Beale Street, barbecues, Graceland, and, oh yeah, hot rods at Memphis Motorsports Park, all made for a successful rock and roll weekend in the Southland.
Beautiful weather and legendary Southern hospitality welcomed all to Memphis as the Super Chevy Show team put on yet another incredible weekend combining show cars, swap meet, racing, and tire smoke. Granted, Associate Editor Mike Harrington and I could have used a few extra days to surf Sun Records and listen to original copies from The King, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Mister Johnny Cash. But you can't have everything.
Mike Solomon's '63 Vette was...
Mike Solomon's '63 Vette was one of the fastest bracket-only race cars, pumping the brakes at more than 160 mph.
At the 1320, the action was hot all weekend with Tremec True Street once again stealing the show and summoning interest for the growing spectacle that it is. Registered and official street vehicles brawled it out with engines sizzling hot from the cruise they just completed around the streets of Memphis.
And, waddya know, a first-generation Camaro finally took home the top prize. Gary Tripp threw together a triplicate of mid-9 second passes at over 145 mph (9.29, 9.96, 9.39) for an overall average of 9.555 seconds.
Sixteen well-manicured street machines showed up for the cruise that included everything from a California-style pickup truck to an LS-powered Corvair, and thankfully, every single one was still purring when the race was done and gone.
Rains on Thursday left the west side of the track soggy, but not spirits at the swap meet, which this year, grew to three rows running the full length of the quarter-mile. Harrington had to drag me away after I spent hours rummaging through cylinder heads and engine blocks from the '60s. Hate to think what the airline would say if I tried to check a 250-pound big-block. The swap meet was definitely a highlight, packed with deals and steals on anything and everything in Chevrolet parts and memorabilia.
Over on the truck side of...
Over on the truck side of the show, this young lady refused to let us leave until we watched her do a few backflips. Hot concrete + no shoes = ouch!!
The car show area had to be enlarged several times because of the ginormous turn out, including a variety of Bow Ties for everyone to enjoy (including an original '69 Yenko Camaro, complete with an aluminum-headed 427 big-block). The atmosphere was nothing short of nostalgic with music from the '50s and '60s playing all weekend long, and a slew of original-owner hot rods, each complete with stories from the good ol' days.
It was certainly an event-filled weekend. My eyebrows were singed by two jets cars (Note to self: Don't stand behind the fire-breathers); we got our support vehicle stuck in the Mississippi; we watched as barefooted gymnast spontaneously performed on the hot concrete; ate more ribs than I care to mention; met hundreds of amazing people; and shot a feature in a warehouse so big the employees don't even know what's on the other end.
Bottom line: We can't wait to get back to Memphis Motorsports Park next year.
| EDITOR’S CHOICE TOP 10 SHOW CARS |
| Name | Address | Car |
| Kenny Davis | Rogers, AR | '57 Chevy |
| Larry Frederick | Petersburg, IN | '63 Biscayne |
| Jim Stiker | St. Louis | '69 Camaro |
| Brian Rainey | South Haven, MS | '72 Chevelle |
| Mike Boudreaux | LaPlace, LA | '67 Nova |
| Dan Labonte | Osage Beach, MO | '67 Chevy II |
| Keith Shockley | Saint Charles, MO | '69 Camaro |
| Daniel A. Brown | Urbana, IL | '69 Chevelle |
| Jared Romero | Youngsville, LA | '69 Camaro |
| Brandan Duncan | Horn Lake, MI | '72 C-10 |