Super Chevy Show Virginia - Event Coverage

Super Chevy Show Virginia Richmond Virginia Show Floor

Never having spent much time back East, I was anxious to cover the Super Chevy Show in Richmond, Virginia, which took place the last weekend of September 2005. With the fall season not yet in full swing at the time, it was unclear if the weather was going to be hot and humid or cold and wet, so I packed for both. With my fingers crossed as I got off the plane, I found it very pleasant to my surprise. The next morning, I was off to the track. When I got there, I quickly found myself waiting in a line that stretched down the country road just outside of the Virginia Motor Speedway for about 45 minutes just to get in; I knew it was going to be a good show.

It was bright and sunny, a combination that brought droves of people to the VMS. There were more show cars and race cars there than you could shake the proverbial stick at. In fact, the event was so big that another show in the area will be added for 2006. All of this made my job pretty tough, with so many nice Chevys to pick from for awards and features. The drags were huge in Virginia! Starting early in the morning and finishing well after dark, you could definitely get your fill of all the fast-paced action, including the Super Chevy Show-exclusive Nitro Coupes. Sit back and relax as you check out the sights and imagine the sounds from Richmond.

Jerry and Michael Shepard showed some style by rolling in with their slick '73 Camaro. This car's colors GRABBED me! It's a good example of what the right colors can do to a car.
Jerry and Michael Shepard showed some style by rolling in with their slick '73 Camaro. Thi
in everything from a '60 station wagon to a rare '65 Impala SS.

I had to wait around Neil Hensley's '67 Nova like a vulture to try and get a picture of it! This car would flip you on your lid if you could see all the little details up close, starting with the chopped top.
I had to wait around Neil Hensley's '67 Nova like a vulture to try and get a picture of it

Mike Irving took home the Custom Rodder pick for his classy '59 El Camino that he cruised in from Midlothian, Virginia, and I know he drove it because I personally saw him on the freeway doin' about 75!
Mike Irving took home the Custom Rodder pick for his classy '59 El Camino that he cruised
Tim Harpor from Colonial Heights, Virginia, throws his wild '55 Procharger-assisted 210 through the lights in the 8s. There's some cool plumbing going on here!
Tim Harpor from Colonial Heights, Virginia, throws his wild '55 Procharger-assisted 210 th
Speaking of chop-tops and wild cars, I found this Fierro lurking in the show with its lowered lid and a V-8 under the hood. Must be one crazy ride!
Speaking of chop-tops and wild cars, I found this Fierro lurking in the show with its lowe

I'm a sucker for nostalgia, and Brian and Paul Freels decided it was a good place to bring their incarnation of "Jungle Jim's" Nova. They were running low 11s in the mod class. Cool!
I'm a sucker for nostalgia, and Brian and Paul Freels decided it was a good place to bring
I wish that new cars had interior like this! Something about the tach and a four-speed with the white shift knob gets me, and that's just the beginning of Bobby and Dottie Wells' '62 Bubbletop that sports a dual-quad 409. Yeah, they deserved their Top 10 award.
I wish that new cars had interior like this! Something about the tach and a four-speed wit

Joe Frole from Suffolk, Virginia, figured this was a good place to debut his fresh '69 RS/SS Camaro that was engineered by Detroit Speed. Joe almost needed a truck to haul all of his awards home. Stay tuned to Super Chevy for a full feature!
Joe Frole from Suffolk, Virginia, figured this was a good place to debut his fresh '69 RS/
Al Davis was comfortable in his hometown with his under-the-radar sleeper '70 Nova that hid a 468 roller-motor behind body color rims and dog-dish caps.
Al Davis was comfortable in his hometown with his under-the-radar sleeper '70 Nova that hi
Pete Saffer had this ultra-clean '67 Nova that runs 9s in Top E/T. He and his crew were happy to take home a drag racing Top 10 award.
Pete Saffer had this ultra-clean '67 Nova that runs 9s in Top E/T. He and his crew were ha

Wow, for a minute I thought I was back in California when I came across this woodie wagon complete with surfboard!
Wow, for a minute I thought I was back in California when I came across this woodie wagon
I had to sit down for a few after runnin' around all day checking out the cars. Luckily, I found Bella from the Tweaked Ya Racing team to keep me company.
I had to sit down for a few after runnin' around all day checking out the cars. Luckily, I
Home Sweet Home-at least for the weekend. It's whatever it takes for some racers.

The folks over at the JW Nova Parts were happy campers all weekend with all of the foot traffic in the Manufacture's Midway.
The folks over at the JW Nova Parts were happy campers all weekend with all of the foot tr
Let's see...a headlight from this one and a fender from that one, and bingo! I had to bring back this picture for my boss "Mr. Nova" Terry Cole. The swap meet brought a few promising cars to the table and some with-let's say-less promise. I forgot about all the rust that much of the country has to deal with.
Let's see...a headlight from this one and a fender from that one, and bingo! I had to brin

Here are all those speed-hungry drag racing fans eating up the action!
3-2-1 blast off! The jet cars are always a crowd favorite and if you haven't had the chance to see 'em yet don't wait, they're a blast!
3-2-1 blast off! The jet cars are always a crowd favorite and if you haven't had the chanc
This Chevelle was trying to put some of that beautiful blue sky under its front tires.

Birthday boy Dave Tomasino didn't have very good luck on his big day with his Nitro coupe, but he didn't let it get him down. He jumped in to help some of the other racers like Bruce Boland.
Birthday boy Dave Tomasino didn't have very good luck on his big day with his Nitro coupe,
Ever pop your hood and see a jet engine? Well, if you owned one of the jet cars, this is what it'd look like.
Ever pop your hood and see a jet engine? Well, if you owned one of the jet cars, this is w
Beverly Tharp's super-sano '62 Vette was hard not to miss with its eye-searing red paint and asphalt-eating stance.
Beverly Tharp's super-sano '62 Vette was hard not to miss with its eye-searing red paint a

Speaking of Vettes, how about this rare '63 Split-window Fuelie? It's still got the original window sticker reading $5,283.55 for the fully loaded four-speed car when it was new.
Speaking of Vettes, how about this rare '63 Split-window Fuelie? It's still got the origin
I feel bad because I lost his info, but this Second-Gen Camaro was nicer than many of the show cars and was pullin' some quick runs down the track.
I feel bad because I lost his info, but this Second-Gen Camaro was nicer than many of the

Nice Racer
Andrew Parise's 9-second '67 Camaro is another example of a race car that's nicer than some of show cars. Andrew and the rest of the Tweaked Ya/Fiore Bros. team got involved, along with Nitro Coupe heavyweight Dave Tomasino and his team to raise money and awareness for Multiple Sclerosis research through the National MS Society. It seems everyone involved has someone close to them that has been affected by this mysterious yet debilitating disease, myself included, and was glad to join forces. There still isn't much known about this neurological disease, like what causes it and how to treat it. Thankfully, the Race for the Cure has been sped up with Dave Tomasino's help. In Maple Grove, I watched Dave personally go down the Manufacture's Midway and collect donations of cash and parts from the vendors to go toward finding a cure. Let me tell you what a moving experience this was to see this kind of thing happen for something that needs as much attention as cancer or a number of other serious diseases. To find out more about MS, and to donate, call or click Jenny Green, vice president of the Special Events portion of New York City Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, at jgreen@msnyc.org, (212) 463-7787 x3016. By all means say hello to Dave, Andrew, Dina, Brud, Bella, and the others at any of the Super Chevy Shows.