Saratoga Springs, New York, bills itself as “the August place to be!” and caters to the thoroughbred horse set. As of 2011, it can truly be said that Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, New York, is “the July place to be!” if you’re a Firebird owner, enthusiast, or aficionado.

The 32nd Annual GTOAA International Meet, held July 4-7, 2011, in Portland, Oregon, gave GTOAA members and non-members alike the opportunity to immerse themselves in the popular culture of the GTO, congregate with like-minded disciples of the breed, and make history, as it was the first time in the club’s 33 years that its annual pilgrimage was held on the West Coast.

On June 26, 2011—the actual day of Jim Wangers’ birthday—Pontiac hobbyists gathered to honor a man who has dedicated his life to promoting Pontiac and supporting the Pontiac community. Jim Wangers’ Poncours d’Elegance celebrated not only Jim Wangers’ 85th birthday, but also 85 years of Pontiac with a concours display of 85 Pontiacs.

With a total of 865 registrations, 210 popular vote showcars, 103 cars present for Points Judged certification, and 86 non-judged “Road Warriors”—all of which were driven to the event—the 2011 POCI Convention held in Bowling Green, Kentucky, on July 5-9, 2011, proved to be a rousing success as convention-goers were treated to a variety of showcars, racing, activities, and sightseeing.

As stated in the show coverage in the June 2012 issue, here is the complete winner’s list and a few more photos from the 2011 event.

As stated in the show coverage in the April 2011 issue, here is the complete winner’s list, with attendance numbers, sponsors, 2012 information, and a few more photos from the 2011 event.

Trans Am fans, you’ve likely already heard of the Southern Trans Am Nationals (STARS), which is held annually in Fort Walton Beach/Pensacola, Florida. It has brought together Trans Ams as far away as Maryland, Ohio, and Texas to enjoy some of the best Southern-style Pontiac car shows of the year.

When Chris Casperson of Performance Years (PY) decided to host a cruise-in, open house, and car show at his place of business in Hatfield, Pennsylvania, he surmised that a race and a second car show at Maple Grove Raceway in nearby in Mohnton the following day would complement his plans for Friday, May 20, and Saturday, May 21, by providing a full weekend of Pontiac action.

Though many shows have gone to a multi-day format—even HPP Day has a Pontiac class on Sunday—one-day events are still a great way to enjoy your Pontiac with minimal effort and expenditure. You have the opportunity to win in the show or drag race, and you won’t incur the additional cost of a hotel room or have to use up vacation time. You can use the day as an escape from the stresses of the past week and/or for bonding time with family and friends. Over 31 years, there have been plenty of new friends made, Pontiacs discussed, and old friendships renewed at HPP Day at Raceway Park in Old Bridge Township, New Jersey.

Dorothy may not be in Kansas anymore, but Pontiac disciples were there October 1-2, 2010, for the Pontiac Uprising at the Kansas International Dragway in Maize. A total of 75 race cars, 60 car-show entries, and over 400 spectators came to help the event celebrate its 21st anniversary.

As stated in the show coverage in the February 2011 issue, here is the Points Judged show winner’s list and a few more photos from the July 2011 event.

Enclosed is the Popular Vote show winners’ list and a few additional photos from the July 2011 event.

As promised in the show coverage in the January 2011 issue, here is the full show winner’s list and a few extra photos from the May 2011 event.

As stated in the show coverage in the January 2011 issue, here is the full show winner’s list and a few extra photos from the May 2011 event.

With a total of 401 cars registered, the 20th Annual Indian Uprising—held this past July 31st weekend at the DuPage Expo Center in St. Charles, Illinois, and hosted by the Cruisin’ Tigers GTO Club—was a regional event larger than many national Pontiac conventions. Pontiac fans from as far as New York State and Canada came to celebrate all things Pontiac.

When Turner Classic Movies (TCM) announced Smokey and the Bandit was one of eight classic films picked for its Road to Hollywood 2011 city-to-city film showcase and the 35mm film reels would spin for one showing only—at the Tampa Theatre in Tampa, Florida, on March 23, 2011—it was the perfect opportunity for fans to relive the magic of the movie on the silver screen.

If you’re into books, you go to the library. If you’re into movies, you go to the cinema. And if you’re into Pontiac’s 35-year run of Firebirds and Trans Ams, you go to the Trans Am Nationals, sponsored by the Dayton, Ohio, Chapter of the Trans Am Club of America, and held every summer—you guessed it—Dayton, Ohio.

Race Winners

For nearly two decades, the Ames Performance Tri-Power Pontiac Nationals has been the standard for Pontiac drag-racing events. To bring home a class win, runner-up, or even to have survived into the semifinals is quite an accomplishment, as the total car count for the race side is consistently over 400. This year, the total was 444, so if you were able to survive all of those rounds and make it to the Chief of the Pontiacs championship race, you truly deserved the spoils of victory.

High Performance Pontiac extends its condolences to the family, friends, and fans of deceased Pontiac Motor Division engineer Malcolm R. "Mac" McKellar—the man responsible for Pontiac's Super-Duty program in the late 1950s and early 1960s. His contributions to Pontiac muscle turned the brand into a force to reckon with on NASCAR speedways, NHRA tracks, and America's streets. McKellar passed away on April 9, 2011.

Many Pontiac hobbyists have attended, or at least heard of, the major Pontiac events that are scattered across the summer months of every calendar year—the POCI Convention, the GTOAA Nationals, the Trans Am Nationals, and the Ames Performance Tri-Power Pontiac Nationals.

"Paul is an amazing man. He is loving, kind, handsome, intelligent, sweet, funny, and thoughtful. He is a wonderful husband, the love of my life, and my best friend. Every moment we spent together was a perfect memory. I will miss him forever." —Alexis "Lexi" Zazarine

After the Saturday rainout at the 2009 edition of the Ames Performance Tri-Power Pontiac Nationals, it seemed that the Pontiac faithful had a score to settle. With the loss of a full day of race action and it being too wet to really enjoy the show, participants came back to the Summit Motorsports Raceway Park in record numbers in order to fulfill their pent-up desire and make up for what they missed the previous year.

Imagine working for 362 days to plan a great car show, and on day 363 the weather forecast calls for a 90-percent chance of rain on show day but high, scattered clouds and temps in the 80s on the planned rain date. What would you do?

HPP PAVEMENT POUNDERS SHOOTOUT AT PONTIAC HEAVEN