Goodguys 20th Annual Lone Star Nationals

Way before there was a Texas Motor Speedway, I was covering the Goodguys Rod and Custom Association’s Texas event, first at the Southfork Ranch just north of Dallas where they used to film the Dallas TV series and then at the Texas State Fairgrounds in Dallas. I’ve submitted a few of those “old” images below that I’ve since converted to digital from my 35mm negatives and slides. I’ve also labeled them with the appropriate locales. But that was then and this is now. After missing the Goodguys Lone Star Nationals at the Texas Motor Speedway the last three or four years, I was pleased, very pleased, to attend the event this year the first weekend of October. Even with overcast skies and temperatures in the 50s and 60s and me with no jacket, I found myself smiling on occasion as I walked among the incredible vehicles that participated in the event. It amazes me how vehicles come from all over the country for any Goodguys event. I personally saw vehicles from California, Minnesota and Pennsylvania. Even though I’m currently three months behind on my Hot Rod Hot Line Houston area car show coverage, the Goodguys Lone Star Nationals is the largest outdoor car show in Texas, bar none, so I had to get this event in ASAP. This year’s event also had legendary Funny Car owner and driver Raymond Beadle (Blue Max) on hand to sign autographs. I had him sign a couple of pictures that I took of Beadle and the Blue Max Funny Car in action at Green Valley Race City in Fort Worth thirty years ago and a cartoon poster of the Blue Max drawn by legendary west coast racing artist Kenny Youngblood. I’ve submitted images of those also with autographs of course. After the Goodguys event, my brother and I headed south to Little River Dragway in Temple for a nostalgic drag racing event which I’m also submitting to Hot Rod Hot Line. As you can see, we had a busy and very “productive” day. Enjoy.