It’s a Gas!
April 5, 2024
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Remembering Angelo Giampetroni: The Bridge Between Detroit Speed Shops and Ford Motorsport
The automotive and motorsports world has lost one of its most influential figures with the passing of Angelo “Junior” Giampetroni. A pioneer, promoter, and passionate builder, Angelo helped shape the hot rodding and drag racing scenes from the postwar boom through the modern era. His impact can be felt not just in Detroit, but across the globe—from gritty speed shops to high-level factory performance programs. Angelo wasn’t just part of the culture—he connected it all together.
KING OF THE ROAD
“Carroll Shelby has pulled the trick of the year. He’s combined Ford’s new drag champion 428 Cobra Jet engine with his complete road car, the Cobra G.T.500. Result? Cobra G.T.500KR…King of the Road.” Those words accompanied the full-page advertisements for the mid-year introduction of the ’68 Shelby Cobra G.T.500KR. The new model replaced the early ’68 G.T.500 and its more docile 428 V-8 engine.
AIR SUPPLY
Air conditioning is a luxury that most early truckers agree they can’t be without, especially when they reside in a hot part of the country. But those big, clunky compressors, huge receivers hanging below the dash, bulky hoses running all over the place and extra wires showing are some of the reasons why air conditioning has deterred hardcore rodders for years. Of course, Vintage Air has eliminated those concerns with an excellent add-on system that not only works well, but also coexists with your engine compartment and interior aesthetics.
Vintage Air has kits that are designed for specific applications as well as universal kits. Its kits provide all of the required mounting hardware, brackets, vents, hoses, fittings, ducting, electrical wiring and switches needed to get you through your project. If you have any problems, Vintage Air has a tech support line that is second to none. You have a choice of either the internet or telephone (weekdays only).
HPX and Street Car Takeover Are Turning Charlotte Into Horsepower Central
Charlotte becomes the epicenter of the aftermarket world as HPX and Street Car Takeover merge business, racing, and car culture into one nonstop performance week built on horsepower, innovation, and pure chaos.
Poole-Adams Racing Doubles Down at HPX 2026
Daren Poole-Adams doesn’t chase trends—he builds what makes sense, then lets the results speak. That philosophy was on full display at last year’s HPX, where his reengineered Gen 5 Toyota Supra debuted as a ground-up NHRA Stock Eliminator concept. Built from a bare shell and developed in collaboration with NHRA,
HPX 2026 Puts Education in the Driver’s Seat of the Automotive Industry
The High Performance Expo isn’t just coming back in 2026—it’s doubling down on what made the inaugural event hit so hard in the performance aftermarket world. HPX 2026 has officially unveiled a stacked education lineup for this year’s show in Charlotte, North Carolina, bringing together shop owners, racers, manufacturers, builders,
Mini-Truckin’ Revival Takes Over Kentucky Splash
The mini-truck movement never really died. It just went quiet for a minute while other trends took the spotlight. Now it’s back in full force, and events like the 3rd Annual Kickin’ It at Kentucky Splash Presented by Minitruckin Magazine are proving the culture is not only alive—it’s evolving harder
A Southern Tradition
Johnson City, Tennessee didn’t just host a car show—it briefly turned into a rolling museum of American hot rodding. The 51st NSRA Street Rod Nationals South took over the Appalachian Fairgrounds on May 8–9, 2026, delivering two full days of traditional street rods, customs, and classic builds that reflected decades
STROKIN DIESEL’S TAILGATE SHOOTOUT 2026 BROUGHT THE HEAT TO ALABAMA
On April 18th, the STROKIN DIESEL TAILGATE SHOOTOUT 2026 lit up Alabama with a back-to-back assault on horsepower, starting on the dyno and ending under the lights at the dragstrip. Backed by Diesel Motorsports, this wasn’t a sit-around-and-look kind of show. This was a run-it, prove-it, break-it-if-you-have-to kind of day.
POWER PICKUP!
To say Tom Long has an interest in cars is to say the Pope has an interest in religion. Long has always been a “car guy,” just like the rest of us. Having owned several specialty vehicles over the years, he still has a ’32 Ford sedan street rod that
ALMOST NEW
Some folks talk about the great muscle car wars of the ‘60s and early ‘70s, but it’s hard to find a car guy who experienced it, enjoyed it and still owns the same car. At 66 years of age, Mike Overly was able to experience the muscle car era during
BUILD A BENDER
Bending irons have been used in the industry for many years. We first became aware of how handy they are during a 10-year stint in the can industry.
A NEW FLAME
Boughn started looking for a new truck, and when he saw a shiny red ʼ99 Chevy Sportside Extended Cab pickup at his local dealership, he knew it was the one. He purchased the truck and drove it home, but as with any true hot rodder, this was only the start
