Just got done with the weekend of attending the NSRA MidAm “Street Rod Nationals (plus)”. It’s funny, when you talk with the NSRA reps, they all publicly tow the “party line” about the change in the format of the events to be 30 years or older. Most of them that I talked to don’t like it, but they are supportive of it.
As those of you who know me would expect, I did talk with as many NSRA reps as I could and let them know that I was disappointed in the decision making at the top of the NSRA totem pole. My understanding is that the percentage of “late model” registrations were higher in Springfield than at the other events this year. There were several that boycotted the event this year, but the numbers were up from last year, so I am sure that the NSRA will consider the change a “success”. Heck, there were already so many “pass by” cars (those that I’d rather pass by them than look at them) before, and all they did was increase the numbers of those!
I will admit, there were some cool late models, like the blue and white ’57 Ford convertible from Minnesota, the ’57 Ford Ranch Wagon and the surf green shoebox woodie. But there were also a bunch of turds there, too. (Sorry, dad, I know you don’t like that kind of language!) I had half a mind to take the camera and just shoot the polished and unpolished turds, and use that as my “event coverage”, but decided not to waste the effort.
Highlights
* the “Street & Performance” booth, with the green ’57 chevy with the “Goodguys” participant sticker still proudly displayed in the windshield, directly displayed to the crowd.
* my sister, in trying to explain to the PPG rep that we were siblings, announcing “We’re brothers”, then trying to dig out of that confusion
* hanging with dad and my step mom
* Jerry Eckholdt registering his car without having renewed his annual membership!
* harassing Don Albers about the red ’40 pickup that he chose for Dickie’s “Thumbs Up” award, because it had a V butted windshield and had a “Streetrod” piece of trim on the bed siderails.
Out of the 31, or so, cars that were picked for the awards, I think 15 were “late models”. Was I surprised, no. Was I disappointed, yes.
See…it’s not that I don’t like the late models, but it’s what the very name of the NSRA is. “National Street Rod Association”. I would propose to Vernon Walker and Bubba Bugg that they refine that to be “Not Street Rods Anymore”.
(side note…I did peel the NSRA Member sticker from my windshield on my way back to the house on Sunday)
