Gathering of Fords
Over 3,200 Ford vehicles filled the Carlisle fairgrounds for the annual show
By Steve Turner
Photos courtesy of Carlisle Events
In the last 15 years Carlisle Events has welcomed fans of all things Ford to the fairgrounds in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, for the Ford Nationals. In that time attendance swelled from 1,700 cars to over 3,200 cars at this year’s event held last weekend. It’s safe to say that Ford’s popularity continues to grow and this event is a fitting celebration of that appreciation.
“They all came for various reasons, but the one common dominator was to celebrate all things Ford,” said the company. “Nearly 100 years of history adorned the grounds and while the classics turned more than a few heads, a whiplash or two was handed out at the Carlisle Expo Center as Ford brought its all-new Focus RS, Raptor F-150 truck and the stunningly sleek Ford GT.”
For a look at the Ford Performance hardware and more, you can watch this…
[video=youtube;hZs80nrIbDs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZs80nrIbDs[/video]
From the car show to invitational displays, the fairgrounds offered plenty for Ford fans to enjoy. However, this event can’t be contained in one location. The nearby Carlisle Expo Center parking lot was converted into a small test track for Ford’s ride and drive experiences, which let attendees check out the latest vehicles from behind the wheel. The event even spills over onto the downtown streets of downtown Carlisle where 400 vehicles participated in the Ford Parade and Downtown Street Party on Saturday June 3.
If you are in a hurry, here’s a really quick overview of the event…
[video=youtube;YH46tpTfPRM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH46tpTfPRM[/video]
Finally, here’s a look at how that flag display came together...
[video=youtube;dlHJtsYYzwo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlHJtsYYzwo[/video]
For those seeking something more active, there was an autocross competition dubbed the Real Street Shootout and put on by Gateway Classic Mustang. Mark Hetrick won it in a vintage Special Vehicle Team machine—a 2000 SVT Contour! There was also a burnout contest and our friends at VMP Performance were on site offering mobile dyno testing.
In short, the Carlisle Ford Nationals offers a little something for all fans of vehicles under the Ford umbrella. If it looks like a good time, next year’s event is already on the schedule, so you have no excuses for missing it. Mark your calendar for June 2-4, 2017.
Over 3,200 Fords filled the Carlisle Fairgrounds last weekend for the annual Ford Nationals, which featured classes and events for a wide variety of show cars, autocrossers and tire slayers.
On Saturday night 400 participants cruised from the fairgrounds to downtown Carlisle for the Ford Parade and Downtown Street Party led by some of Ford’s latest creations.
A popular non-automotive component of the Ford Nationals is the crowing of Ms. Carlisle. In the middle are the top-three contestants Amanda, Raven and Emily.
Students of the lore of 5.0-liter Mustang will instantly recognize the groundbreaking turbo Fox once piloted by the late Racin’ Jason Betwarda. These days the 1987 Ford Mustang GT convertible is owned by Joe Caldwell and it was part of a special indoor display at the Ford Nationals.
The crew at VMP Performance was on the property offering its array of hardware and tuning upgrades along with on-site dyno testing on its mobile Dynojet.
In a word, James Weigle’s 6914 Mustang is awesome. Don’t think that number is a typo either, it’s just the appropriate nomenclature for a vehicle that merges the classic styling of the 1969 Mustang with the engine, drivetrain and some interior bits from the 2014 Shelby GT500.
If you are to wear the crown as King or Queen of Carlisle, you have to be willing to destroy some tires in the Gateway Broncos burnout contest. Anyone registered for the show is eligible to compete, but only 10 cars are admitted into the concrete barriers to smoke tires for up to three minutes. This year’s winner Nick Szczerba sacrificed his rear tire to take the crown in his F-250 truck.
Another rare Fox on display at the Ford Nationals is this 1990 ASC/McLaren Mustang owned by Dwight & Mary Hutton. These Euro-styled ’Stangs featured a number of unique ASC/McLaren appointments, including a Cambria convertible top, 15x7-inch wheels and a custom console.
The one car every red-blooded Ford fan wants to get near is the new Ford GT. Not only was the Ford Performance supercar on display, but it was joined by the likes of the Focus RS, F-150 Raptor and Shelby GT350.
Fancy a hot-rod Lincoln? How about one sporting a modern Coyote swap? That says luxury performance!
What could be better than owning a Gotta Have It Green Boss 302? Building a matching Power Wheels version for your granddaughter, that’s what.
The Ford Performance Garage was on the property offering installations of various Ford Performance Parts right at the show. Carlisle events also raffled off $2,000 in parts from the Blue Oval’s hot rodding division and Wayne Wachter was the lucky winner.
