2002 GTOAA Eastern Regionals

HPP is always pumped up for the big summer shows, but sometimes it's at the small ones where we have the most fun. Since we started attending the East Coast GTOAA regional meet, we've found it to be a laid-back affair without the crammed schedules of the larger events. Held each year at the Four Points Hotel in Mt. Arlington, New Jersey, and nearby Island Raceway in Great Meadows, this show encompasses three days of partying, showing, and racing.

A host of local and area clubs help put it on annually--along with the Garden State GTO's, the GTO Association of Maine, the GTO Club of Delaware, the Hudson Valley GTO Club, the Royal GTO's of Maryland, the GTO Association of Pennsylvania, the Electric City GTO's, the Pioneer Valley GTO Association, the Delaware Valley Old Goat Club, the Susquehanna Valley GTO Tigers, and Jim Salerno Pontiac/GMC all pitch in to get this event off the ground.

Registration began on Friday, August 23 at the hotel; the threat of rain for the entire weekend was very real, and it looked as if a soggy show area was in the cards. Sure enough, as Saturday morning dawned, the skies welcomed 95 GTOs with a mist/rain mix that undid the best-laid plains of the instant detail sprays and California Car Dusters. It looked as if the moisture was in it for the long haul, but the participants and the spectators were, too.

As the latecomers hurriedly got signed up for the Regionals, the Concours participants began pulling under the hotel's entry annex to be judged. And one by one, show participants materialized out of the mist to take their places among a rapidly growing group of Pontiacs in the parking area. Morning turned to afternoon, music blared and food was served, and moisture be damned, nearly 200 spectators turned out for the party.

Without the cloudbursts, the weather would have been fine on that 71-degree Saturday; even so, there was more than enough to keep Pontiac fans entertained. Aside from the gorgeous labors of love parked side by side, there were many works in progress that gave old pros and inexperienced newcomers a look into how complex a restoration really is. And several race-only Ponchos, no doubt ready for Sunday's drag strip bash, were displayed in all of their rubber-burning glory. Vendors also braved the elements on Saturday, and each company's exhibit held a sizable collection of parts and vehicles.

The popular vote continued until late afternoon, when the Indians were parked for good and the celebration started. Drinks, food, and awards were passed around, and as the sensible folk got some shut-eye for the Sunday race, fools young and old reveled in the night.

On Sunday, the good news was that the weather had moved out over the Atlantic, and it looked as if racing at Island Dragway in Great Meadows was on. The bad news for Pontiac Power Sunday was that the heat and humidity was out in force: the mercury eventually topped out at a sticky 86 degrees at Island. A caravan that had formed in the early hours at the Four Points hotel arrived and dispersed, and every Pontiac owner had a war face on. Time trials began at 10 a.m. sharp and we were psyched to see tons of bad mamba-jambas wearing Pontiac emblems-gruff 421 SDs, classic Tri-Power Goats, and new tach-zinging LS1s alike. All in all, over 120 Pontiacs battled on this historic quarter-mile strip on Sunday. A walk through the pits rewarded us with the diversity only found in the Poncho hobby: frame-off restos with drag tires sat side-by-side with shining examples of G-body Grand Prixs. And whether it was a 15-second stocker or a 9-second monster, rest assured that its owner was having an awesome time--and breaking a few parts in the process.

Eliminations started around 2 p.m. and race goers were treated to the old-school drag racing of yore. Once the winners of each class came out on top, the headers stopped breathing and the old drag strip by Route 46 was quiet. We would have provided more race details, but the results were not available from the track at press time.

The East Coast Regionals is a great way to spend a weekend immersed in the Pontiac hobby, and these folks are busy planning another late summer bash. 2003's get-together is slated for Friday, August 22 through Sunday, August 24-and this year, the Hanover Marriott located at 1401 Rt. 10 East in Whippany will be Pontiac Central. And, of course, Sunday will again be the race day at Island Dragway. No East Coast Pontiac fan should miss this wingding, and you can contact Harold Murray at 201-405-1158 or Charlie Miller at 973-895-2226 for the lowdown. See you in August.