When a small group of hot rodders hung out in a Daytona Beach hotel parking lot on Thanksgiving Day 50 years ago, it’s safe to assume that none of them envisioned today’s four-day automotive spectacle that fills the infield at the Daytona International Speedway.
The modern Turkey Rod Run features a show field packed with several thousand cars and trucks of all shapes and sizes, including a wide range of Chevy and GMC trucks. In addition, the Car Corral includes more than 1,000 vehicles for sale. The swap meet is huge (1,500 or more vendors).Â
Add tens of thousands of spectators to the already crowded space inside the two-and-a-half-mile speedway and you can see why this is one of the largest show/sell/swap events in the eastern half of the country.
While traditional shows include trophies and dash cards with owners’ information, the Turkey Rod Run has none of that. There is so much to see and so many miles to walk that hanging around your truck, hoping to see a judge toting a clipboard, is unnecessary. The event organizers do give away a vehicle every year, and dash plaques and event mugs are distributed.
While this past year’s event offered a special area for trucks to gather, many were scattered around the open show field. Event organizers offer clubs and other groups the option to reserve spaces each year, so many regular attendees park with friends. It’s sort of a mini-reunion within a car show.
Chevy pickups and a smattering of Suburbans and Blazers ranged from survivors and nicely restored originals to wild customs and highly modified trucks, from lifted four-wheel drives to lowered ground huggers. Plenty of LS swaps and upgraded interiors, too.Â
For truck lovers – especially Chevy and GMC trucks – spending a couple of days and several miles walking the speedway infield gets the juices flowing, whether it’s to re-imagine a current build or upgrade a daily driver.
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