The hobby is slowly dying which really accounts for the change in Nationals numbers over the years as much as anything else. As the old guard passes away, there aren't enough younger folks that are interested or can even afford to pick up the mantle and run with it. Crazy cost of having or restoring one of these is too high as well.

I like my old cars but the modern Hemi cars with their conveniences and horsepower, being equal, are just too hard to pass up. Plus the younger folks can daily drive one of these newer cars. Hemi's have been out for awhile now.

Better get used to the number of new rides at shows. Everyone one ive been to the past year or 2 . modern rides outnumbered the old 2 to 1 easily.


Carlisle doesn't provide a truck or trailer parking area that I know. Vendors have always had to park there rig inside their spaces. I bought 6 and parked trucks in 2 the entire time I sold there

They do. $30 for a 10x40 parking spot. It's at the top of the hill at gate 5.

My first 25 years of the Nationals was spent driving one of my old cars to Indy or the 5 hour one way jaunt to National Trails. Lately it's been my 2011 Challenger. Age gets to you eventually. The last few years, I never pass or run into anyone heading to the track from Northern IN on the highways. That used to be a common occurrence, but no more. The actual numbers have dwindled way more than we realize.

Wow, I knew Art had been sick, but thought he was doing better....thats sad to hear of his passing .

The modern cars arent “ too hard to pass up for me”. I like muscle car era cars. Modern 4400 pound cars don't do much of anything for me.

In addition to all the previous mentioned issues there is the terrible condition of our Interstate highways!
I hit a spot on 270 near the exit to 70 East every year that is so torn up that it feels like major damage
is being done to my ride.
Then I arrive at the track at noon and find the entry gates blocked.
I dont see myself returning to Columbus

I never saw the entry gates blocked.
On Friday I had forgotten to grab the Popeye's fried chicken out of the motel room fridge and I left at noon and drove to the motel and was driving back into the track entrance 15 minutes later.
Yes there were police cars at the gates at the side of the entrance, but they weren't blocking the entrances.
They were also at the intersection of US 40 and Hwy 37 off to the side.
They sat in their cars and were probably there to control traffic if there was a problem.

Even when people were lined up on the entry road (track property) watering down the road trying to get people to do burnouts (some happened) the police never moved.

Was Jegs at the show this past weekend

I heard that Art passed away shortly after Carlisle. I was also told that his wife was originally planning on bringing him to the show, but unfortunately he had declined to the point to where that was not possible.

I don't remember Jegs EVER being at the Mopar Nats.

Not this year. Jegs was there quite a few years ago. I've still got some free hats they were giving out.

"The modern cars arent “ too hard to pass up for me”. I like muscle car era cars. Modern 4400 pound cars don't do much of anything for me."

My feeling as well.

If it wasn't for the modern Mopars these shows would have been done by now, they pay the bills! We came to that conclusion about 10 years ago with our local shows...

It seems to me that it would be hard to judge a row of new or newer cars.

These are Fun Field cars. No judging. The old cars are the ones being judged but not very many of those these days at the Nats. Hence why I would agree that the newer stuff has been carrying this show for a while.

I suspect a lot more of us older generation are going to lose interest in going due to all the newer cars showing up. I for one fall into that group and this Nats was most likely my last one after 29 years. If I want to see the newer cars I can always just run down to the local dealership but I don't have any interest in seeing the newer cars at all. I and my friend that went with me to the Nats were talking about this during the ride home. What I would like to see is, if the number of classic Mopar owner's is on the decline, perhaps the Nats be held at a smaller venue like Norwalk for just the older classic Mopars. The newer generation car owner's could also start their own event as well.

I dont mind the new cars as long as they don't have 30" wheels and that THUMPING music

I think these shows will be relevant for a decade or two. Hell I'm 59 and probably wont get to work on my own car till I'm 70+ (11 years from now). Things will probably taper off slowly as we get older or pass on. I was just talking to someone about how there may be a wave in the future as cars are passed down or people develop an interest "because their dad was into these cars".

A lot of people like to live in the past too.

I love both old and new Mopars.

The newer generation of Challengers is now 13-14 years old so they're not that new anymore.

There's a reason that people buy and drive them to events like the Mopar Nats, you can actually enjoy driving the car on the trip not just trailer it there and drive it as little as possible for fear of hurting the investment value.

Lets face it, most old Mopars are lucky to be driven 1,000 miles a year, I put 1,100+ miles on my 2010 SRT Challenger just going to the Nats.

The problem with both old and new cars is that too many people think that they should look exactly like they came off the assembly line.
I'll walk right past a perfectly restored car (usually over restored) to look at something modified or personalized.
Too many people want it stock for nothing more than investment value.
They never drive their cars at all so they're not actually enjoying them for what they were built for.

I started changing things on my 2010 as soon as I got it to personalize it and plan to keep doing that.

Every old Mopar I past on the way there and back was on a trailer being towed there, It wasn't being driven there.

I've trailered our 69 Dart GTS there before, but its more of a race car since it has 4.30 gears so a 550 mile one way trip would be tough

I've gone to every Mopar Nats since 1984, we'll be there next year too.

If you didn't enjoy yourself at the Mopar Nats, that's all on you and your attitudes about what should be there.

I took pictures of anything I thought was interesting or different, I enjoyed myself.

These are Fun Field cars. No judging. The old cars are the ones being judged but not very many of those these days at the Nats. Hence why I would agree that the newer stuff has been carrying this show for a while. [/qu

They may be in the fun field at the Nats but a some local shows I've been too they are in with the judged cars in a class for late mdl stuff. That's fine with me,I just think it would be hard to judge a class with all new cars or nearly new cars.