Update For January: Well, November and December were certainly filled with some fun. The largest classic car event in the state, the Daytona Turkey Run, was followed the next weekend by the third largest classic car show in Florida, the NSRA Southeast Street Rod Nationals in Tampa. We certainly had a blast at both, even though they are vastly different experiences to attend. One thing they both had in common is that I shot cover cars and features at both of them. In fact, I photographed this month's 1948 Plymouth Sedan belonging to Werner Wilson on Friday inside the world famous Daytona International Speedway. The high banks of Turn 4 in the background made for a cool cover shot, for sure! I also shot three cover cars and features at the NSRA Tampa event, which we will be sharing with you over the next few months. Plus coverage of both of those events will appear in future issues.
As I am writing this it is exactly one week before Christmas, due to production lead times. Since you will be reading it in January, I hope everyone had a great holiday season. Hopefully you were able to share it with family and friends, because after all the gifts are not what counts, the people are the real presents.
Now that we are heading into 2022 this month I would also like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I always try and be optimistic in general, but especially when flipping the calendar to a new year I hope for the best, and try and focus on the good things that will come over the next 12 months. We are close to about two years into the lifestyle altering Covid pandemic at this point, and I know we would all like to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Without a doubt 2021 was better than 2020, but things are not yet back to what they once were quite yet. The good news is that the car shows that were canceled during the height of the pandemic are now returning. If you look through the Coming Attractions section of this month's issue you will see a large selection of shows you can attend. We have also seen an increase in the amount of car show display ads placed this month. After having our lifestyle impacted over the last two years, now more than ever people are eager to get out and have some fun!
I have read that one side effect of the pandemic is that more people have been buying hot rod parts and working on projects in their garage. That's always a good thing in my book, since it can help keep the hobby strong, both from a participant's perspective and from a business or manufacturing perspective. It also means that as time goes by more and more of those projects will be hitting the streets. We always look forward to seeing new rides emerge on the scene, so that is neat.
As always, we look forward to seeing everyone at the various events and cruise-ins. Seeing old friends and meeting new ones are a great part of this hobby. Take care, stay safe.....and we'll see you on the streets!
-Michael B. Kelly
NOTE: While conditions with the Coronavirus (COVID-19) have improved, some events are still being impacted, and a few are still shut down and canceled. As a result we urge that you should ABSOLUTELY CONFIRM that an event or cruise-in is still taking place before heading out.
