That's right, folks...... it's Trans Am Nationals Report time again.....!

This year's 16th Annual Trans Am Nationals was again held at the Dayton Airport Hotel on the grounds of the Dayton International Airport in Vandalia, Ohio from August 25-27, 2000. It was put on again by the Dayton chapter of the Trans Am Club of America, and dedicated to the memory of the late Jim Emmel as always; Jim was one of the mainstays of the TA Nats organizers, who suddenly passed away last year before the 1999 event. Some of you may remember reading of this in last year's report.....

This year's event was memorable for me in more ways than one, to say the least. My wife, Jami, did not accompany me this year to the event; as she is now in her seventh month of pregnancy, she decided not to fight the heat this year and elected to remain home in Arkansas instead..... naturally monitoring the proceedings each evening via AT&T's good graces.....

UGH..... go alone? Ooooo, WRONG ANSWER.

But who to call.....? Hmmm...... let's see......who WILL it be?

A quick call (and a few promises....) to my good friend Gregg Blakely in Arlington, Texas netted me a traveling buddy after all. Gregg had never been to the Nats before, and being that he owned a 1980 Trans Am at the time, he thought this would be a good opportunity to get involved with the Pontiac crowd. Being that he is a staunch Chevrolet man ('91 1LE Z28..... 70-1/2 Camaro RS/SS 350..... blah, blah), I was pleasantly suprised to see that he really was excited about going. You know how those Chevy boys can be sometimes.....

Our odessey began on August 24..... after a lengthy stop in town to pick up "Hector".... i.e., the black GTA Notchback, for those of you unfamiliar with its peculiar name..... from the detail shop (Gregg shot these photos here....), and a quick run into Wal-Mart to procure some light bulbs for my car hauler's clearance lights, Gregg and I set off to Dayton, full of expectations, spit, and vigor.

YEAH! Dayton, Ohio..... HERE WE COME!

We made good time the entire trip, only stopping for diesel fuel and/or meals...... sometimes in places that really would make you wonder about the locals..... their mental stability..... and their family tree "branches", too. After leaving home at about 9:30 AM, we were "boogie-ing" right along and rolled into a truck stop in Walton, KY at about 11 PM for a "little boys" break when......

Like you didn't see this coming, right......? Who AM I kidding? This is Frank, remember.....

As I exited the Pilot truck stop, a check of the trailer tires netted an ominous discovery..... and I thought, "Now I know that wheel is not supposed to be cocked at that angle.... like that....." After conferring grimly with Gregg, I returned inside to ask for help/directions. Basically, the bearing was gone on the LH front wheel; the race was trying to come out and was eating into the hub as well. We had stopped in Louisville and checked everything just thirty minutes or so before and had found everything all right.

The directions we got were basically..... horrible, and after a five-mile "wild goose chase", we finally ended up at STI Towing, Recovery, and Trailer Repair..... in the middle of nowhere..... in the middle of the night. It didn't take long for them to figure out that they didn't have the parts to repair our trailer that night; so we were stuck until the next morning. By this time after the afore-mentioned five-mile trip, the hub was completely ruined and unusable, even with new bearings.

Gregg tried to catch a few Zzzzs in the car, but didn't have much luck..... He said him and the articulating bucket seats "just couldn't get along....." I was up all night trying to come to terms with what had happened, and hoping we could get it fixed the next day. If I walked around that trailer once.... I walked around it 100 times. For those of you out there who got little stamped "GTA Source Page" cards placed in your car during the show.... this was when they all got stamped. If they were a bit crooked on the back side, I certainly apologize!

- 7 AM brought in the regular "day" shift folks, and upon seeing the full extent of the damage, it didn't take long to see that we were pretty well screwed. After a half-day (and a wasted trip into Cincinnati looking for the repair parts), Gregg and I decided that we had best leave the trailer there and go on to Dayton.... or we might never make it up there at all. If we were lucky, somebody would "borrow" it before we came back by on Sunday afternoon..... *** NOTE: As of yesterday (9-21-00), the trailer hub/wheel was repaired and we did in fact have the parts in hand to repair it the entire time..... !@#^*!@$*&$#!! Just a matter of an incorrectly installed grease seal, it seems.....***

So I set out in the "Big Green Truck", and Gregg was kind enough to drive the GTA for me. Being that we were just over an hour's drive from Dayton, the trip up was fairly speedy..... until we hit the afternoon traffic. But we did finally make it..... the most important part of the entire deal. Things were already buzzing around the show grounds; cars were arriving, trailers were arriving, heck.... EVERYBODY was arriving. After a quick check-in for the hotel and a run through the registration line, we were good to go.

- Each year, the registration packet grows a little bit. This year's kit included all sorts of catalogs, judging sheets, car care guides, coupons, free samples..... you name it. There were several inserts regarding Dayton and the surrounding areas included as well. Of course, also included in the "goodie bag" is the all-important dash plaque, hat pin, and T-shirt if ordered by the participant. This year's design was quite striking..... and the actual car used for the design was even in attendance as well..... sporting a large, customized display of course. The photo at right illustrates all three of the "freebie" items.....

After registration, the next step is to go through the "Tech Line"..... where your car is classed for the show into the proper category. This year, the line was moved from the rear of the hotel over across the street adjacent to the swap meet area, with separate lines for each generation of car. Last year, our Notchback was put into the Class D: Stock 1982-92 group, and I thought this year would be a carbon copy..... since the car hasn't been touched since last time. Boy, was I wrong.....

- That's right..... One of the classers (Steve, I believe his name was....) latched onto me about these little pieces right here, and put me over into the Class G: Light Modified, 1982-2000.....! Can you believe this? He acted all gruffy when I casually mentioned that the car, in the exact same guise, had been in the D Class the year prior..... and then told me "if you want to be in Stock class next year, you need to address those valve stems". Oooooo, not exactly a good way to endear one's self to people, wouldn't you say? I ask you..... does the term "pop somebody up side of their head" mean anything to any of you out there....? I came THIS close..... Really. There are some serious issues that need to be addressed in regards to the cars being classed. More on that issue much later..... And their "holier-than-thou" attitude was even worse; ignorance is bliss, I guess.

Anyway...... that still just pisses me off..... How 'bout we get on to the show itself..... Besides, there's LOTS of cool cars coming up here to see.....!

With yet another record number of entries.... some 524 cars this year..... the 2000 show was one of the most interesting I've been to so far. Pontiac Motor Division again made a strong showing this year, and Jim Mattison brought several Firebirds of interest for all for us to "slobber" all over again. Jim, who also heads up Pontiac's racing programs and is also the owner of Pontiac Historic Services, is always a treat to get to visit and talk with each year. Unfortunately, it seems like each year I get to visit with him less and less.....

Still, the cars were great.

- With the 1999 30th Anniversary Trans Ams still fresh in everbody's minds, there were a couple on Pontiac's display this year. But the car on the left was a real headturner.....; a 2001 model WS6-equipped T/A, this new color is smashing, to say the least. I didn't get the full name of it, but I believe it is some kind of Sunrise Metallic..... and it is beautiful! It will no doubt be a big hit this next year. I will have to use Gregg's photo here, since my own digital shot didn't turn out at all....... So much for my understanding of the digital age, I guess.....

Also on display with the PMD cars was this interesting 30th Anniversary Trans Am convertible owned by John Skopos of Warren, OH. Mimicing the production cars of 1999, this convertible was unique in that its color scheme was exactly reversed from the replicas sold to the public. The blue over white colors were extremely sharp; wouldn't it be nice to see Pontiac do something like this on an annversary car, for a change?

- Here are two cars that were very popular durng the show's run. The gold car is a 2000 model WS6 T/A with some custom touches: a full 13" Baer brake setup, full interior roll cage and racing harnesses, and little NOS "ditty" in the rear compartment. YeeHaw! I thought the gold/black scheme was particularly striking. The second photo is Gregg's shot of Bobby Labonte's IROC series racing car. This marked the first time I've ever seen one of thes racing machines up close, and it was a sight to behold. Very sharp! If you look at the photo closely, the man in the black hat is Mr. Mattison doing an interview with one of the camera crews in attendance..... most likely the one from the cable show My Classic Car.

The show's host, Dennis Gage, was in attendance for two days of the show, and his camera crew filmed many cars for an upcoming episode. And to top it all of, Gregg got us both a personally autographed and personalized photo of "the handlebar man" himself for our very own collections. Gee, what a guy.....! Now let's see..... where DID I put that picture? I know it's here somewhere..... I get so UPSET when I can't find it.....

Every year, Friday was/is really a day for everybody to arrive, get settled in the hotel, maybe start cleaning and detailing their car(s), and hopefully reconnect with friends from years past. There are no real show activities on the first day..... but that never stops anybody from seeing a lot of great cars if they want to. They're definitely in abundance from the very beginning. Also, the swap meet folks are arriving and setting up their various parts/equipment displays and such as that.

The easiest way to cover the cars is by progression through each generation, up the the current cars; this is the way I do it each year, and it seems to work best. Keep in mind that these shots don't in any way cover the broad spectrum of cars that were present, but instead are some of the ones present that stood out to me. If you got a GTA Source Page card and don't see your car pictured, then something happened to the photograph that I took of your car..... I lost at least ten shots that I can think of off the top of my head. I certainly apologize, and will try to do better next year. Thanks for your understanding.

- Here is a great example of the genesis of these cars that we know and love..... This 1969 Trans Am was on the front line of the show along with the previous class winners from the previous years. I didn't get any info on it at all, but it was a pristine example of the initial-year T/A. Beautiful.....

- This 1968 Firebird, owned by James Morton of Virginia Beach, VA was in Class J: Light Modified (1967-81) and was a great example of a customized first-generation Firebird. The car sported a 455 c.i. Poncho mill hooked up to work with the factory Ram Air provisions, and many other neat touches.

- This sharp 1968 Firebird Convertible owned by Jeff Vanderhoof was in the Heavy Custom (67-81) Class L. Sporting a set of 16" diamond-spoke wheels and many other custom touches that only reinforced the nature of the car itself, it was a good looking early Firebird droptop.

As always, my cameras got a little more anxious as the generations progressed up through the years. The 2ndGen cars are favorites of mine..... since I DO have two of the later versions sitting out in the yard right now..... and there were scores of them present at this year's show. Whatever the year, whatever the model.... it was in attendance.

- Because of the number of attendees, the 2ndGen cars are split up into two separate categories: Class B: 1970-76 and Class C: 1977-81. This is a shot of some of the menbers of Class B taken on Sunday afternoon. As you can see, there were some really nice cars in attendance......

- Talk about some history here, folks..... George and Sherry Siegel of Ellenwood, GA brought this rare survivor to this year's show: an authentic 1970-1/2 T/A that participated in SCCA events of the time. Equipped with a Ram Air IV engine, this car was set up for road racing and had all the original interior modifications and equipment in place. There was plenty of kinds of documentation accompanying the car as well. A really nice piece of Firebird history and it was great to see it "in the flesh".....

- This rare Lucerne Blue 1970-1/2 T/A, owned by Ken Mardel of Bradford, PA was in the Class O: Super Stock class. Set up for drag racing, it was a really sharp example of a early-model T/A that is used for off-road competition, but is still nice enough for any show around. Great car, Ken..... and the best 70-72 color too, in my opinion.

- Here's the 2nd Place finisher in Class B: Stock, 1970-76, folks. This fantastic 1970-1/2 Trans Am is owned by Mark Levin of Waukegan, IL, and was one of the most gorgeous T/As I've ever seen. Finished in the familiar white with the blue accent stripe, this car featured the standard 400 c.i. Pontiac engine backed with the Turbo 400 automatic tranny and had the standard Rally II wheels sans trim rings as well. A really racy look, in my opinion.... Also, this is the first 1970-1/2 model I've seen with an interior in another color besides blue. The black color really set the interior off well from the rest of the car.

- And here's your class winner as well...... The smashing Lucerne Blue 1970-1/2 Formula 400 pictured belongs to Kevin Heikkinen. This car was a 4-speed car, but did not have a console..... a strange sight indeed. I was told that this car was sitting in a garage some 18 months ago sans engine and transmission, and was purchased by Keith for $3,500. An extremely obscene sum of money later, it sits as you see it in the photo..... fully restored, and the Class B winner at the TA Nats. Congratulations, Kevin!

I know, I know..... I can hear you already...... "what, no Super Duty cars.....?" Well, I guess not. That shows, I guess, how jaded I've become, because I didn't snap a single show photo of an SD T/A or Formula..... Sorry about that slip-up.

The later 2ndGen models are nearly always the most abundant examples of Firebirds in attendance. Class C: Stock, 1977-81 may well have been the most competitive class in the entire show; with so many entries, this class seems to be growing each and every year. Naturally, so many entires means so many great cars to look at and shoot..... and what fun it is....!

- This wild 1977 Trans Am of Alan Boerke from Strongsville, OH is set up for Pro Street drag racing. Among the cars featured in the Pontiac display....... as is obvious from the photo, I really think this car needs no description. It pretty well speaks for itself..... don't you agree?

- First up for the Class C crowd is the 1979 Firebird Formula of my good friend Jim Spangler. Jim and his wife, Linda, hail from Loganville, GA and are the proud owners of this beauty, a 1987 GTA, and a 1999 LS1 Formula as well. See, maturity does have its perks......

Jim's car, a L80 Olds 403-equipped 'Bird, is one that he has owned since 1992; being the car's third owner, he has spent a lot of time and energy getting it in its current state. And with good reason..... this is one damn nice car. As a rule, I'm not really wild about Formula models, but this car is one that I'd be proud to call my own. The Spanglers brought it to the Nats two years ago and, while a sharp ride then, now it does not even compare to its state two years back. An incredible car..... the Atlantis Blue/Nocturne Blue scheme looks great!

- Newark, OH's Jeff Davis is the proud owner of this sharp 1979 Trans Am. The color is a striking Blue (that I can't seem to find in my 1979 books) that combines really well with the tan interior. The Cragar mags are also a nice touch on the outside. This T/A is a 403-powered car..... the last year this engine was available in the T/A.

- Here's another great 1979 L78/W72 Formula from C Class..... This car, owned by John Fitzgerald of Yorkville, IL, is one of the 346 built with the Pontiac 400/4-speed combination..... the last year for the 400 in the T/A. The Nocturne Blue and Charcoal color scheme is particularly striking, and offset by the odd beige interior. You'd expect either black or gray on the inside, but this car is beige..... which provides a great conversation piece. According to my friend Jim Spangler..... evidently it was a popular option color combination back when these cars were built. A really nice car either way......

- This nice 1979 Firebird of Matthew Martin was a Class J: Light Custom (67-81) entrant. It was nice to see a "base" Firebird model that was as nice as this one was. With the great paint job, the custom wheels, and all the other interesting touches throughout the car, this was one car that outshined some serious competition, in my opinion. Great car, Matt!

- The 1979 Tenth Anniversary T/As (TATAs) are always out in force at the TA Nats each year, and here's one of the nicest examples that I saw: Mark and Belba Parrett's 1979 TATA. Equipped with the rare W72 option on the L78 400 engine, this car is one of only 1,817 anniversary cars that got the vaunted 400/4-speed setup. Just a really beautiful car..... as striking today as they were 20-odd years ago.

- Beaver Falls, PA's Dave Mittner had two cars showing at the Nats this year..... one you'll see in a minute, and this car: a really nice 1979 W72 400 Trans Am. Finished in a non-standard Dark Green color, this T/A was showing the the Class J: Light Custom category..... but it was a great looking car indeed. The Dark Green color really set if off well from the rest of the field.

- Back in Class C now, this 1979 T/A is owned by Jim Hallen of Indianapolis, IN. The brown exterior was a nice change of pace, anbd I didn't see another car of the same color at the show. Jim's car is an L80 403 Olds T/A and is equipped with the Ws6 suspension package, as evidenced by the 8-inch snowflake rims on the car. This was also the only car I saw that had the Custom Vinyl interior instead of cloth. Gives me some hope for my two 2ndGens, as they both sport the vinyl hides inside..... Beautiful car, Jim!

- This rare 'Bird, a 1979 Trans Am Special Edition is the property of one Todd Olejiniczak of Mechanicsburg, PA. I didn't catch the powertrain that this sharp car was sporting, but it's a great example of one of the most popular models for the T/A in the late 70s and early 80s. This car was, I believe, all original, as I remenmber that the engine and underhood compartment was not "detailed to death", but instead was in an original-looking state of preservation. A great example of the post-"Smokey & The Bandit" boon days.....

- The first example of the T/A's second decade at this year's show was this pristine 1980 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Turbo Trans Am owned by Christine Golub of Brights Grove, ON..... or at least it was when this photo was taken. This car was for sale during the show for $13,900. With only 15,000 miles on the odometer, this was practically a brand new car..... one that a lot of attendees, myself included, would have liked to have taken home with them on Sunday afternoon. Aaaah, it is nice to have dreams, anyway.....

- Another great looking car, this 1980 T/A owned by David Wezanics of Kalamazoo, MI. Finished in Dark Claret, a seldom seen color on T/As of the era, this car is quite a "looker", and attracted a lot of attention during the show. Equipped with the W72 version of the venerable 4.9L engine, this car was a good example of the most-often-seen T/A of 1980. The luggage rack added to the rear decklid and the chrome Cragar rims also attracted a good bit of attention from showgoers; the Cragar rims were an often seen addition this year in the wheel department. A very nice car, David.....

One of the nice things about this year's show was the appearance of a great many of the red-headed stepchildren of the 2ndGen T/As..... that's right, CarCraft's favorite models..... the 1980-81 Turbo 4.9L cars...... Being an owner of one of these personally, I always look for them at every show I attend, and this year was pleasantly surprised by the turnout. The Pace Car models of 1980 and 1981 are usually represented, but this year there were several great "regular" cars entered as well. It's always a thrill for me to get a chance to view these seldom seem models.....

- First up is the great looking 1980 Turbo T/A owned by Clayton Hadden of Waynesfield, OH. This car was a great example of the "hottest" T/A for 1980, and there's that color again..... Dark Claret. My 1980 parts car that I have is also an original Turbo car, and is this same color; and I must say that in person and in well-cared-for condition, it is quite a striking color scheme. Nice car, Clayton.....!

- OK, remember Dave Mittner that I mentioned earlier? Well, here's his other entered car: a 1980 Turbo 4.9L Trans Am Special Edition. Identical to the car featured in "Smokey & The Bandit II", Dave's Turbo SE is one of only 3,444 cars like it built for 1980. It also sports the seldom-seen-in-1980 WS6 snowflake rims too, instead of the new-for-1980 TurboFlow rims. A really nice car, Dave..... Burt would be proud!

- The 1981 Turbo T/As were represented too..... this is the 1981 Turbo T/A of Mike Leggio from Temperance, MI. Mike's T/A is one of only 6,612 like it built in 1981; this car was definitely bittersweet for me..... it was the exact duplicate of my T/A that burned in 1988, except that car was black with the red decals/trim. This car was immaculate, to say the least, and was a fitting example of the final year for the beloved 2ndGens.

- Here's another striking 1981 Turbo Trans Am..... this car belongs to John Mola from Ferndale, MI. A first time to see one of these cars in Charcoal for me, I was repeatedly drawn to it over the course of the show. Just a really beautiful color on these cars..... and the TurboFlow rims really set it off well. The black interior was a nice addition to the exterior color too..... although this time of year, John might not agree! Still, a really nice car, John......

- Rounding out the 2ndGen cars this year is this pristine example of the ultimate in 1981 Pontiac muscle and exclusivity: the 1981 NASCAR Daytona 500 Turbo Trans Am Pace Car..... phew, what a mouthful! And if that's not enough, the owner, Kent Worzalla of Stevens Point, WI, had two of the damn things at the show this year....! KRIKES....!!! The rarest of the 79-81 "specialty" T/As with only 2000 units built, the 1981 NASCAR T/A is a rare sight anywhere these days, and it was especially nice to see two of them being preserved in this manner. In fact, Kent scored show awards with each car. Congratulations, Kent..... on your awards and on two great cars, too!

- For those who were interested, there was plenty of other stuff to do as well besides look at the cars on the show grounds. The tent at right was the show "Ground Zero", so to speak. All the show activities and events are covered continually from this area; it's also jukebox central as well. Music is provided all weekend long, including the continual droning of Sammy Hagar's song..... "Trans Am"..... which by..... oh, say..... Friday afternoon..... gets a bit "long in the tooth". AARRGGHH!!!!! It's a good thing I don't hear that song any other time of the year; it gets run into the ground each year at Dayton. I mean..... WHO requests that song? PPLLEEAASSEE...... Next year, I may actually hurt somebody when I hear it. You'll notice I didn't say "if"..... not hearing it evidently is not an option.

A host of additional activities were also a constant throughout the weekend, both at the show site and in various other sites around the Dayton/Vandalia area. Some of the on-site activities included judging seminars (evidently I SHOULD hsve attended these....), a "Mini-Nationals" diecast and model car show, and a silent charity auction on various items donated for the show. There were also several raffles held thoughout the show, including one for an authentic NASCAR leather jacket, and another featuring a helmet autographed by all the drivers on the IROC circuit. All the benefits from the auctions were given to charities including the A Special Wish Foundation.

Also held during the weekend on Saturday was the 4th Annual Trans Am Nationals Drag Races, sponsored by Bruce Fulper of Pontiac Drag Sports. Each year I miss this event, but I heard it was a blast and that the turnout was excellent. Many of the cars at Tipp City on Saturday night had the tell-tale polish markings on the windows or the windshield......

Saturday and Sunday were the prime days for the swap meet, with vendors selling parts and accessories for any generation Firebird, and some other Pontiac products as well. Just about any part one needed was available for the asking..... and the right price, of course. It was very unfortuate that I didn't really need anything this year..... but I did buy one PMD 1991 Firebird GTA poster and two old magazines containing T/A road tests. Oh well, maybe next year.....

- Also for sale in the swap meet area were several cars of various generations, including this really nice 1989 20th Anniversary T/A. I did not see a price posted for it, but it sounded like the "haggling" was coming to a close when I paused to snap this photo. Hopefully somebody made a good deal and got to take this rare car home with them after the weekend was over. Lord knows I would have liked to..... along with about 100 others as well!

Well, let's take a break here, what do you say? Get up, stretch your legs, grap a soda or a bite to eat..... just take a minute or two. There still a lot of great cars coming up straight ahead!

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