On the ground (and in the tower) at Musclepalooza XXII

Published by Mike on September 8, 2015

Early morning at Musclepalooza XXII. Photos by author and Terry Shea.

For fans of muscle cars, drag racing and warm weather, Sunday’s Musclepalooza XXII was one for the record books. Though attendance wasn’t quite as strong as our spring show, the field of cars on display and in the staging lanes was still a crowded one, and by mid-morning the aisles were packed with visitors taking in the sights, sounds and smells.

Too much engine or chrome? Not for this Pro Street Camaro.

A Cale Yarborough Special Mercury Cyclone Spoiler.

Pontiac GTO restomod.

The LS2 from a fourth-gen GTO provides the power.

A few of the more unusual cars on display included a Ford GT40 replica, a Cale Yarborough Special Mercury Cyclone Spoiler, a first-generation Pontiac GTO resto-mod with a fourth-generation LS2 V-8 beneath the hood, and a “Square Bird” Thunderbird that was there to show and to race.

Chuck Wyman is the original owner of this 14,000 mile 1987 Trans Am. Yes, he lit the factory-installed tires on the way to pick up his award.

Paul Sachs’s Challenger may look stock-ish, but his bored, stroked and blown Hemi sends about 700 hp to the rear wheels.

John Marshall’s 1971 Plymouth Duster 340 dropped a driveshaft during its access road burnout.

Joe Sokola’s 1968 Hemi Super Bee took Best in Show honors.

Picking favorites among the crop of cars in the show field proves more difficult with each passing Musclepalooza, but ultimately only one car can be Best in Show. This time, top honors went to a Dodge, namely the 1968 Hemi Super Bee owned by Joe Sokola of Canaan, Connecticut. Look for more on this car in tomorrow’s Hemmings Daily, but in the meantime, enjoy this gallery of images from Musclepalooza XXII.