(Words and Photos by Mike Brooks) The 15th annual Syracuse Nationals was recently held at the New York State fairgrounds in Syracuse NY, where it has become not just a local, but also a national favorite. Cars, trucks, customs, and more come from all over the country to attend this amazing event. The show takes place the 3rd weekend of July every year and is easily the largest hot rod and custom show in the Northeastern United States. Last years installment drew over 7,800 cars and more than 86,000 spectators and by the looks of it, the 2014 Syracuse Nationals will shatter last years record by a good margin. Below you’ll find a couple examples of fine muscle cars and street machines that are in our first gallery, plus a link to to the complete gallery.
Fellow Bangshifter Jose Ferrer and I couldn’t wait to attend the 2014 Syracuse Nationals, and packed up his ’70 Roadrunner, and cruised up the I-90, to take part in all the action. It’s been an annual venture for us as we’ve been covering the event for a few years now, and every year we are blown away with the amount of cool rides, bands, and people that gather there.
(Seriously Brian & Chad, you’re missing out! You should have been at the 2014 Syracuse Nationals! Don’t miss 2015.)
The grounds are overrun with classic muscle, street rods, lead sleds, traditional rods, doodlebugs, rat rods, custom trucks, racecars, and other cool vehicles from all over the U.S and Canada. In fact, the entire city is engulfed in Hot Rod culture with people cruising the city and mini carshows in every gas station, restaurant, and hotel parking lot throughout the weekend. We took a ton of photos that barely scratch the surface of all that goes on here at this awesome event, but we’ll keep giving you more and more with each gallery.
button” text=”CLICK HERE FOR GALLERY #2: HOT RODS, CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONALS”]
button” text=”CLICK HERE FOR GALLERY #1: NOTHING BUT STREET MACHINES AND MUSCLE CARS”]
Live near Syracuse, in Rome NY and have been going to this show for years. It’s started to go downhill recently, as the quality of cars attending has degraded and the show lost their insurance 2 years ago and can’t hold events in the grandstand anymore. A lot of people have been really disappointed and only show up for Saturday, instead of staying the whole weekend now. I’ve also talked to a few high-end shops who refuse to attend because they were treated kind of poorly and because Syracuse is a really rough place.
You seem to have some crappy facts. Each year the number attending grows as well as the quality of vehicles that show up. Maybe you dont have many friends that make it fun, or youre old and cant handle change. Sure Syracuse may be considered rough, compared to the corn fields in the middle of no where! Take it for what it is and enjoy something that doesnt suck (like the state fair and utica,rome)
I disagree, We’ve been coming to that show for 6 years now and love it! We drive our coupe in from Maine to take part in a great show. Our favorite weekend of the year! Kep the photos coming!!
Nick D has no clue!!!! Almost 9,000 cars and a class event.
5th year in a row and we stay all weekend.
I agree with Nick D. I thrashed on a rod I built to make it to Syracuse and got there late to register at the Hotel by an hour, they were still there! They said I could do it at the gate at the fair grounds, so I drive to the gate and the guy says no way…….he even said he lived farther away than I did and that he got there on time!! I parked my roadster in the parking lot and bought spectator tickets for the six people that followed me to Syracuse to make sure I got there alright. I never got over the way I was treated. Syracuse rodders have always had a rude way of treating people outside of there buddy/buddy club. I am an old hot rodder that use to show there with the ISCA and some of these present guys are a carry over of Don Stacy and the way he treated the car owners back in the day. I know Don is gone and it is probably not good to say bad about the dead, but a couple of his henchman started the Right Coast.. I have lived on the right Coast most of my life, but when you go South or West you see how nice fellow rodders and promoters treat people with respect and kindness. I will NEVER go back to Syracuse! I am sorry if I have gone “out of bounds” on my comments and if so, I hope BS forgives me.
Really Nick. This show is wonderful. A record amount of entries on Friday and 8200 on Saturday. I have been covering this show for a while now and it just gets better every year. Quality of cars is top notch, and the event is just solid. There was a drag racing accident on the front stretch of the mile a couple years back, that is the reason for no grandstand activities. It hasn’t hurt the show at all. The numbers prove it. The venders that I talk to said that they were on par as far as sales. As for Mr. Stacy That was along time ago, its not fair to even compare then and now. And by the way back in the 70’s they had some awesome shows indoors at the fairgrounds. I say it shows the strength of the Hotrodding community is strong and keep up the good work Right Coast.
I have been. Going to the Nats since 2000. It has been growing by 200 cars each year. It is a top notch show and Right Coast is a top notch organization. I have attended Good guys shows along with NSRA shows and neither can compare to the quality of the Syr. Nats. Best show in the U.S.A.!!!!!