Gainesville, Florida, is a community that really loves its sporting events. Drive throughout the town and its surrounding areas and it is impossible to miss the stickers, banners and signs that show support for the local teams. And when it comes to excitement for classic and performance automobiles, the enthusiasm is the same with a strong allegiance towards what else but Chevrolet.
When the 1998 Super Chevy Show made its annual stop in Gainesville, the residents showed up in support just as though the home team had made it to the playoffs. As in past years, the weather was near-perfect (although the weekend was clear it rained the day before and the day after).
One reason fair weather was important to those following the Nitro Coupe competition was that it was here that the 1998 season championship would be decided. Bill Kuhlman didn't need much to take home the trophy, but he did need to make a good pass in his familiar Summit Racing-sponsored '68 Corvette to cement the victory. Despite not dominating the competition, Kuhlman did win the fight for the '98 crown which sent his crew to a very familiar place - the winner's circle. Interestingly, Kuhlman's back-up car, driven by Florida-resident, Mel Eaves, was the man to beat as he piloted the Mega Power '92 Camaro to a 6.476 pass for the weekend victory.
In the show car arena, many familiar vehicles waged friendly battle against some hot new rides (and by new we don't necessarily mean late-model). From Limos to plush street rods there was a little of everything. One street rod that has been the cause of some controversy, but generally enjoyed by many, is the '34 Ford that belongs to Charlie Lowery, of Petersburg, Virginia. One might ask how a blue oval could possibly make it to the winner's podium at a Super Chevy Show. Though the body may resemble a FoMoCo vehicle, it is in fact a heavily modified, Chevy-powered street rod. We call it an exercise in how to build a car "Ford tough with all Chevy stuff." And while this would never work with a Mustang or a Falcon, with today's street rods (many of which boast few (if any) parts from the cars they were built to resemble), such an exercise can be a nice change of pace.
Ranking as one of the best all-around Super Chevy events in the country, the Gainesville edition is the perfect place for a family vacation or even just a tailgate party. After a fun-filled two days of cool cars and fast machines, it's a simple jog to Ocala for a stop at "Big Daddy" Don Garlits' Drag Racing museum. there's Race Rock restaurant in Orlando for a high-horsepower dinner then there's Disney World and Epcot Center where we'd recommend checking out the newest attraction; the General Motors Test Track. When it comes to the perfect getaway, who could you ask for more?
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