Super Chevy Show Gainesville (Web Exclusive)

No rental car for me this trip! I got to drive our Senior VP Doug Evans''57 Hardtop to the show. While slightly nerve-wracking in the fact thatif something happened to the car I'd be deader than road kill, drivingthe '57 from our Tampa office to Gainesville was spectacularly awesome!I even blew past a new C6 Corvette. Not sure what surprised people more,the sight of the car, or the fact it was passing them.

No rental car for me this trip! I got to drive our Senior VP Doug Evans''57 Hardtop to the

I wasn't sure what was more exciting, a chance to get out of the officefor a few days to attend the Super Chevy show, or the opportunity todrive a restomodded '57 hardtop to the event. If the black '57 looksfamiliar, it was a frequent subject of tech stories in various 2006 and2007 issues of Super Chevy. What made the trip a little nerve rackingwas the fact the car belongs to our Senior VP Doug Evans, so ifsomething happened to the car, I'd be moving to Montana and assuming anew name.

Once on the road, my nerves quickly calmed, and I enjoyed the two hourdrive up to Gainesville from our Tampa office. With a hopped up 350,700R-4 and Classic Auto Air A/C, cruising in the '57 was awesome. I'mnot sure what was better, just driving the car or seeing the looks ofstunned BMW and Mercedes owners as I blasted past them at 75 mph onI-75. At one point on the way up, traffic stopped on the highway becauseof an accident, and three different people came up to the car looking itover and giving me the thumbs up.

I remember when you couldn't touch one of these in ratty condition forless than $500. Two complete TPI intakes for $150 a piece says a lotabout the aftermarket when it comes to fuel-injection for Chevys. Itused to be a TPI conversion was the only economical way to get FI on aclassic bowtie. The swap meet at the SC Show in Gainesville was loadedwith cool and useful parts just like this.

I remember when you couldn't touch one of these in ratty condition forless than $500. Two

On the way back after the show ended, I spotted a new black ChallengerR/T cruising sedately ahead of me, and was forced to open up the BarryGrant triple-deuce setup on the 350 and show the Challenger what a realmuscle car looked like. Once I passed, I glanced in the rearview mirrorand saw a turn signal come on and the Challenger change lanes to try andcatch up, but the front grille of the Challenger kept growing smaller.

A late addition to the Super Chevy Show schedule, this year'sGainesville event was packed full of interesting cars and great racingaction. While all the show cars were getting set up and polished for aday in the sun, the dragstrip was firing up with the sounds of nitrocoupes and nasty doorslammers courtesy of the Southern Super StockAssociation. The True Street competitors were going through inspectionsand getting ready for their road test.

EDITOR'S CHOICE TOP 10 SHOW AWARDS

Gary & Debi Deason - Crawfordville, FL - '55 210 Gasser

Jim Hopkins - Beverly Hills, FL - '71 Nova

Michael Lloyd - Callahan, FL - '68 Camaro

Donnie Childers - Tifton, GA - '66 Chevelle

Tom Messer - Gainesville, FL - '67 Camaro

Buddy Burfind - Englewood, FL - '64 Nova

Ralph Hendricks - Jacksonville, FL - '67 Camaro

John Nobles - Callahan, FL - '55 Chevy

Wayne Folin - Willington, FL - '63 Biscayne

Larry Geiger - Callahan, FL - '72 Chevelle

EDITOR'S CHOICE TOP 10 DRAG AWARDS

George Emanuel - High Springs, FL - '55 Bel Air 2-door Sedan

Larry Flynn - Lutz, FL - '57 Be lAir Hardtop

Bob Wold - Oxford, FL - '55 210 2-door Sedan

Scott Helms - Crystal Springs, FL - '66 Impala SS

Kevin Cradduck - Murfreesboro, TN - '69 Camaro

Darren Stutts - Green Cove Springs, FL - '57 150 2-door Sedan

Jimmy Gugel - Ocala, FL - '70 Camaro

Ken & Faye Hamilton - Jacksonville, FL - Small-Block-Powered Dragster

Kelly Hicks - St. Augustine, FL - '02 Camaro Pro Mod

Paul Forte - Jacksonville, FL - '69 Camaro

TRUE STREET RESULTS

WINNER: Jason Rollins - '71 Nova - 10.182 avg

RUNNER-UP: Kevin Smith - '95 Firebird - 11.647 avg

12-SECOND WINNER: Bud Ehrmann - '69 Camaro - 12.05 avg

13-SECOND WINNER: Larry Mengelkoch - '72 Truck - 13.08 avg

CHECK OUT PAGE TWO FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM THE 2008 SUPER CHEVY SHOW IN GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA