NSRA Street Rod Nationals - Nats Show Business - Expanded for Web

As I'm the new guy and hadn't been to the NSRA Street Rod Nationals before, it's natural that I should get the job of reporting on the event, though I have to say I'm struggling to accept attending events without a car of my own. With that said, deadlines mean airplanes are a sight quicker than cross-country road trips. Plus the only car I have on the road apart from my daily is the '49 Chevy, and that's too new for Louisville. Of course, we magazine types all look dead cool cruising the fairgrounds in our golf carts. Yeah, right!

So, with literally thousands of rods to get 'round, it's a good thing we do have a golf cart. And with all that heat and humidity-wow-the vendors building sure looks inviting with its A/C. Then you start checking out the rods and kinda forget the humidity. OK, that's a lie, but only a small one. There were some great rods out there and four days suddenly didn't seem like anywhere near long enough to see them all properly and check out all the vendor booths. So, early starts and late finishes were the norm.

It quickly became apparent that many of the nicest cars in attendance were painted black, plus we collectively made a conscious effort to search out non-Fords, and non-'32s in particular, as this year seems to have reached saturation point with the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the '32. However, it can't be denied that Fords are the predominant marque, and, as such, you'll see some in our coverage.

I mentioned big luxury rods in my editorial last month, but boy were there a lot of them at Louisville. And four-doors-more than I thought still existed! But what I found neat was the number of rods that have obviously been built for a few years and were still in use. Sure, they often didn't have the latest trendy wheels or sit as low, but there's something cool about driving the wheels off a car you built yourself and enjoying it. These ain't no trailer queens, but honest to goodness drivers. And there were plenty of 'em in Louisville.

Just as there were plenty of vendors. The Kentucky Exposition Center is one big building and it was overflowing with vendors! It was the perfect place to compare products from different manufacturers in person, which I'm sure is what many people did before purchasing what was right for them.

So whether you wanted to check out new products, compare existing ones, visit Women's World or tech seminars, drool over stunning cars-many magazine feature cars and national award-winning rods were on display in the Builders' Showcase in the lobby of the Exposition Center as well as those outside-or just kick back with your car club and enjoy the festivities, there was room for it all.