These kids know where it's...
These kids know where it's cool: in the shade of a Chevy!
Major league baseball comes to the dry climate in Arizona each spring toplay exhibition games before the regular season begins. The Super ChevyShow comes to Arizona to exhibit show cars and drag racing machines, butit's the real thing: the season is open. Too bad we didn't have anyapple pie, but two fer three ain't bad, as the saying goes.
Firebird Raceway in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler is a unique place tovisit. Had you been at the track during the weekend of March 23 through25, you would have experienced a sports car race, a driving school, andthe Super Chevy Show, which included non-stop drag racing as well as ashown-n-shine. It was enough to keep car people entertained regardlessof what kind of machine they enjoy. For most of the people, however, itwas all Super Chevy.
Chevrolet had their latest...
Chevrolet had their latest diesel-crew-cab-dually (wow that's a longname for a pickup) on display for admiring fans who want the latest incruising comfort, while hauling cars to Super Chevy Shows.
Just to add to the excitement, on Saturday afternoon we received theannouncement that Autostar's Roger Gustin decided to add another show tothe already action-packed 21-event schedule. The new stop (which bringsthe total to 22) is actually a return to a track the series last visitedin 1998-that being the new facility in Tucson, Arizona. The Super ChevyShow 18-wheeler will roll into Tucson November 9 through 11, which isthe weekend after the SEMA Show and right before the season finale inLas Vegas. Seems like the Southwest is the hot spot for Super ChevyShow action this year, and for good reason. We're definitely lookingforward to coming back to Tucson.
 John Piccola brought his outstanding...  John Piccola brought his outstanding Nova from Las Vegas and gathered upan Editor's Choice Top Ten Car Show award, an Attention to Detail awardfrom Soffseal, and a class win for Nova '62-67 Street. |  You have to look very closely...  You have to look very closely to tell that this '55 pickup's trim ispainted on. Nice work. |  Junior Dragster was won by...  Junior Dragster was won by Kyle Marley, Mesa, Arizona, by edging out AmySecor, also of Mesa. Congratulations kids and dads. |
La Bomb Ba takes on a whole...
La Bomb Ba takes on a whole new meaning with Otto Anderson's showgrounds cruiser.
At Phoenix the Gold Class grew by a few entries, two of them owned byJack Shewmaker of Bentonville, Arkansas. One is a '56 Nomad and theother is a '57 Bel Air convertible. To give you an example of the workthat builder Ron Kissinger put into these cars, the chassis for the '57was displayed by itself at the Montgomery, Alabama, show last year andwas so stunning that we ran photos of it in our coverage (Mar. '01). Ironically, neither of these cars took home the top trophy (although the'57 was awarded Best Detail-Gold Class) and when the awards ceremony wasover, builder Kissinger went to the car show judges for constructivecriticism on how these cars could do better next time, and they toldhim. This illustrates two points about Super Chevy Shows: one, thecompetition is awesome, and two, any participant in any class has theability-and is encouraged-to talk with the judges about his or her car,and the judges will share their written notes made during the car'sexamination. Definitely nice to know.
 Here's the happiest group...  Here's the happiest group in town: winners of Super Chevy Show Awards. |  DOT. Street Tire Class Winner...  DOT. Street Tire Class Winner Carlos Hernandez, Jr., from Santa Fe, NewMexico, accepts his award along with Runner-Up Mark Livingston fromSedona, Arizona. |  Bracket Two Winner Ken Passerby...  Bracket Two Winner Ken Passerby of Chino Valley, Arizona, and Runner-UpTibor Kadar from Glendale, Arizona, accept their drag race awards fromAutostar's Phil Gustin. |
Editor's Choice Top Ten Show...
Editor's Choice Top Ten Show Car winners gather to display their awards.
Phoenix has become the home to many performance-oriented industries,following in the high-tech footsteps of many electronic firms that movedto the dry climate a few years back. Manufacturer's Midway hostedseveral local firms, including Ciadella Quality Chevy Industries, andMaster Street Rods. Between the enthusiast-related manufacturers here,and the large number of great Bow-Tie machines in the area, it's nowonder that the Super Chevy Show in Phoenix is one of the best we seeall year. What we've found is that Chevy people from all over thecountry have come here to live, and they've brought their hobby and carswith them. For that we say thanks for a great show. Hope to see all ofyou in Tucson and Las Vegas.
 Doug Winters came through...  Doug Winters came through with a Nitro Coupe win in his Kernersville,North Carolina-based '58 Corvette. In an all-Corvette final, theRunner-Up was John Reynolds in a '91 from Loveland, Colorado. Wintersnow leads the chase by 35 points over his nearest competitor. |  |  Phoenix There, there, nice...  Phoenix There, there, nice Camaro. |
Phoenix is Truck Country....
Phoenix is Truck Country. Check out Chuck and Cynthia Coulter's Sedona,Arizona-based '59 Suburban. They went home with a well-deservedEditor's Choice Top Ten Show Car award, and First in Class forSUV-Modified.
Drag Race Results
Bracket 1
Winner-Keith Manogue, Phoenix, AZ, '63 Nova, 11.701 @ 122.06 mph
Runner-Up-Brian Lopez, Tucson, AZ, '79 Malibu, 10.766 @ 122.82 mph
Bracket 2
Winner-Ken Passerby, Chino Valley, AZ, '71 Vega, 12.445 @ 107.30 mph
Runner-Up-Tibor Kadar, Glendale, AZ, '67 Pontiac, 11.645 @ 110.48 mph
 If you think this '55 looks...  If you think this '55 looks wild, you should have heard it! |  This license plate says it...  This license plate says it all. Super Chevys in DOT class are veryquick with elapsed times regularly in the lls and speeds around 120 mphfor the quarter. |  Garbiso Machine asked us to...  Garbiso Machine asked us to try out one of its Sto Away HardtopManagement Systems. We assembled it in about two minutes and borrowed ahardtop. Look here-it works! For more, see Bow-Tie Briefs. |
Dot Street Tire
Winner-Carlos Hernandez, Jr., Santa Fe, NM, '69 Chevelle, 11.921 @ 108.84 mph
Runner-Up-Mark Livingston, Sedona, AZ, '79 Blazer, 11.761 @ 114.40 mph
Nitro Coupes
Winner-Doug Winters, Kernersville, NC, '58 Corvette, 7.033 @ 165.76mph
Runner-Up-John Reynolds, Loveland, CO, '91 Corvette, 6.984 @ 204.14 mph
GM Street
Winner-N/A
Runner-Up-N/A
 We weren't surprised to find...  We weren't surprised to find great Corvettes in Arizona. With all thatfresh air and sun, who wouldn't want one? |  Gregg Hopkins from Phoenix...  Gregg Hopkins from Phoenix keeps his '70 Camaro racer so sharp that itcould easily double as a show car. He won an Editor's Choice Top TenDrag Car award. |  Sharon and Gerry Durnall from...  Sharon and Gerry Durnall from Alhambra, California, showed off theirsuper straight '61 convertible earning an Editor's Choice Top Ten CarShow award, Class Winner for Big Car '58-89-Stock, and Best Big Car ofthe show. |
Saturday Bracket Race
Winner-Butch Warner, Congress, AZ, '88 Pontiac, 9.344 @ 143.66 mph
Runner-Up-John Aldridge, Glendale, AZ, '96 Yancer Dragster, 8.994 @ 160.92 mph
Junior Dragsters
Winner-Kyle Marley, Mesa, AZ, 11.955 @ 51.06 mph
Runner-Up-Amy Secor, Mesa, AZ, 11.795 @ 53.21 mph
Editor's Choice Top Ten Drag Cars
Tim Ebbett, Lake Havasu, AZ, '66 Nova
Vincent Foti, Phoenix, AZ, '91 Corvette
Jack Garrison, Phoenix, AZ, '70 Nova
Gregg Hopkins, Phoenix, AZ, '70 Camaro
Don Macey, Phoenix, AZ, '72 Chevelle
Don Miller, Phoenix, AZ, '80 Corvette
Paul Montoya, Walsenburg, CO, '56 Chevy
Mike Proctor, Mesa, AZ, '68 El Camino
Kevin Spoth, Chandler, AZ, '66 Nova
Andy Wing, Phoenix, AZ, '69 Camaro
Vette magazine's award for...
Vette magazine's award for Best Corvette went to Mesa, Arizona's, CarlMcCoy for his beautiful '63 roadster. Darryl Bowman did thepresentation honors on behalf of award sponsor Trim Parts.
Car Show Results
Editor's Choice Top Ten Car Show
Otto Anderson, Albuquerque, NM, '57 Bel Air
Ron Anderson, Peoria, AZ, '65 Chevelle
Earl Bumpas, Scottsdale, AZ, '34 Chevy
Chuck & Cynthia Coulter, Sedona, AZ, '59 Suburban
Derwin Dugger, Sun Lakes, AZ, '39 Ford
Sharon & Gerry Durnall, Alhambra, CA, '61 Bel Air
Carl McCoy, Mesa, AZ, '63 Corvette
John & Sylvia Piccola, Las Vegas, NV, '65 Nova
Lenn Pritchard, Paradise Valley, AZ, '57 Bel Air
Earl Randall, Odessa, TX, '69 Camaro
Saturday Specialty Awards
Best Interior-Bob & Nancy Smith, Lake Havasu City, AZ, '55 Chevy
Best Paint- Jim Hollamon, Glendale, AZ, '72 truck
Best Engine-Dave Lowther, Glendale, AZ, '55 Nomad
Best Detail-Ron Massow, El Paso, TX, '55 Chevy
Best Workmanship Sponsored By Waterloo Industries-John Young, Yuma, AZ, '56 Chevy
Best Achievement Stock-Mark Long, Phoenix, AZ, '66 Nova
Best Achievement Street-Ron Pehlman, Phoenix, AZ, '72 truck
Best Achievement Modified- Ernie Padilla, Phoenix, AZ, '72 Chevelle
 Do not go to the starting...  Do not go to the starting line with a headache! |  |  Manufacturer's Midway stayed...  Manufacturer's Midway stayed crowded all day, every day. |