had already looked them over once on Saturday, so Sunday's judging meant that the raindrops were overlooked and the car's quality showed through. After the awards ceremony, we got a bit of clear weather, so most winners drove their cars through our "Winners Circle" for photos. As we say, the show must go on!

Nitro Coupe teams often bring...        read full caption Nitro Coupe teams often bring their street machines to the track, especially if they're near home. Jerry Hicks is a Texas guy, so he rolled out his Malibu SS 454 to use as a tow car. He could have raced it too, judging from the way it got down the track after Jerry ran.	Houston's car corral is one...        read full caption Houston's car corral is one of the biggest and best we see all season. Maybe that's because the cars are either under the grandstands, or on pavement. Whatever the reason, cute '49 Fleetlines such as this can sure tempt a Chevy fan.	It's a shame when any body...        read full caption It's a shame when any body damage takes place, especially on a racecar that's almost new, and so pretty. Mechanical problems caused this damage on Dan Nickelson's Corvette during the last run on Saturday.
Think you've got enough wheels...        read full caption Think you've got enough wheels now, boys? Between the Camaro, the scooters, and the extra set, these guys can roll on.	The great thing about Super...        read full caption The great thing about Super Chevy Swaps is you can usually find enough equipment and parts to start your project, whether it's a racer or a show car. Here, everything you need is on one trailer.	Racing legend, Hayden Proffit,...        read full caption Racing legend, Hayden Proffit, came to visit the Houston Show, and brought these high-performance, super-duty spokes for Race Director, Bill Gustin.
These Jet car racers are really...        read full caption These Jet car racers are really getting serious. Ken Hall throws some flames as he lines up against rival, Fran Peppler.	After the run, we were there...        read full caption After the run, we were there to watch the suspense as they climbed from their cars, approached each other and (gasp) hugged!	Matt Spears and Donny Riggs,...        read full caption Matt Spears and Donny Riggs, both 16, from Lumberton, Texas, seemed to know all about every Classic Chevy that came through the Winner's Circle photo line. Keep it up guys.
Project "X" keeps some great...        read full caption Project "X" keeps some great company. We found this nice high-profile spot on the midway, so everybody could check it out.	The owner of this '48 Chevy...        read full caption The owner of this '48 Chevy might have been the only one to benefit from the rain. It's completely finished in primer, but when wet, it looks pretty slick!	It's bad enough if you're...        read full caption It's bad enough if you're showing or racing, but if you make your living on Manufacturer's Midway, all you can do is cover up and pray for sun.
Car covers are great for dust,...        read full caption Car covers are great for dust, but if you use one when it rains, the car will still get wet, and then you have to deal with great big, wet rag.	This was no place for high-horsepower...        read full caption This was no place for high-horsepower and drag slicks.	Rain on the cars and rain...        read full caption Rain on the cars and rain on the lens. Brave car owners stuck it out until the judging and awards were done. Good show!

Jesus Bengoechea	Eddie Broome	Justin Broome
Isaac Garza	Ricky Hamlet	Roy Jordan
Herbie Martinez	Justin Patterson	Gordon Sagerian

Tommy Angelle	John Boutte	Rod Mohney
Tommie Owens	Harold & Julie Pearce	Mike & Beth Ramsey
Dois Sutton	Mike & Becky Watkins	Gary Zelinski

Mark Tucker	Mike & Becky Watkins	Tony Adsley
Don Catozella	Bobby Giniewicz	Rich Rulau
Frank Thornton	Jay Youngblood	Bill Brown
Russ & Tee Huval	Harvey Vogel	Don & Marilyn Peterson
Randy & Trudy Mire