One seller in the car corral...
One seller in the car corral had three E-Bodies, plus this '70 Chrysler 300-H with a Hemi under the hood. The Harley was not included in the $45,900 asking price.
If you like' em large, the...
If you like' em large, the C-Body class was for you
Once a year and only for about eight hours, the Piedmont Mopar Club and Smith Stokes Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge invade the eighth-mile Farmington Dragway near Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for a day of Pentastar madness. There are certainly many good regional shows held throughout the country each year, but few are in their twenty-first year.
The event features the normal car show, vendor areas, and swap meet, with a Mopar-only drag racing program thrown in for good measure. A large part of its success is due to the active and professional involvement of the Piedmont Mopar Club out of Greensboro, whose members handle all the show details. many cars come not just from the surrounding counties, but also the surrounding states-South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia-to enjoy a day in the North Carolina sun. The club's Ron Osborne, who initiated the event back in 1985, gets special credit for helping it run smoothly.
This year there were 174 show cars in attendance, lined up in grassy rows in what is normally a pit and spectator parking area. They ran the gamut of all things Mopar, from stock prewar trucks to the latest SRT iron. Muscle, of course, was in abundance, as this is NASCAR's heartland-wing cars, E-Bodies, old race cars, and more. A special area even had a section for AMCs, whose enthusiasts also came out to support the breed. Incidentally, none of the show judges come from the local club in the interest of fairness, and none of the club members enter the judged show.
Here are just a few pages on what went on during those eight hours of May 13, 2006.
For information on the '07 show, which will again be on the Saturday before Mother's Day, e-mail Ronomopars@bellsouth.net. for those of you traveling, the Smith Stokes dealership in Reidsville, North Carolina, (about 45 minutes east of the track) hosts a nice Mopar car show at their facility the Friday evening before the event, so you can do that, stay at a nearby hotel, and then roll into the show bright and early the next morning.
When the judging was over,...
When the judging was over, the tally made Phil Harris the winner of the 2006 Best of Show award.
Phil and his son, Stanton,...
Phil and his son, Stanton, are shown here with the trophy, the winning car, club representative Ron Osborne, and sponsor Smith Stokes. Hodge Restorations did the restoration.
Don Dodson bought this '67...
Don Dodson bought this '67 charges brand-new. His wife convinced him to restore it after it had sat for almost two decades outside. The car was well done and boasts its orginal 383 Magnum.
Since the show is in the heartland...
Since the show is in the heartland of Sox & Martin country, several drag cars had been painted in red, white, and blue as tributes to the past. This one is owned by local racer Lane Burrow.
A row of pre-'63 cars was...
A row of pre-'63 cars was highlighted by this '61 Desoto brought by Ron Osborne. How rare is it? The RCA record player-equipped, two-door hardtop was a '61 model, and since Desoto production ended on November 30, 1960, only 911 (that's right) two-doors were built of the '61 model before the run ended.
The race action was hot and...
The race action was hot and heavy, and the crowd definitely got a kick out of this cloned Max Wedge convertible that was stopping the eighth-mile timers in less than seven seconds.
Dean Sox was on hand putting...
Dean Sox was on hand putting laps on his recently finished Duster. Many well-wishers came up to talk, and there were stickers and window signs everywhere saying, In Memory of Ronnie Sox, who had passed away less than a month earlier.
If you had $10,000 (or a close...
If you had $10,000 (or a close offer), there was this great '67 Coronet station wagon packing a 440 mill...
...a rebuilt 727, and a highway...
...a rebuilt 727, and a highway friendly 2.94 rear gear sitting in the swap meet.
There was also a special row...
There was also a special row set aside for AMC models. How's this for daring to be different-Stewart Dove's '73 Gremlin X powered by a worked 401.
This '91 Li'l Red Express...
This '91 Li'l Red Express Dakota truck was refurbished by the Piedmont Mopar Club and given away to one lucky raffle ticket holder. All proceeds from the raffle went to charity. Sandi Otwell of Greensboro, North Carolina, was the winner.
Yes, that's a real '69 Six...
Yes, that's a real '69 Six Pack Road Runner, and Jerry Settlemyre is taking it for a fast lap down the track. The car is one of the Smith Stokes collection.
If you're into racing, the...
If you're into racing, the eighth-mile was constantly in action. Launching hard with Don Little horsepower is Jack Zimmerman and his NHRA-legal 440-6 B/SA Challenger.
Mark Gilley definitely had...
Mark Gilley definitely had one of the most impressive paint jobs at the show. It's a bright orange retrofit on a '64 Sport Fury with big Wedge motivation.
For the third time in five...
For the third time in five years, Alan Farmer and his 415-inch Indy small-block-powered '69 Dart won the Footbrake Class title at the event. There was also a Top Eliminator class, and even the Slant Six guys had a class of their own. All told, there were over 100 cars on hand just for the drags.
Older Dodge pickups are fairly...
Older Dodge pickups are fairly scarce...
...and this great restored...
...and this great restored example built in 1954 got a lot of attention thanks to owner Rodney Williams.
If somebody reading this is...
If somebody reading this is restoring or building a Hemi A-Body drag car and didn't go to the show, they missed a great deal on this narrow Cragar rim with original Formula 1 S/S rubber. Good stuff was on hand at the swap meet, and buyers appeared to be making deals.
Barnes Daniels is a '60 graduate...
Barnes Daniels is a '60 graduate of the Chrysler Institute in Detroit and now lives in Winston-Salem. Barnes drove to the event in his '66 Hemi Plymouth. We liked the functioning fresh air package (using early Hemi air cleaners and a mid-'70s A-Body scoop) and the super-rare Hurst mag wheels the car sported. In case you didn't know, Barnes was the first secretary of the Ramchargers club.
This all-stock '39 Plymouth...
This all-stock '39 Plymouth was among the more unique cars at the event. The car is owned by Bill Beeding and is an exceptional representation of prewar iron.