SOUTHERN DELAWARE STREET ROD JAMBOREE
Rat Rods & Surf Boards Mark Theme At 18th Annual Rod & Custom Jamboree In Harrington, DE
The time is 1:37 p.m. My crew and I are traveling east on Route 50 and are currently high atop the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. I take a deep breath and inhale that wonderful ocean smell as a purple 1972 Barracuda whizzes past me. We are headed to the largest car show on the peninsula dubbed “The Delaware Car Show” but better known as “The Rod & Custom Jamboree.” We currently have 5,000 magazines on board and are ready to see some beautiful cars. As three Chevelles in a row zoom past me, I know for sure that I am cruising back in time and headed in the right direction.
The dozens of sail boats beneath me, which are riding the cool breeze, reminds me of riding in a ‘57 Corvette with the top down Wow, speaking of the devil, there goes one now at top speed!
The Rod & Custom Jamboree is a collection of classic car events all rolled up into one venue. Located at the fairgrounds in Harrington, DE, the spot is an excellent location for this type of outing.
For only $35, you and your family can attend the show for the entire weekend. This allows you to register and show your car for a chance to win prizes. You also receive tickets to the Kick-Off Party on Friday and tickets to the burn-outs and flame throwers on Saturday night. With so much to offer, this is a classic show that everyone should attend!
As we roll up into the fairgrounds, my crew and I notice several Rat Rods and surfboards on top of decked-out cars from the 50’s. This appears to be the theme this year!
A little later Friday evening, my crew and I head over to the Kick-Off Party, which is one of the best parts of the show. The Kick-Off Party is a massive social gathering of classic car enthusiasts who come together to kick back, relax and enjoy thousands of clams, hot dogs, peanuts and beer. After finishing up our clams and beer, we head over to see Don Beauchamp, Vice President of the Southern Delaware Street Rod Association (SDSRA). “Hey Shaun, here’s the total count: 48,000 clams, 6,000 hot dogs, and 44 kegs,” Beauchamp states. Wow, I thought, what a huge amount of food and beer to be consumed. As the evening turns into night, the Cadillac DJ pumps up the volume to kick-off the sock hop. This 50’s style dance is a lot of fun.
Saturday morning, 8:00 a.m. Over 1,700 street rods have filled the fairgrounds and there are some top-quality machines out there.
Around 11:00 a.m., the Pro Street Parade rolls through the streets like there is no tomorrow, setting the stage for the upcoming highlight of the day: the burn-outs and flame throwers.
Many familiar faces and old friends show up at the Auto Round-Up booth, like David Cohen, who runs the East Coast Indoor Nationals in December. It is a great show and filled with fun. He is out promoting the show. If you would like more info about his show in Timonium, MD visit their website or call David at 410-628-6262.
A little later in the day, Beauchamp rolls up in his new toy--a rat rod with a skull on the hood. Beauchamp says, “What do you think of this?” I say, “There is certainly nothing out there like this, that’s for sure!”
That afternoon, we cruise down to the teeter-totter and watch as drivers try to balance their cars on a teeter-totter beam, which is a pretty difficult thing to do.
As the day becomes evening, it becomes burn-out time. Several are competing for a new set of tires, and the object is to burn rubber as long as you can, which in some cases results in having to get towed out of the show.
A Chevy rolls up to the plank and begins to spin. Red, cherry-colored smoke emits from the tires, which is really original.
Another victim rolls up to the plank. He begins to burn rubber. I look at my watch, and it’s 8:47 p.m. He continues to spin, peel, and burn for what seems like forever. Finally, a firecracker boom goes off like a shotgun, a tire flies out into a million different pieces hitting some of us from the camera crew. I glance at my watch: 8:59 p.m. The crowd goes crazy, and he wins the new set of tires.
As the flame throwers being to light up, everyone is excited to see the myth and the legend of “The Torch,” which can put off flames up to 100 feet in the air! As “The Torch” fires up, the crowd goes crazy and the hair off my legs burns to a crisp and disappears into the night air. “I’ve been torched,” I thought to myself.
If you have never been to the Rod & Custom Jamboree, you have to go to experience the ride of a lifetime. So, put this on your calendar for next year. And, for those of you who have attended before, please come back, your attendance supports well-deserved charities.
We run into Dave Roop, President of the SDSRA on Sunday. “We broke a record in attendance--20,000! I also want to thank the people for coming here today, because these charities will benefit from their support.”
The SDSRA would like to thank all of their sponsors and members of the club, without your help, people’s dreams could not come true. Auto Round-Up would also like to thank the SDSRA for all of their help and efforts to make this happen.
If you would like more information on the Rod & Custom Jamboree, or need more information on how to join the SDSRA, visit their website, or call Don at 302-349-4221.
SDSRA Background: The Southern Delaware Street Rod Association was formed in March of 1989 as an affiliate of the National Street Rod Association (NSRA). The club originally began with ten members and now has around 160. The first jamboree was held in June of 1990 with 269 cars registered. Now, the jamboree has grown to around 1,500 registered cars. Monies are donated to various charities in Delaware and club members vote on which organizations benefit.
To find out more where and when other car shows are happening, refer to the Events Section in this magazine or visit www.Auto-Roundup.com.
To order extra copies of this issue, please call 304-884-7799, Ext. 1#.
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