Bad On Fords And Chevrolets…   

Goodguys 33rd Pacific Northwest Nationals took place July 23rd-25th at the Washington State Fair Events Center in Puyallup, Washington, after sitting out a year due to the pandemic. An entire nation to the north was still prohibited from crossing the border. The Canadians’ absence, along with their cars, was noticeable. Yet gathering together and talking cars in as large a group as there was turned out to be a welcome panacea.

Yes, there was a lot of progress made on new builds and refurbishing others while everyone was restricted and much of life shutdown. However, the joy of getting out and cruising in your car to new destinations or familiar hangouts was lost. Having an oversupply of gas but nowhere to go kept most rodders at home, as even local events were unable to cope with new and ever-changing protocols.

As the outdoor show season intensifies, it remains to be seen if we will have a new round of limitations imposed on the events we enjoy. These constraints are in reaction to a rise in COVID cases once again, even though there isn’t a direct correlation at all to any event. Most people at the Northwest Nationals observed social distancing, and there have been no reported infections.

South Dakota’s annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, and the Lollapalooza music festival have both raised concerns that COVID-19 will spread among spectators and participants at these events due to the sheer numbers of people congregating.

The more criticism they evoke, the greater the possibility of states and local jurisdictions cancelling all in-person events once again.

For now, it appears car shows are flying under the radar, and that’s a good thing. Continuing to remain watchful and diligent, what most public health officials don’t realize is that there’s a world of difference between the behaviors of crowds at the festivals and rallies, and that of a local or even a national car show series. Get out and enjoy car shows once again, keeping in mind that should another shutdown be imposed, it may be awhile until we gather together.

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