Street Machine Nationals bring boost to regional economy - The Southern
DU QUOIN – Hundreds of vintage hot rods, street machines and modern muscle cars from across the nation gathered at the historic Du Quoin State Fairgrounds over the weekend for the annual celebration of horsepower. The General Tire Street Machine Nationals gave thousands of spectators a rare opportunity to admire some of the most powerful street cars in the country together in one location. Being the “ultimate picnic of power” was the show’s motto this year and there was plenty of horsepower on display. He traveled from Kansas City, Missouri, to be part of the Street Machine Nationals for the first time. Many of the vehicles in the Legends of Pro Street display had been featured throughout automotive magazines both past and present, including Matt and Debbie Hay’s iconic fluorescent pink 1988 Thunderbird. The couple traveled nearly 1,600 miles from Chandler, Arizona, to bring the award-winning T-Bird back to the “Nats” for the second year since restoring it. “We were on the road about 16 hours for two straight days to get here, but we wouldn’t miss... Ironically, he purchased the car at last year’s show for his wife. “My wife saw this car here last year and she really liked it,” said Heavelow. Along with beautiful weather, Saturday brought larger crowds and even more cars to the fairgrounds. Source: thesouthern.com
