This year marked the 15th Anniversary for the Spring Daytona Beach Car Show & Swap Meet, held March 19-21, 2004. This show is held inside the world famous Daytona International Speedway, and is one of the first really big shows each season here in the Sunshine State....so we always really look forward to it each year. Luckily the sunshine truly did win out, and it was a great three days (and nights) of fun.

This event is the second largest in the state, and routinely draws about 2,000 or more show vehicles which line the east side of the infield. This is where I spend most of my time, getting as many photos as possible to use here in the show coverage, and scouting out future cover vehicles. However, this can be a daunting task since there are no vehicle identification tags indicating who the owner is.

In the car show area there are also several “Shows Within The Show” catering to specific makes and models. These included ones for Fieros, Cougars, AMCs, and late-model Impala SS type vehicles. Some of them were judged, some of them were just to get fellow enthusiasts together, but they were all fun to check out while roaming the show field.

The west side of the Speedway’s infield is packed with more vendors than the typical person can even think of seeing, though the die-hards always do their best to try and see every last inch. In this area you’ll find the common stuff that just about anyone building a ride could put to use, plus lots of hard to find and “odd ball” parts that can be described as typically elusive at best. Items that you might only find in shows with a swap meet the size and caliber of those inside the Daytona International Speedway. With a little bit of hunting and bargaining many great deals can be had, and we once again saw people carrying off their newfound treasure all weekend long....be it by had, in a Radio Flyer style wagon (many of which are customized as much as the cars you’ll see at the show), or with the help of the parts hauling golf carts that can be flagged down for a small fee. Speaking of newfound treasures, the car corral was brimming with great choices for those looking to get behind the wheel of something new.

As most of you know the Spring Daytona Show is the smaller sister show of the infamous Turkey Run, which is the biggest show in Florida which is held inside the Daytona International Speedway over Thanksgiving weekend. Unlike the rumors you may have heard, the 2004 Turkey Run will go on as usual, as the Speedway improvements will be mostly finished by the November 25-28 dates. Though some swap meet and display areas may be affected until its final completion, and the car corral will be relocated to the apron of the backstretch. For the latest info as the Turkey Run draws closer visit www.turkeyrun.com. We’ll see you at the show! CN