2021 Special Western National Meet Nov 12-13, 2021
By Denny Oestreich
In August 2021 it was time for some travel adventure when I noticed that AACA had planned a Special National Judged Show in Phoenix, AZ November 12-13, 20211. I have family and friends who live in Phoenix, so I decided to sign up to judge at the show and combine the trip with visiting. I wondered what type cars I would see at a show out West. I signed up to judge Tri-5 (55-57) Chevrolets and maybe some other Chevrolets. I took the Apprentice Judging class in 2019 and Judged interiors for foreign sports car class at Concord this spring. I have also taken may judging classes and several Continuing Judges Education classes. I am gaining judging experience and credits.
I wondered if there would be anyone else from North Carolina at the Phoenix event. Leaving from Raleigh I met Mike Peterson in the waiting room at the RDU Airport who was on the same flight. Mike is an AACA Special Awards Committee Member. Then at the event I recognized Steve Eason’s 1957 Corvette in the hotel parking lot. Steve is from Sanford and attends many of the AACA events and enjoys driving to them, even at great distances. There are updates on Steve’s 5000 mile adventure on the NC Region Website at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/354295168008068/. Other North Carolinians at the Phoenix event were Eric Marsh, National Awards Committee Member who drove his 1993 Ford Ranger from China Grove, NC. I also met David Bowman of the Hornets Nest Region, Chair of the HPOF Committee. With five members from North Carolina, we had a good representation. I took a picture of Steve Eason’s Corvette and did not realize until later the 1993 Ford Pick-up parked next to Steve belonged to Rick Marsh.
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The host hotel for the event was the Hilton Garden Inn in Tempe, AZ. They provided rooms for many of the AACA guests, and their parking lot was also the show field. The show vehicles were parked interspersed with the Hotel Guest vehicles. This was a bit confusing.
Typical of the of AACA judged events the first day (Friday) activities included Registration of Show vehicles, a Judging School taught by Dain King, and a round table discussion. Round table topics included how to get more youth participation, requests for tours to be separated by a week or two and not back to back, and what to do with modified cars that want to participate.
Judging activities were on the second day. There was no traditional Judges breakfast because catering was not allowed at the Hotel and Covid restrictions. The first activity on the agenda for the judges meeting was Judging Point recognition. As a surprise I was awarded a plaque and pin for having 10 judging credits. The five person judging teams were then assigned. There were no 55-57 Class 33 Chevrolets, so I was assigned to a team judging 9 miscellaneous vehicles. There were only 55 vehicles with a wide variety of classes entered in the show.
Next, our judging team scouted the Show field and identified the vehicles our team was to judge. The first vehicle was a 1970 Dodge Challenger going for a Repeat Preservation. Other vehicles we judged were an early production 1954 Corvette, a 1975 Chevrolet Impala Convertible, a 1960 Checker, a 1989 Mercedes, a 1956 Thunderbird, a 1965 Corvette, a 1960 Rolls Royce, and a 1954 Buick Skylark. What a variety. It took about 2 hours to judge the 9 vehicles we were assigned. The team worked well together, and the judging was enjoyable. The owners were anxious to help you with anything you questioned or looked at too long.