Experiencing NOPI as an Editor

I’ve been to the Nationals for the last six years, but this was my first experience as a magazine editor and not as a spectator or enthusiast. NOPI is like a gold mine for an editor. If you need cars to shoot and some serious event coverage, this is the show to attend.

The Growth of NOPI Nationals

NOPI has gotten bigger and bigger with each passing year and this year was no different. As our photographers arrived at the track early Friday morning for a couple of photo shoots, we could already sense how big the show was going to be. Most enthusiasts were still driving in from North, South, East and West just to get to the show; but a good number of the manufacturers and vendor cars had already arrived.

Friday Night Photo Shoots

Friday night came and before we knew it, we had collected one cover shoot and two killer feature cars, not to mention those we lined up for the next morning. Therefore, don’t be fooled into thinking that magazines only photograph cars on Saturdays or Sundays. We here at HCI and B/Scene work from the moment we get there to the moment we leave.

Early Saturday Morning Lines

By 5:30 a.m. Saturday, our team was off to the track. When we started getting closer, we noticed something a bit out of the ordinary. In previous years, the lines to get in started when the sun came up, around 7:30 or so. Not this year—by 5:30, lines into the show were already miles long, leading onto the main road and all the way over the hills toward the highway! Now here is where I noticed a big difference between being a magazine editor and a participant.

Inside Access with Media Credentials

For the last five years, I came to NOPI and stood in these long, long lines, just like 8,000 of you did. I’ve been there and paid my dues. But this year, because I was working media with a pass in hand, it was much different. As we rolled up to the gate, we showed our media badges and had instant access into the racetrack. We made it down the three big tunnels and found our three lucky photo shoot participants. Shooting began around 7:30 a.m. and was completed by 9:00. And just like that, we had three more photo shoots in the bag.

Six Cars Before the Show Even Started

Before the show had even started, we already photographed six cars and more were still to come. You could say we were way ahead of the game, so it was time to head back inside to see what was going on.

Special Car Selections for Display

This year was extremely special for me. As an editor, I had the opportunity to select five cars that I thought our readers would like to see on display. Chris Seaton’s gold Civic, Emilio Perez’s candy-green MR2, Warren Shim-Quee’s Backyard HB, Ben Bodor’s Bomex Civic and my own candy-orange Nissan S14.5 Silvia (many thanks to the guys at APC) were the five cars chosen. I felt very confident about these cars—and from the enormous crowd we had all weekend, I guess you guys agreed.

Vendor Area and Industry Presence
As I made my way through the vendor area, I met up with many manufacturers from our industry. You guys have to remember that the NOPI Nationals is like the East Coast version of the SEMA Show. Anyone and everyone who is—or wants to be—in the industry is present at the Nats. Some of the companies that really caught my attention were Nitrous Express, Toyo Tires, Bazooka, Ignited, Konig, Toucan and APC.

APC’s Massive Display

In fact, APC didn’t just bring one booth and a couple of cars. These guys had a booth in every hall and had more cars than I could count on my hands … times three! The vendor area was a great place to see many of the high-end show cars and it was also a great place to see all the new products these companies will be releasing.

Hunting for Feature Cars

As I continued walking around, snapping pictures, my focus and primary goal was to find the right cars to photograph for our magazines. Again, this was a big difference for me compared to years past. Before, I just walked around, talked to people and admired all the cool cars. This year, I had my eyes set on the hottest and most catchy cars I felt would help HCI make a difference editorially. I ran into several eye-catching cars—ones I knew would be perfect.

Securing Shoots with Enthusiasts

As I found the cars, I asked the owners if they would be interested in a photo shoot for HCI or B/Scene. Before I could even finish my question, the answer was “YES!” What a cool deal. We would then set something up and before long, we walked away with over 20 cars and a couple of cover shots.

Sunday Search for Hidden Gems

It took most of Saturday for me to get through the vendor area. I dedicated Sunday to finding more hot cars in other areas of the show. Just imagine how difficult it is to find a car in the midst of 8,000! Luckily, on Sunday morning I got the executive golf cart and was able to drive around instead of walk. Out of the 20-some cars I found, 10 of them came from outside vendor row. That worked out great for all of us, as many of these guys had gone unnoticed. To my surprise—and to the surprise of many of the tuners we talked with—setting up a photo shoot would be no problem. So, with 20-plus cars in the bag and well over 2,000 pictures collected, we knew that this NOPI show was a great success for our entire team.

Wrapping Up and Heading to Florida

After our final three photo shoots, it was time to head back inside and pack up for the trip back to California. Yeah, right! If things were only that easy …
You see, a couple of days earlier I found out that Scott Killeen, our director of photography, and I would have to make an eight-hour drive down to Orlando, Florida, for yet another photo shoot. As you can tell, our jobs never end here. So, instead of packing up and getting ready to fly back home on Monday like everyone else, Killeen and I jumped in his rental car first thing Monday morning and headed south.

NOPI Nationals Lives Up to the Hype

Nonetheless, the NOPI Nationals once again lived up to all the hype. Whatever your reasons are for attending, NOPI delivers. Like I said, this show wasn’t just big … it was HUGE! These pictures are as close as we can get to bringing you with us. Enjoy…