A s announced in our December 2025 issue the NSRA will be bringing car shows to nine great locations throughout 2026. Several highlights on the 2026 schedule include the return of the storied Street Rod Nationals South for the 51st year. The Appalachian Fairgrounds in Johnson City, Tennessee, will be welcoming follow- ers of this historic NSRA event as it once again cap- tures the heart and soul of rodders in and around the South. It will join Quad Cities, the Northeast and the North as two-day shows featuring all the main activities found at three-day shows. With the Event Schedule locked and loaded, work has been underway filling each and every one of them with an impressive array of activities, giving vendors, par- ticipants and spectators much more than just thou- sands of cool street rods, customs, classics, trucks, performance machines and any 30-year-and-older expression of preserving and/or modifying vehicles we all love. The popular “Streets of Rods” at all eight 2026 NSRA Divisional events brings together rodders with builds fitting a wide variety of themes. Each year some of the Streets of Rods return while new ones are added or old themes are brought back. These gatherings are a great place to meet kindred spirits and ‘talk shop’ or maybe even take an award home. For 2026 the Streets will consist of: “Prime Time Place” sponsored by O’Brien Truckers of Charlton, Massachusetts. Don’t be afraid to attend just because you haven’t shelled out big bucks for a paint job because this Street is open to all vehicles with primer paint. If your project is on the other end of the paint spectrum, “Fantastic Flames & Super Scallops” sponsored by Watson’s StreetWorks from Nashua, New Hampshire, is the Street you’ll want to cruise and, as the name implies, it’s open to all vehicles with either Flamed or Scalloped paint jobs. FatMan Fabrications by Southern Rods & Parts, in Duncan, South Carolina, will return as the sponsor of an old favorite, “Fat Fender Freeway.” This Street will be filled with cool rods and customs from 1936–1948. Being open to all vehicles within these years wields the widest variety of pure street rods gathered in one place at the Divisional events. Also returning are several long-time favorites, including “29 Below” sponsored by Vintage Air, of San Antonio, Texas, open to all vehicles owned and registered to licensed drivers age 29 and younger. Although we feature participants from the 29 2026 Event Action
Below gatherings in every issue, this gathering of our future rodders attracts enough cool vehicles and even cooler stories that several times a year we run the special section you’ll find on page 66 of this issue. “Canadian Country” sponsored by the Rhode Island Street Rodding Association is open to all vehi- cles registered in Canada. Canadian Country only happens at the Northeast and North Street Rod Nationals. In 2026 Moser Engineering will sponsor the 22nd Annual “Builders’ Showcase” at the 57th NSRA Street Rod Nationals. It’s grown into one of the premier places to debut professional builds and getting selected for one of the limited spaces avail- able is becoming a privilege. Within the industry the “Elite Builder of the Year” has established itself as a major award, not only because of the cutting- edge cars that have won it, but also because the only judges are the other builders/shops on display and they choose the ultimate winner from this gathering of their peers. The Builders’ Showcase has received such popular feedback Classic Auto Mall continues to sponsor a Builders’ Showcase at the Street Rod Nationals East as well. Speaking of back on board in 2026 Vintage Air will continue their 90th Anniversary celebrations by presenting “Vintage 36” at the 57th Street Rod Nationals. The goal is to continue this celebration through model year 1940 as all our favorite street rods turn 90. Most NSRA awards are referred to as “Picks” chosen from participants’ vehicles and our favorites like “Pros’ Picks,” “Outstanding Use of Kolor” and “ISCA Picks” will all be back in 2026. There are no losers, but to be picked out of thou- sands of vehicles can be just as important to an individual as winning a judged competition. NSRA has always been known for bringing top- notch, family-friendly, hot-rod-centric entertainment to the delight of many cities, participants and spec- tators these past 56 years. NSRA gave birth to street rodding and has grown from pre-‘49 street rod events only to all the great 30-year-and-older builds we are enjoying today. Whether you enjoy hanging with friends and all the great cars, meeting parts manufacturers face-to-face, shopping at the swap meet and arts and crafts fairs, or enjoying music, bring your friends in 2026 and see what we’ve built for you. Tom Vogele tomvogele@verizon.net
8 FEBRUARY 2026
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