Smack! A baseball hitting a wooden bat is perhaps the most distinctive sound in all of sports. And when that little white speck disappears over the outfield wall for a round tripper, the roar of the fans is almost as distinguished.
Over the past few years, that sound has been heard with some regularity in the Chicago-land area, mostly due to the efforts of a fellow named Sammy Sosa, who has been a virtual homerun hitting machine for the diehard Cub fans. But another sound has become almost as popular around the Windy City. That's the echoing of drag race machinery resonating off of the bleachers in the stadium-esque Route 66 Raceway. That's where the Super Chevy Show tent was pitched recently, and to say that the event was a homerun is a staggering understatement. It was, more aptly described, a Grand Slam!
From every corner of the playing field, the third running of the Chicago Super Chevy Show presented by All Pro/Bumper to Bumper auto stores was a big hit. From the number of fans to the number of cars, new highs were recorded. And when it came to performance, the drag racing contingent led the way.
By far the biggest blow for the jam-packed quarter-mile crowd was ripped by Bill Kuhlmann in his Summit Racing-backed Nitro Coupe Corvette. The veteran shoe unloaded on the Tree and laid down the fastest lap in doorslammer history-a 230.88-mph shot that solidified his status as the man to beat. And that he was, leaving the rest of the field behind en route to his victory over Mel Eaves' Vette in an uneventful final round, 6.25 a slowing 12.89.
Bracket racing action was equally as exciting with six of the eight finalists hailing from Illinois. Only the Street Tire champ and his runner-up crossed state lines to capture the gold.
While the fast-paced excitement on the strip kept fans glued to the edge of their seats, a leisurely stroll through the show-car pits provided an air of relaxation from the noise and thunder that the stadium-style race track provides. And for Bow-Tie aficionados, there wasn't a better roster of Chevys to be seen. There were record numbers of every style and model, and the toughest job was no doubt that of the car show judges. Their task of critiquing and rating so many nicely done machines was daunting at best. As for the SUPER CHEVY staffers, the job of selecting 10 Top Ten Editor's Choice recipients among the 500 or so show cars on hand (plus 10 race car winners) was no easy chore, either. The good thing was that there were so many nice cars. The bad was not having enough trophies to hand out.
One of the cars that stood out the most was the stunning modified '57 Bel Air of Skully and Shelby Webb. From its awesome rake to the smoothed air intake system and fully contoured leather interior, this machine was-hands down-the hit of the show. Not only did it capture one of our Top Ten trophies, it scored the coveted Meguiar's Medallion Award for outstanding body appearance (and took best in his class, to boot). Another red shoebox, the '55 of Jenning's White, also scored big--again--by routing the competition for the prestigious Autostar Best of Gold accolades.
Whether you were a fan of a late-model Camaro or Impala SS, an early Chevelle or Nova, or a maxed-out Pro Streeter, Chicago's Super Chevy Show had a cross-section of vehicles and activities that proved to be second-to-none. And as if the excitement of all the cool rides, the Nitro Coupes and hard-charging bracket racers, along with the famed Chicago Outlaw Super Stock Association, wasn't enough, there was one element to this year's event that definitely made it a winning combination; all of the fans that came out to enjoy the best weather weekend and a collection of the finest Bow-Tie iron in the area. Maybe next year Chicago fans will have the Cubs in the winner's circle, too.