Since 1983, the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association has become known for hosting some of the best automotive enthusiast events in the country. With more than 70,000 members, it produces nearly two dozen shows each season at venues all across the country. When we heard they’d practically be in our backyard, we ventured down to Dover, Delaware to check it out the first ever Goodguys Mid-Atlantic Nationals.
Held on June 8th at the Dover Motor Speedway – home of the “Monster Mile” – the show grounds were actually in the infield of the track. Once we checked in we got to drive the track, doing a quarter of a lap around the mile before finding some parking.
After parking and settling in, we were glad we made the two-hour trek down from Eastwood HQ. There were thousands of rides to pique just about anyone’s interest: muscle cars, trucks, vans, and everything in between. The main show grounds was filled with enthusiast rides including our bagged C10 Project that we drove down.
Towards the outer edges, however, we found the invitational vehicles that really stopped us in our tracks. These are the kind of builds that normally grace your favorite magazine covers or are displyed in a booth at the SEMA show.
Once we picked our jaws off the tarmac, our ears led us to the other end of the oval. There we watched custom built race cars (and trucks) screeching and roaring around the autocross track.
While everything is welcome, Goodguys definitely puts an emphasis on performance vehicles. This ties right in with everything else going on and further separates it from the average parking lot show. Nothing like a little racing entertainment that you can join in on, right?
Finally we finished out our day by grabbing some food and checking out the variety of vendors showcasing their latest products. And we couldn’t pass up the swap meet to see if there was anything we needed to go home with.
Getting out of your local show circuit and hitting one of these marquee events every once in a while is so worthwhile. A show like Goodguys is a chance to see something you may have never imagined before. It’s also a great opportunity to witness the attention to detail someone put into every aspect of a vehicle, creating something the factory could have only dreamed of.
Dates haven’t been released yet for next year but keep an eye out for early June and we’ll be sure to see you there! In the meantime check out the full calendar and see when the nearest Goodguys event is coming to you!
