Photos and Text – “ Nostalgia Mashie “ Mihalko

All the ingredients were present for a record attendance at the Indoor Drag Racing Showcase and Custom Car Show. The vendor spaces, display and show car areas were booked to capacity two weeks prior to ” showtime.”  However, Mother Nature had the final say with snow, sleet, and rain.

The dedicated nostalgia drag racing fans were treated to a variety of venues to enjoy. There were two unveilings of recently completed vehicles. The original AA Pacers altered driven by George Snizek and the Super Comp Dragster piloted by Anna-Maria Parinello. Her dragster mimics the paint scheme of Shirley Muldowney’s Pioneer sponsored top fuel dragster.

The attendees watched the twin hemi engines of Jeff Lear being fired up which was “music” to their ears. A large display of memorabilia gathered during the drag racing career of Pro Stock World Champion, Larry Lombardo was the backdrop for the drag cars parked in the “ Big Room.”

Three PA drag strips : Maple Grove Raceway, Numidia Dragway, and South Mountain Raceway had information stands manned to inform their fans of the upcoming racing schedule. Saturday’s activities concluded with the Legion of Honor Induction Ceremony. Eight individuals were honored for their contributions to the performance heritage of drag racing. The class of 2023 included : Joe Amato, Brian Beattie, Bob Frey, Richard Hahn, Marlin Huss, Mike McCracken, Max Naylor, and Dan “Swish” Swisher.

The show car winners were acknowledged Sunday afternoon .

These deserving individuals received unique trophies and some also were given cash awards. Andy Goodman and the Motorama Productions Staff deserve a Big Thank You for making this year’s show a “Win” considering the trying circumstances they dealt with – cancellations and weather conditions.

Hopefully , the weather conditions on January 4,5 of 2025 at the Lebanon Valley Expo Center in Lebanon, PA will be more favorable.

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