I left too soon on Thursday. Way too soon. If you know exactly what I mean by saying that I missed seeing Popeye for the first time ever in person, you’ll know why. Remember the 1969 Camaro that was absolutely worrisome for anyone who lined up to it in the later 1990s? This was the followup, a Pontiac, and the name on the car is Pat Musi, Jr. It’s a miracle that I was able to snap off any good photos because I was going absolutely stupid. It’s been a minute since I got to the point that I was in full fan mode, but seeing that car come into the box did it.

That’s far from the only impressive machine on the property, either. Rob Goss’s monster Dodge Challenger, Mark Woodruff’s ZR1 Corvette and more are here, as are local racers Jesse Coulter and Chris Goode. Many thought that this weekend would be a washout, but so far we’ve only had one minor rainshower that the track crew dried up quickly, with all hands on deck working the equipment and more in street vehicles driving around the top end to assist. Dedication, folks…this race will be run come hell or high water! Tomorrow sees a reduction in the chance for rain, and that always spells out a good time…the more we can run, the happier the racers will be. Myself included!

Click on a photo below to check out more from the Bluegrass Nationals!