NHRA US Nationals at Indy

I went to the NHRA US Nationals at O'Reilly Raceway Park. There is nothing else like the sound, smell and feel of a Top Fuel Funny Car or Dragster. No matter where you are on the property, you can feel it when those cars start up. One great thing about the NHRA is that every ticket, even general admission, is also a pit pass. You can walk right up to the pit stalls to watch them work and get ready. You know it's a good show when I'm willing to spend 10 hours driving back and forth for 4 hours of watching the races.

Vintage Transport Extravaganza

On August 3rd I went to the 18th annual Vintage Transport Extravaganza at the Illinois Railway Museum. The weather was perfect, with a slight overcast that made for excellent photographs.

I was very surprised at the amount of interesting vehicles there. Everything from ratty old work trucks to perfectly restored antique cars. The emphasis was definitely on stock vehicles, but there were several areas with customs and kit cars. A very nice show and something I plan on attending next year. I mean, come on... anything with "Extravaganza" right in the title has got to be good.

Sycamore Car Show

I went to the Sycamore Car Show with my Dad last weekend. They close down Main Street and several side streets to make room for all the cars. I have heard anywhere from eight hundred to over one thousand cars show up. As you can see, my favorites are the "rat rods", cars that look like they were thrown together in a barn with mis-matched parts and very little paint. I think I like beaters because you could actually drive them without worrying about a few bugs or dings. I'm not so fond of the polished show cars where even the underside looks cleaner than new. How can you drive those without setting aside a full day for re-polishing everything?