The Bag Boys face off with...
The Bag Boys face off with Jeff Sams, both piloting recreations of Arnie Beswick's '63 SD racecars in an exhibition run.
All of the key ingredients for a great Pontiac celebration came together at the same time in Norwalk, Ohio. The weather was great, the preparation was first rate, and the venue, of course, was really as good as it gets.
The 2006 Ames Performance Pontiac Nationals, held at Norwalk Raceway Park (now known as Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park), was the 15th anniversary edition, having evolved from the original "Tri-Power Sunday" format, which debuted in 1992. In recognition of this milestone, Super Duty Promotions pulled out all of the stops, featuring two legendary figures-drag-racing pioneer Don "Big Daddy" Garlits and veteran Pontiac racer Arnie "The Farmer" Beswick.
"We knew we were going to have a great event," says Super Duty Promotions official Pete Woodruff, "but the numbers surpassed even our expectations!" Indeed, a total of 1,044 cars were registered-524 racecars and 520 show cars. This is a substantial jump from the 957 cars registered in 2005, especially in light of the $3-plus-per-gallon fuel prices seen over the summer.
Similarly, 138 swap-meet vendors occupied 224 swap spaces, and the spectator gate was up 10 percent as nearly 11,000 people attended over the three days, a jump of about 1,000 people. Despite some formidable odds, the Pontiac hobby seems to be healthy and growing.
Former Knafel "Tin Indian"...
Former Knafel "Tin Indian" Pontiac driver Arlen Vanke (red shirt) stands next to '66 "Tin Indian GTO" owner Merle Green.
Pontiac-GMC Division was well represented with the large, traveling Pontiac Motorsports display rig positioned at the end of the midway, courtesy of GM Racing Marketing Director Fred Simmonds. Axelrod Pontiac in Parma, Ohio, the sponsoring automobile dealer for the event, brought several new vehicles out for display.
Interestingly, market research personnel were also on hand, collecting feedback and suggestions from event participants. It was refreshing to see Pontiac-GMC actively seeking opinions from enthusiasts. This is a trend we hope continues.
The show side of the event displayed some exceptional examples of Pontiac, Oakland, and GMC vehicles. Of particular note was Bill Bolin's incredible Pro Street '70 GTO (a recent HPP cover car), which sports a two-stage supercharged and intercooled Pontiac V-8 engine and a retina-piercing Orange Glow paint scheme. Even more incredible is the fact that the Goat was rebuilt following a trailering accident while heading to this event last year.
Longtime readers of HPP may...
Longtime readers of HPP may recognize the name DGP, a company that built fiberglass body panels for '80s-era Firebirds and Fieros. This early production '84 was given to DGP by Pontiac for use as a prototype for its Fiero body panels. It's owned by Richard Borecky of Cleveland.
One of the special displays...
One of the special displays at the Ames Performance Pontiac Nationals was a gathering of Knafel Pontiac racecars and special editions. In the foreground is Mike Guarise's '70 GTO Judge, originally driven by Norm Tanner; behind it (from left) is the '70 Magnum 400 replica, owned by Paul Glasgo; the original "Running Bear" '63 SD-powered Tempest, raced by Arlen Vanke and owned by Tim Benko; the '66 "Tin Indian" GTO, raced by Arlen Vanke, Larry "Doc" Dixon and the late Bill Abraham, now owned by Merle Green; and a replica of the original "Mrs. B's Grocery Getter," owned by Chuck Tongi.
Of all the cars at The Ames...
Of all the cars at The Ames Performance Pontiac Nationals, Bill Bolin's delightfully insane, two-stage supercharged '70 Pro Street GTO is the one that garnered the most attention. Many were left scratching their heads, but no one questioned the world-class workmanship. It won the HPP Editor's Choice Award.