With 2015 drawing to a close, it’s time to get revved up for next year. Whether you head out in your personal hotrod or hop on a plane, the following events are sure to get your pistons pumping.
January: Scottsdale Auction Week
The world’s biggest auction houses bring the best and brightest collector cars to Scottsdale, Ariz. Barrett-Jackson and Russo & Steele appeal to large audiences with muscle cars and exotics, while RM Sotheby’s features high-end investments. Silver is known for affordability while Gooding & Company focuses on the exotics. Bonhams is a British company that takes the car as art approach. Contact the Scottsdale Convention and Visitors Bureau regarding hotels and event schedules.
February: Daytona 500 and Third Annual Day of the Duals Motoring Festival
This year Daytona unveils its new motorsports facility for the 58th running of the 500 on February 21. Come into town a few days early and enjoy Speedweeks festivities, as well as the third annual Day of the Duels classic car show. Contact the Speedway website for schedules and ticket information.
March: Jeep Easter Safari
If your favorite road is off-road, Moab, Utah is the place to be for the 50th annual Jeep Easter Safari presented by the Red Rock 4-Wheelers off-roading club. The weeklong event between March 19 and 27 includes dozens of organized trail rides. The Red Rock website has a schedule as well as the latest weather, travel, and trail condition information.
April: Spring Carlisle
Bring your mud shoes and walking sticks to Carlisle, Penn for Spring Carlisle, one of the nation’s biggest classic car shows and swap meets. Buyers can deal directly with the owners and drive away with the affordable classics. With more than 8,000 vending spaces, the swap meet is the place to go for those hard-to-find NOS parts. Contact the folks at Carlisle Events for travel and event information.
May: Indianapolis 500
This year, Indy celebrates its centennial race. Practice begins on May 16. Don’t want to fight race-day traffic? Then Carburetion Day, the Friday before the race, is a great alternative. Be sure to visit the Speedway Museum while on site, eat some tube steaks, and enjoy some of the fastest cars on the planet. The IMW website has a schedule of events and ticket information.
June: Bloomington Gold Corvettes USA
Bloomington Gold certification is the Holy Grail for serious Corvette collectors. This year’s show on June 23-25 is at the Indianapolis Motors Speedway. In addition to traditional events including the Special Collection, Bloomington Gold Judging, and certification instruction, the 2016 event also includes track activities. Contact Bloomington Gold for a complete schedule.
July: Street Machine Nationals
St. Paul, Minn. is host to the summer edition of the Street Machine Nationals: a weekend of show and shine, swap meets, and racing for some of the planet’s finest hot rods and street rods. Who doesn’t love eating breakfast to the sound of top fuel cars burning up the dragstrip? SMN’s Facebook page has more information.
August: Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and Monterey Historic Races
I’ve only seen a Model A Duesenberg on a racetrack once, and it was at the Monterey Historic races. Prepare to be amazed at this weeklong series of classic car events including a 1,500-mile classic car tour, racing, art shows, car auctions and of course, the Concours itself. Events take place during the first three weeks of August. The Pebble Beach Concours website has more information.
September: Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival
During the week leading up to Labor Day weekend, the town of Auburn in northeastern Indiana comes alive with a celebration of the cars that made it famous. Events include a parade, car auction, cruise nights, tours of historic buildings, and a benefit for the ACD Museum. Log onto the festival website for more information.
October: AACA Fall Meet in Hershey
Photos of Hershey courtesy of Tim Emerich.
The Eastern AACA Division Fall Meet takes place October 5-8 in Hershey, Penn. With one of the largest swap meets in the country, the event attracts more than 1,500 collectible automobiles. A schedule of this year’s events, directions, and lodging information is available on the AACA website.
November: SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Show
The SEMA show, scheduled for November 1-4 in the Las Vegas Convention Center, is the world’s largest tradeshow for automotive specialty products. Whether you’re interested in performance aftermarket components, custom cars, or celebrity sightings, you’ll find all of the above at SEMA. Over the past decade, SEMA has worked with automotive manufacturers on measuring sessions to promote new aftermarket products, many of which are introduced at this show. SEMA is open only to the automotive industry and media. Go to SEMA’s website to learn more.
December: Pomona Swap Meet
If you find yourself in Southern California, head to the Pomona Fairgrounds for its last swap meet of the calendar year. The event held seven times throughout the calendar year also includes a classic car show. While in the LA region, a stop at Bob’s Big Boy in Toluca Lake for the weekly cruise night is not to be missed. Also check out vintage dragster racing at Irwindale Speedway.
