PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: HEAVY-DUTY 6-BOLT LS IRON BLOCK by SMEDING PERFORMANCE
September 11, 2026
THE AUTO BUILDER
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2004 NOPI Nationals Atlanta: Storming the Nats Car Show
The NOPI Nationals needs no introduction. Like Michael Jackson or The Rolling Stones, it doesn’t require an opening to get the crowd warmed up. Basically, they could cut out all of the fat and get right down to what the people came to see: all the hot cars scattered throughout the Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Flare with Style
Arnold Hemedinger, a self-employed European auto mechanic and a die-hard Jeep lover, discovered an 88’ YJ Jeep Wrangler that had been stored in a barn and obviously seen better days. Arnie, being the visionary he is, instantly saw the jeep as a diamond in the rough and with a little tender care would polish out brilliantly. His wife on the other hand saw the jeep only as another mid-life crisis project that would sit among two and half acres of other would-be diamonds.
Spotlighter
NOPI Georgia 2026 Proved the Revival Is Real
EchoPark Speedway Delivered a Full-Circle Win
The NOPI Regionals NDRA and NOPI Drift event at South Georgia Motorsports Park didn’t just meet expectations — it reinforced exactly why the name still carries weight in the automotive world. What started as a revival effort in 2025 came back stronger this year, with bigger crowds, deeper competition fields, and a noticeably elevated energy across every corner of the venue.
Author
The Auto Builder Staff
Photos by Scott Killeen
From drag racing to drifting to a packed car show field, the weekend felt like a complete snapshot of modern car culture blended with early-2000s nostalgia — and it worked. Every discipline delivered, every zone stayed active, and the event never really had a quiet moment.
What stood out most wasn’t just the individual competitions, but how well everything flowed together. NOPI didn’t feel segmented — it felt unified. A full motorsports festival that kept rotating between smoke, speed, sound, and show builds without losing momentum.
DRAG RACING
The drag racing program at NOPI Georgia 2026 was one of the strongest anchors of the weekend. The lanes stayed busy with consistent eliminations, testing both driver skill and machine reliability under pressure.
Hard launches, tight reaction times, and clean passes defined the strip. Teams weren’t just chasing numbers — they were chasing consistency in front of a crowd that stayed locked in from staging to finish line. It was straightforward, high-stakes racing that delivered exactly what a motorsports crowd expects: speed without excuses.
DRIFT ACTION
The drift course stayed in constant motion all weekend, with A and B class drivers putting on a nonstop display of control at the edge of chaos. Smoke hung over the entire zone as tandem runs and solo sessions kept the surface fully committed to tire abuse.
Ride-alongs elevated the experience even further, giving fans a direct connection to the action from inside the car. Every lap carried angle, aggression, and precision — the kind of driving that looks wild from the outside but is tightly controlled at the wheel. It stayed loud, fast, and visually relentless from start to finish.
CAR SHOW
The car show field at the NOPI Georgia 2026 delivered one of the most diverse lineups of the weekend. Open to all makes and models, the layout brought together everything from clean street builds to full custom showpieces competing for trophies and cash prizes.
A strong JDM presence added depth to the mix, while the model build-off introduced a detailed, craft-focused element that drew its own crowd. Across the field, attention to detail stood out as much as big power or rare platforms — making the entire show area feel balanced between creativity and execution.
A REVIVAL THAT STUCK THE LANDING AT ECHOPARK SPEEDWAY
By the time the weekend wrapped, it was clear the NOPI Georgia 2026 wasn’t just a nostalgia play — it was a functioning, evolving event with real momentum. The combination of drag racing, drifting, and a fully loaded car show created a rhythm that kept attendees engaged from gate open to final session.
EchoPark Speedway became a full-scale automotive hub for two days, and the response from both competitors and spectators pointed in one direction: NOPI is back in the conversation, and it’s not fading quietly.
If anything, 2026 set the tone for what this event can become when everything clicks — and it clicked hard.
ARTICLE SOURCES
NOPI Motorsports
Official page of NOPI. NOPI Nationals Super Show and NOPI Drag Racing. The NOPI Show is a celebration of all things automotive.
