2004 Southern T/A Regional Show

Heaven on earth, I tell you. As a lifelong Firebird and T/A fan, it nearly brought tears to my eyes when I got the call to cover this all-Firebird event. My lips trembled with anticipation as I envisioned rows upon rows of some of the most beautiful screaming chickens I could hope for. Now imagine my near cardiac arrest when I was told the event would be in sunny Florida, where not only are the women gorgeous and the people hospitable, but the weather is just PERFECT. It's not too cold, not too hot. We're talking about none other than the 3rd Annual Southern Trans Am Regionals Show (S.T.A.R.S).

Now, for those of you who have followed the event or at least our coverage of the event, you will recall that Mark and Belva Parrett usually host S.T.A.R.S. in Pensacola, Florida. However, in the spirit of keeping things exciting, during the weekend of March 26-28, 2004 (ironically, my birthday weekend), the event was moved to Ft. Walton Beach (specifically Okaloosa Island), Florida, at the freshly built Emerald Coast Conference Center show site. Picture a huge white convention center nestled smack dab in the middle of a 3-mile island. Along the center's grassy highway front, Lee's Pontiac-GMC-Olds-Jeep had a nearly complete line of '04 vehicles including Pontiac's halo car, the GTO. To either side, fresh crystal blue waters washed upon the beach bringing refreshing tropical breezes to the show area.

Thanks to the meticulous and steadfast organization of S.T.A.R.S. assistant Kelly Ann McIntosh, early registrants who signed in on Friday were categorically classified through the tech line then invited to a special, private buffet beach dinner at Rick's Crab Trap. There, old and new friends met to enjoy the conversation, food, and waterfront view.

The remaining drop-dead gorgeous Firebirds and respective owners who signed in on the Saturday show day were assigned their class and enjoyed the tunes kicked out by DJ Rowdy Pope. The 3:00 p.m. cruise-in to Fisherman's Wharf Restaurant on Destin, the next island, came before you knew it. It was indeed a unique sight to see some 70 or so Firebirds tailing a County Sheriff's cruiser!!

Yet another gorgeous day was bestowed upon us for Sunday, as the last-minute entries arrived and every one of the 96 registered show Birds were hen-picked clean for judging. A charity auction raised money for the American Cancer Society--all proceeds were donated. Kelly describes the atmosphere, "The tension was high because everybody wanted to take home a First Place trophy. I felt sorry for the judges who had to pick the best!" Not surprisingly, Jon Limes, whose '77 T/A graced the June '04 cover of HPP took home the Best of Show award.

Among the more notable sponsors and vendors providing support were the American Cancer Society, Ames Performance Engineering, GM Racing, Just Dashes, National Parts Depot, Performance Auto Warehouse, Stencils & Stripes Unlimited, Nextel, T-Mobile, Tricell Honeycomb, Mercedes Doctor, Fantastic Sam's, and La Bamba Mexican Restaurant.

With tons of fans coming from 20 states to an absolutely stunning location, I encourage everyone to mark your calendars for next year's show. Had the drive not been so long from New Jersey, I'd have brought my Formula just as Mark brought his '79 10th Anniversary and Belva brought her '00 white Firehawk. Despite a number of northern entries being unable to make it for a variety of personal reasons, Mark and Belva Parrett have this to share, "We all still had a great time, and overall we're pleased with the show."

The '05 show is set for April, although an exact weekend has not been determined at the time of press. For the latest information contact Kelly or the Parretts at Southern Trans Am Regional Show, 801 South Dr., Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547, (850) 863-9516, fax (850) 864-2212, starshowinfl@hotmail.com, www.starsfl.org.