The early shopper gets the...
The early shopper gets the 'Bird parts . . . and the Hemi parts . . . and the Unobtanium parts.
For one weekend a year, the roads through central Ohio are shaken by Mopars numbering in the thousands on their way to the Mopar Nationals at National trail raceway near Columbus.
This year's 27th annual Mopar Nats had perfect weather each day, plus big turnouts in the show field and swap meet. Show-goers and participants alike got a big eyeful of restored, preserved, and work-in-progress cars, as well as a special "Belvedere/GTX/Road runner Tribute" display, highlighting Plymouth's best B-Bodies. It's likely some of the show cars you'll see next year were in the swap meet or car corral, just waiting for that inspired Mopar devotee to take them home.
On the strip there was action aplenty, as Quick 16, Super Pro, Pro, Street, Stick Shift, Nostalgic, FWD, Young Guns, and Viper classes competed under cloudless skies.
The only damper was the heavy police presence on Brice Road each night, thanks to that unfortunate crash in Tennessee earlier this summer. Lighting 'em up was out of the question this year.
For detailed information on trophy winners from the drags and the showfield, go online to the Nats home page, moparnats.org.
Cleveland rocks! Especially...
Cleveland rocks! Especially when Young Gun Lorna Springer fires up her...
...440 Magnum-powered '71...
...440 Magnum-powered '71 Charger R/T.
In the spotlight: Belvederes,...
In the spotlight: Belvederes, Road runners, and GTXs in their own display.
This is the kind of ride to...
This is the kind of ride to cruise to the Mopar Nats in-three or four friends can ride along.
What a grocery getter-Jim...
What a grocery getter-Jim Kelly's Max Wedge-powered '63 Plymouth Savoy wagon from Danville, Indiana. How many cases of Nitro Cola do you think will fit in back?
They're already rodding the...
They're already rodding the New Challenger (like this one in the Mopar Performance display)-and it's not even in production!
He's been to every Mopar Nats...
He's been to every Mopar Nats with it since he got it-and Young Gun Gregg Orr from Hamlet, Indiana, hopes to bring his 340-powered '68 barracuda Formula S coupe to many more.
What a grocery getter-Jim...
What a grocery getter-Jim Kelly's Max Wedge-powered '63 Plymouth Savoy wagon from Danville, Indiana. How many cases of Nitro Cola do you think will fit in back?
Early B-Bodys have been facing...
Early B-Bodys have been facing off on the strip for over four decades. do you think they're going any slower? Don't count on it.
Walter P. Chrysler would've...
Walter P. Chrysler would've loved this car. Not just for the original body and brightwork, but also for the 426 Max Wedge under the butterfly hood.
Did you say "Yoot?" Here's...
Did you say "Yoot?" Here's a '71 Chrysler Valiant Utility from Down under, with its Hemi Six inside the engine bay.
Young Guns brought a little...
Young Guns brought a little of everything to the Nats, from a tuned Neon R/T to a ram 2500 pickup, plus lots of '60s to '70s vintage iron.
Why let a rare A12-equipped...
Why let a rare A12-equipped Road runner sit around? At the Mopar Nationals, this one was driven hard.
Spotted in the staging lanes:...
Spotted in the staging lanes: an altered-wheelbase '65 Coronet, ready for another quarter-mile blast. The name on the door says Dan Householder, and he hails from Maryland.
On The Web: Check out more...
On The Web: Check out more pics of the Mopar Nats on moparmusclemagazine.com.
There was more rust than sheetmetal...
There was more rust than sheetmetal on Young Gun Tyler Harvey's '69 Charger R/T when he started. Now that he's finished, it tears up the roads around Villa Grove, Illinois.