NOPI Goes Where No Show Has Gone BeforeHow many years has it been now that we've told you that the NOPI Nationals is without a doubt one of the best shows on the planet? It's easy to figure out, just look at how many years Super Street has been around. You'll find that the numbers match up exactly. We've been around since October '96. And that's how long we've been telling you to get your butt down to Atlanta for the NOPI show. Well, it seems that most of you have been listening to us. As a result we can say that NOPI is no longer one of the best shows on the planet, it is the best show on the planet.
Every year we bring you the latest news on this year's NOPI show, as well as a few outtakes of what you missed from prior years. This year we have to keep the highlights to a minimum because there is so much going on this year that we don't even have room to fit it all in here. So this is what you do: If you're reading this and you're not already on your way to NOPI Nationals Motorsports Supershow at the Atlanta Motor Speedway September 16-17, you still have time (barely) to change your plans and get yourself to the greatest car show on earth.
OK, maybe we can't go into detail about years past but we can certainly tell you what you can expect from the 2000 NOPI Supershow. We asked the NOPI Boys to put together a quick hit list of some of the things that NOPI show-goers are going to be exposed to this year.
Want To Be On TV?Both ESPN2 and Speedvision will be on hand filming TV shows. Yes, we said both ESPN2 and Speedvision. They'll be walking around looking for cars, spectators, and contestants to put on television. So if you don't think your car is going to make you famous better sign up for the swimsuit competition (ladies only-sorry, Howard).
Did We Mention The Swimsuit Competition?Last year the entire editorial staff lost a bet with East-Coast Freelancer Daren Proctor so he, and he alone, got to cover the swimsuit competition. Trust us when we say that it won't happen again. This year NOPI says that over 40 beautiful women will be competing for more than $5,000. Check the schedule for times and locations. The swimsuit events will probably be the best place to find the Super Street staff during the entire event.
How Many Cars?Do you like cars? Do you like to look at cars to get (steal) ideas for your own car? We do. That's part of the reason we're going to NOPI. This year they're planning to draw more than 5,000 cars from all over the country. OK, it's actually bigger than that. NOPI has cars coming from as far away as Canada and Mexico-so it's safe to say that NOPI crosses all borders.
And Speaking Of CarsWe can't possibly list all the cars that are going to be there (there are more than 5,000 remember, duh!) but we just got word of a few high visibility Super Street cars that will be on hand for you to see up close including, Shaun Carlson's Meguiar's Ford Focus, Stephan Papadakis' 8-second Civic, Craig Paisley's Supra, and the Bergenholtz Racing CRX. Editor Chang is even going to bring out his '87 Probe to show us how to do it right.
Win With Your CarHow? Well, with more than 330 classes for nearly every type of vehicle known to mankind it could be as easy as entering. And remember NOPI is the only show in the country that offers $1,000 in cash for the Best of Show in each of its seven car/truck show divisions. Even Editor Rich and his '87 Probe could win (OK, maybe not).
People WatchingJust in case you're into looking at people more than cars, NOPI expects the enthusiast count to surpass the 50,000 mark. That means that just like the cars-there will be something for everyone to look at...no matter what you're into. If the weather cooperates it could turn into one continuous swimsuit competition, as it has in years past. Yummy.