Enthusiasts come to the Mopar Nationals for different reasons. For some, it's a business opportunity-a chance to sell merchandise, parts, services, and even magazines. For others, it's a chance to race their cars against nationwide competition, to have them judged, or just to put their pride and joy on display. Still others come just for a weekend of looking at cool cars and spending time chuggin' a cold one. But no matter what it is that brings the Mopar-crazed to Columbus, Ohio, every summer, the Mopar Nationals has something to offer everyone, and this year was no different.
More than 48,000 participants and spectators, and nearly 3,000 Mopars were in attendance. The 2003 Mopar Nationals featured 420 race cars competing for $16,000 in prizes, 36 judged classes (275 cars), a 1,754-space swap meet, a manufacturers' midway, a kids' Matchbox race, dyno and burnout challenges, prizes, seminars, and more.
Other specials this year included reserved Mopar-club parking, and, of course, the tribute to the Dart, which was the theme of this year's show. Seventy-two hours of Mopars, Mopars, and more Mopars. Not everyone can appreciate the spectacle of the Nats, but for those who eat, sleep, and breathe Mopar, it's the most wonderful time of the year.
Swap Meet Rain early in the...
Swap Meet
Rain early in the show turned the swap meet into a slop meet. But, those who braved the muddy walkways could find just about anything they needed for their Mopars-if they could get it before someone else did.
Many times, the best place...
Many times, the best place to find a part is to get it straight from the horse's mouth-so to speak. Here, a parted-out Fury laden with trim pieces waits to be devoured alive.
It's never too early to start...
It's never too early to start collecting parts for that eventual ground-up restoration. Today, a little red wagon; tomorrow, a Li'l Red Express.
One of the highlights of the...
One of the highlights of the '03 Nats was the Tribute to Darts, which included an exclusive parking area and special souvenirs for A- and B-Body Dart owners. It was a good weekend for the Darts, too, as five of the top six A-Body Original awards went to Dart-based vehicles.
A Little Help From Friends...
A Little Help From Friends
Alvin Hammerschmidt of Double Park (far left) offered the use of his lift, while Year One's Kevin Orr (left) and Tony Rowe (right) came to the rescue and performed the repair.
Burnouts? What burnouts? Scott...
Burnouts? What burnouts? Scott Balz from Marathon, Wisconsin, broke the yoke on his rearend while "supporting the brand" out on Brice Road. "I felt sick when it happened," he said.
Kevin (right) and Tony from...
Kevin (right) and Tony from Year One did the dirty work to get Scott's Six Pack Road Runner back on the street.
Mopar Pro-Stock race car driver...
Mopar Pro-Stock race car driver Allen Johnson helped give the next generation of Mopar enthusiasts a leg up on the competition with a Racing 101 course filled with safety and performance pointers.
With more than 40 participants,...
With more than 40 participants, Mopar Muscle's Young Guns club returned to the Nationals as strong as ever.
After our own tech guy, Steve...
After our own tech guy, Steve Dulcich, got behind the wheel of a new SRT-4, Allen gave him some help on how to stage. Hey, Steve, how were the reaction times?
The smell of burnt rubber...
The smell of burnt rubber off the racetrack pavement was irresistible to anything with wheels. To the amusement of the crowd, the cabs from Year One and Legendary Auto stepped up for a grudge match.
With 420 race cars competing...
With 420 race cars competing in 16 drag classes, there was plenty of track action throughout the weekend. Prizes totaling $16,000 were awarded.
Caravans The Mopar Nationals...
Caravans
The Mopar Nationals really began two days before the show, with the Mopar Muscle caravans. We jumped off from Just Suspension in Fairfield, New Jersey; the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Detroit; Year One in Braselton, Georgia; and Koller Dodge in Naperville, Illinois. One of our New Jersey caravaners lost the paint off his door and rear-quarters to a badly placed street sign, our own Steve Dulcich and Chuck James had to ditch their Fury wagon in Indiana, and rain followed the Dixieland group all the way to Columbus. So, the trips were not completely without incident. But, everyone arrived safely.
Once we finally made it to...
Once we finally made it to Brice Road, our caravans came together for the customary Burger King cruise night.
OE Certification Jim Bodanis'...
OE Certification
Jim Bodanis' '70 440 'Cuda (top left) and John Zettler's AAR fish were this year's winners of OE Gold certification. These guys went to unbelievable pains (and caught some lucky breaks) with their restorations.