For the 13th year in a row, the Trans Am Nationals has paid homage to some of the most spectacular Pontiac ponycar iron ever originally produced for, restored by, or customized to be appreciated by the masses. Everything from early Sprint Six Firebirds to late-model LT1 Trans Ams were on display for all to ogle.
The event was once again arranged by the Dayton Chapter of the Trans Am Club of America and was the largest ponycar gathering for the 13th year straight, overflowing the parking lot of the Dayton Airport Inn.
Despite poor weather conditions on Sunday, 339 Pontiacs were officially registered for the '97 Nationals. Twenty-seven states and Canada were represented. Thirty-three Pontiac clubs were -also on hand; seven of them were separate chap-ters of POCI.
The '97 T/A Nats held something for everybody, no matter the year of Firebird you are into. At least two models from every production year were registered, including several '98 Ponchos on loan from Pontiac. There was even a spectacular '98 WS6 Trans Am convertible, which was decked out in Pontiac's new-for-'98 Navy Metallic and 17-inch custom mesh wheels for a sensational appearance. Jim Mattison of Pontiac Historic Services was also in attendance, with a couple of Pontiac's more dramatic F-bodies. Included in the group was the LT4-powered Yellow T/A that you saw in our April '97 issue ("Hatching Ideas"). The Banshee show car was positioned right next to it, along with several other potent Poncho performers.
Dennis Mecham (DKM) and Todd Coombes also had an impressive display of F-bodies trailered to the event. These included a '79 gold Macho T/A, an '83 MSE T/A and one of Mecham's '97 Macho T/A's. This newest performer included every option Dennis offered with the Macho package, and then some. The T/A was powered by a 472-horsepower 383-cube LT1 that was said to have phenomenal acceleration capabilities. But that was inconsequential to us, as our senses were overtaken by the appearance of the car. It was simply awesome.
The '97 Trans Am Nationals also featured a couple of firsts this year. Sean Widmer and Beth Garren exchanged wedding vows during the event-a sight to behold.
Bruce Fulper of Rock 'n' Roll Engineering was the man responsible for the National's other premiere offering-the Nat's drag racing competition. The racing was held on Saturday at Kil-Kare Dragway in Xenia, and was divided into two categories: P1 for all-year T/A's and Firebirds and P2 for all other Pontiac-powered vehicles. There were close to 100 participants in the drag wars, but the final round came down to Jason Snowden in his '91 GTA and Alan Borke driving his '77 T/A. When the lights came down, Jason had the quicker reaction time, with a .514 light to Alan's .537. Jason's GTA ran a 14.45 on a 14.44 dial-in to take the win, while Alan's T/A stormed after him, and covered the 1320 in 11.42 on a 11.49 dial-in. Most found the racing to be a great addition to the event, and plans are in the works for next year.
Another big winner on Saturday was Dill Brandow, who won Fulper's raffle and received a set of Edelbrock aluminum heads from Rock 'n' Rock Engineering.
On Saturday night, most could be found at the Nat's 2nd Annual Cruise In, held on Main Street in Tipp City. The cruise drew 133 participants to Tipp, where their F-bodies took up every side street they could. Everyone got a show, including the folks who lived in the town.
On a rainy Sunday (as you can see in the photos), the HPP editor's choice award was presented to the '72 HO Formula of Chris Hollyfield. This mean, green machine is not only rare but also showed excellent detail. Congratulations, Chris!
So if this sounds like the place you want to be, with the Ponchos you'd love to see, be sure to make arrangements to attend the 14th Annual Trans Am Nationals. It'll be held on August 29-30, 1998, at the same place, with more prizes, more cars and more fun.
If you have any questions regarding this year's event, you can contact Sue Emmel at 937-667-4232 or Bruce Fulper at 909-783-0866. See you there.