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.
The first-ever Goodguys BASF Legends of Hot Rodding event brought the heart and soul of traditional hot rodding straight to downtown Nashville, Tennessee, delivering a premium weekend packed with world-class hot rods, customs, live music, and the unmistakable energy of America’s golden automotive era. Held May 15–16 at the newly renovated Fairgrounds Nashville, the all-new event delivered a fresh experience for hardcore enthusiasts while celebrating the roots of the hobby that built hot rodding culture.
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 of craftsmanship and culture.
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 his twenties, which is the perfect time to go fast in a cool car. The car seen on these pages is a ’70 Mustang, one that Overly has owned since 1970. Less than a year old, the Mustang sat at a used car lot in Indianapolis, Indiana, wearing black paint and an asking price of $2,300. From his inspection, Overly knew the original owner had already upgraded to a Boss 429 hood and scoop, so it may have been raced in its short life—the 2,000 miles on the odometer were probably not the easiest of miles.
Big billet wheels, custom suspensions and modern power plants—that’s what we’ve come to expect from a first generation Camaro. And while these items are great if that’s what you prefer, we just can’t help but love a car that stands out in a crowd, like this 1968 Camaro vintage street machine. Period perfect down to the slightest details, the black Camaro would have been the ultimate classic Camaro street machine in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s with its big-‘n’-little Cragars, Lakewood traction bars and nose-down stance. Claude Minor is the proud owner of this retro Chevy, but it certainly didn’t start out in this configuration.
If there was ever a time of automotive wonderment and absolute freedom among designers and enthusiasts alike, it was the early 1950s. This was a special time when automobile manufacturers were exploring new territory previously held by the foremost automakers of Europe, and the Americans were going all out to stake their own claims to greatness.
Gil Losi, the owner of this super-slick ’54 Mercury Monterey—which was a year in the making—has quite a liking for the ’54 Mercury body style. He’s owned several of the stylish Monterey hardtops, but this one tops them all with its slammed stance, laser-straight paint and bodywork and 32-valve DOHC engine. One of the many great aspects of this particular Mercury Monterey is that Steve Cook’s team started with a good body. It was solid and already featured a low-down stance, but the crew reworked every part of the car into what you see here.
When Pigeon Forge hosts the Spring Rod Run, it doesn’t just put on a show—it takes over the entire town.
From April 16–18, the LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge was ground zero for some of the cleanest, hardest-hitting builds in the country. Inside, it’s all business—high-end restorations, pro-touring muscle, detailed customs, and serious contenders chasing Top 25, Ultimate 5, and King of the Hill. It’s the polished side of the Rod Run, where the bar is set high and the details matter.
Winter doesn’t fade quietly in Tennessee—it gets drowned out by horsepower. And once again, Ponies in the Smokies 2026 lit the fuse. The Sevierville Convention Center became ground zero for Ford performance, as thousands of enthusiasts rolled in, filling every inch with Mustangs, trucks, and Blue Oval builds that showed up to make noise—not sit still.
In a world obsessed with the latest engines and newest technology, ARP (Automotive Racing Products) just proved something important—progress doesn’t only move forward. It also means going back and applying everything we’ve learned since.
