Photos and story by John McCartney

Dead Mans Curve Car Club Wild Hot Rod Weekend 14 set records on many levels. With nearly 1400 cars attending the show with over ten thousand spectators taking in the event over the five day run of the show. This year’s edition of Wild Hot Rod Weekend was the second year at the events new permanent home The Delta Hotel by Marriott located in Somerset, New Jersey.

 

The folks at the  Dead Man’s Curve Car Club listened to everyone’s thoughts on comments after the show was moved last year to The Delta Hotel by Marriott. Many changes provided a better running show such as more room for all the cars that came out in support.

A better food court that allowed space for folks to take a break and get a bite to eat from the many food trucks.

The event got started on Wednesday night with a kick off party to give everyone that showed up to mark their spots in the hotel lot. The Wild Hot Rod Weekend got moving on Thursday at high noon with DJ Funzul and DJ Tiki T playing all sorts of great music.

 

As night fell it was time for the Annual DMC Kick Off Welcome Tiki-Luau Party featuring the music of Fat City Rockers.

Greeting fans when they enter the Wild Hot Rod Weekend is POR-15 presents Thunder Alley powered by Racing Junk, Turnkey Insurance and Tub-O Towels.

As in years past, Big Al Liebmann put together a great collection of funny cars, dragsters, altered with well over twenty cars all on display. Then several times each day and twice at night all the cars are fired up for a Cacklefest much to delight of everyone.

When it came to the Queen of the Line back up girl contest folks had to do a double take with this couple that looked like Jungle Pam and Jungle Jim from the early seventies.

 

Also, this year marked the first time that a backup girl contest called Queen of the Line was conducted with the first round held prior to one of the times all the cars fired up.

These two lovely ladies finished at the top when it came to the finals of the Queen of The Line back up girl contest.

 

Caroline Nalavany from the Dead Mans Curve Car Club help get this contest up and running with a great selection of ladies going back and channeling their classic back up girl look.

 

Friday Night saw once again the wild and crazy Tricycle races with everyone favorite wild Gorilla serving as race master.

Saturday afternoon saw the 10th Annual Miss DMC Pin-Up pageant hosted by the wild and crazy pair of cool ladies know as Hell in Heels. A ten ladies battled out for the crown and all of the great prizes sponsored by Smashfire Designs and Retro Beauty by Bombshells.

All of the action each and everyday was recorded by Dennis Gage for a future episode of My Classic Car.

 

As always at the Wild Hot Rod Weekend, there is so much to see and check out and enjoy. In the Delta Ballroom Mario Colasuonno once again put together a great selection of custom creations. Some of which included the Dom’s 1970 Dodge Charger along with actor Noel Guglielm Hector from The Fast and Furious Movies. Bob Larivee Sr. Mr. Autorama who was seen between to of the crazy creations that were featured back in the day at many of Autorama car shows and that being the Mork from Ork Egg car that has been restored and was seen in public for the first time in many years.

Rock-A-Billy Royalty Dibbs Preston kept everyone rocking with his band The Detonators

Joining the Mork for Ork car was the wild Mummy Machine car which also has recently be restored. Both of these cars were restored by John Sbrigato of TV Show Cars fame. Sbrigato, in addition to bring these two cars along with the 1970 Dodge Charger also brought out The Mailman Special. The Mailman Special was built by his dad Joe Sbrigato and appeared on the stage of The Ed Sullivan Show with The Beach Boys back in the day.

 

Famed Hot Rod artist Kenny Youngblood spent time with fans during the run of the show giving each and every one a one of a kind artwork which came compliments of Dead Mans Curve Car Club.

From Celebrity Kustoms John D’Agostino spent time talking with fans and talking about all the cars that he has had is hands on over the years.

So many bands came out to play during the run of the show some of which included Rock this Town Rockabilly Riot, Dibbs Preston and the Detonators, Wonderloaf and even Elvis showed up to entertain everyone.

This year Sunday was changed to Surf Sunday with the number one Beach Boys Tribute band Still Surfing on hand performing all of the Beach Boys classic hits with a great selection of surf cars by the stage which also included The Mailman Special. All of this was the Dead Mans Curve Car Club way of honoring the late Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys who passed away earlier this year.

At the end of the Still Surfing set the Dead Mans Curve folks gave away some special prizes which included three night hotel stay for the 2026 running of the Dead Mans Curve Wild Hot Rod Weekend along with entry for their cars as well.

The fine folks with the Lynwood dragster thought it might be fun to dump 100 percent nitro in their dragster for a little extra kick

A big hit this year was the closing of the street that runs in front of the hotel which allowed a even larger car show area. But perhaps by closing the street folks were able to check out some of the funny cars take over the street and do a little cackle fire up.

 

After the funny cars got done firing up the finals of the Queen of the Line back up girl contest took place much to the delight of all the fans. Another event that was taken to the street and that being the 10th Annual Muffler Rapping Contest.

 

Once all the action on the street was completed folks could check out all the of the artists in the pin stripping section pass well all the great vendors in the swap meet area. 

The Dead Mans Curve Wild Hot Rod Weekend continues to grow and get bigger and better each year. One thing is for sure everyone in the club listens to everyone’s thoughts and suggestion to make the event to run better and easier for everyone that attend.

 

So, make plans to attend the 2026 edition of the Wild Hot Rod Weekend over Labor Day weekend at the Delta Hotel by Marriott in Somerset, New Jersey you will never know what you might see and able to do it is sure fun for the whole family.This wild creation complete with full deal train horn and train tracks got everyone’s attention everywhere it went

Anyone want Ice Cream? Tommy the NJ Ice Cream Man

Classic T’s in many shapes and styles are seen here all owned by the Dead Man Curve Car Club members

John Sbrigato of TV Show Car fame is seen here with Dennis Gage who show My Classic Car Sbrigato has appeared on many times

Julian Braet better known as Mr J who lettered many race cars over his great career which spans back to the hey day of funny car racing. Spent time at the Wild Hot Rod Weekend doing more great artwork and telling stories of when he was part of the three ring Circus Custom Paint Shop under the ringmaster the late great talented Bob Gerdes.

The Impostor was selected as the best gasser of the show

Doug MacDonald brought his one of kind traveling art show to the Wild Hot Rod Weekend with some of his cool one of kind limited run artwork, MacDonald helped out creating a special one of a kind of t-shirt for the event.