ROCKINGHAM — When the original Super Chevy Show returns this weekend to Rockingham Dragway, it’ll feature immaculately-restored Chevys, of every shape, size and description in the car show corral, high performance Chevys competing on the quarter-mile drag strip, and more.
Nevertheless, outside of the jet-powered dragsters of Terry Rosberg (“American Thunder”) and Joe Zaccaro (“Southern Lightning”), nothing has generated more pre-race buzz than an old-school match race — featuring the “bad boy Bel Airs” of Kip Kauffman and Scott Cozzali.
Cozzali’s black-and-blue “Bounty Hunter” ’55 or Kauffman’s “it’s black-and-white to me” ’57? What could be better than a Clash of the Classics for Charlotte Supremacy? It’s a shootout with bragging rights to the first Chevy to win two rounds.
Ironically, Cozzali and Kauffman could just as easily have opted for the car show arena where a host of early model Chevys will show off on Saturday along with their late-model cousins.
Professional judges with more than 24 years of Chevy car show experience will determine the winners in 27 car and truck classes including Daily Driver, Conversion, El Camino, Monte Carlo, Nova, Pro Street, Tri-Five (1955-56-57), GM, two Chevelle classes (64-67 and 68-and-newer), four Camaro classes and five Corvette classes.
There also will be awards for Outstanding Paint, Outstanding Interior, Outstanding Engine, Outstanding Modified, Best of Show and Best Club Participation.
The attraction for car show participants is the opportunity to win a distinctive Original Super Chevy Show jacket and plaque and, of course, the chance to have one’s vehicle featured on the pages of Super Chevy Magazine.
On the track, whether it’s a classic car match race or a bracket race, the incentive is cash and bragging rights. Champions in the all-GM competition will be crowned in Top Eliminator, Footbrake, DOT Tire and Trophy classes.
Among the featured nostalgia cars will be “Bittersweet,” the 526-cubic inch Chevy-powered front motor dragster owned and driven by Steven Godwin (Pleasant Garden) and the awesome “Nor’easter” 1948 Fiat altered of Michael Tabacco (Mooresville).
Super Chevy weekend will begin with a GM-only test-and-tune session from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Friday. Saturday’s program will include car show judging and bracket racing with jets at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. and the match race final at 5:30.
Adult admission is $20 daily or $30 for Friday and Saturday. Children 6-12 are $5 each day. Children under six are free when accompanied by a ticketed adult and parking is free in the main lot.