The results are in from the 3rd annual Rod & Custom Asphalt Ego-Rama, and the winner is Tim Nesmith's '41 Chevy coupe from Hartselle, Alabama.
R&C readers chose the following six cars to participate in a five-day road trip/road test, hosted and judged by R&C:
Norm Cowdrey's '56 Chevy Nomad from Camarillo, California
Don Dillard's '30 Ford Five-Window Coupe from Irwindale, California
Fred Douglas' '48 Oldsmobile 98 Convertible from Shawnee, Kansas
Rex Marshall's '55 Chevy 210 from West Bountiful, Utah
Larry Metz' '32 Ford Cabriolet from Arcadia, California
Tim Nesmith's '41 Chevy Coupe from Hartselle, Alabama.
The event started in Burbank, California, and ended in Scottsdale, Arizona. While cruising across the Southwest, the R&C staff (Jim Rizzo, Dan Kahn, Damon Lee, and Tim Bernsau) judged each of the vehicles in nine categories: Acceleration, Braking, Cornering, Gas Mileage, People's Choice, Engineering, Ride & Drive, Budget, and Style Points.
When all the evaluating was done, Tim was the winner. As usual, the champion was the car that didn't didn't dominate in any single category, but performed consistently well in every area of hot rodding performance. Congratulations Tim!
Look for complete coverage of the 2003 R&C Asphalt Ego-Rama in the April issue of Rod & Custom.
On Without Don Dillard
To everybody's disappointment, Asphalt Ego-Rama participant Don Dillard was forced to drop out of the competition after injuring himself while starting his Model A coupe. He was standing half in, half out of the car, turning the ignition key when the brand new neutral safety switch failed and the coupe lurched backward a foot or two, hitting a cement wall and knocking him down. He was taken to a hospital and released several hours later with a possible veterbrae compression fracture, which required a few weeks of rest. Don has been invited back for Asphalt Ego-Rama '04.
Category Winners
Acceleration: Rex Marshall's '55 Chevy 210
Braking: Norm Cowdrey's '56 Chevy Nomad
Cornering: Larry Metz' '32 Ford Cabriolet
Engineering: Fred Douglas' '48 Oldsmobile Convertible
Gas Mileage: Rex Marshall's '55 Chevy 210
Ride & Drive: Norm Cowdrey's '56 Chevy Nomad
Budget: Rex Marshall's '55 Chevy 210
Style Points: Tim Nesmith's '41 Chevy Coupe
People's Choice: Fred Douglas' '48 Oldsmobile Convertible
Wanna Be In Ego-Rama 2004?
Can your ego handle our Ego-Rama? If you'd like to take a shot at participating in Asphalt Ego-Rama '04, send us a letter describing in detail your '64-or-earlier rod or custom. Be sure to include your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, and a good photo of your car or truck. In addition, include a one-sentence explanation of why readers whould pick your vehicle for the Ego-Rama.
Send your letter and photo to:
Rod & Custom Asphalt Ego-Rama
2400 E. Katella Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92806
Entries must be received by April 9, 2004