On Friday, September 14th a spirited pack of seasoned hot rodders from around the country will gather together as one out on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, go over final checklists then blast east in a thunderous flurry – all one hundred of them whooshing down the highway. Their destination? Indianapolis, Indiana – the Racing Capital of the World, to take in the Goodguys 2nd WIX Filters Speedway Nationals, an event which fills the infield of Indianapolis Motor Speedway with thousands of customized, candy colored classics and hot rods.
Leading the pack will be Andy Brizio and Gary Meadors – two men at the forefront of the hot rodding scene for the last 4 decades. Brizio, 80, is calling the trip, officially named the “Rodfather/Goodguys Road Tour” his last hurrah. Since his first cross-country trip to Peoria, Illinois in 1970 (which he made in his AMBR-winning candy colored ’23 Ford T bucket ), he’s made more than two dozen such trek’s in a variety of rods including his mount for the last 20 years – a flaming purple ’32 Ford hiboy roadster built by his son Roy Brizio. Known worldwide as “The Rodfather,” Brizio has never shied away from his passion for driving show winning rods long distances. “I wanted to prove to people that you could drive these kinds of cars to car shows,” he said reflectively.
Meadors too has an unquenchable thirst for hot rod road trips. The founder and chairman of the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association (www.good-guys.com), he has racked up well over 200,000 miles over the years riding to Goodguys events from coast to coast in hot rodded roadsters, coupes and Cadillac’s. Like Brizio, his cars have never seen a trailer. “You’re not gettin’ the most out of a hot rod if you’re not driving it down the backroads of America” he said with his signature Goodguy grin. He and Brizio have been friends since they met in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1960s and have toured the world promoting hot rods. “Andy is truly the man,” Meadors said. “Guys have always flocked to his events and road trips because since day one he’s been an unquestioned leader in our hobby. His passion for these cars is genuine and everyone knows it.”
The first leg of the Rodfather Goodguys Road Tour starts Friday, September 14thand runs through Thursday, September 20th with a total distance of approximately 1932 miles. It includes festive stops at Kindig-it Design (Salt Lake City), Wyotech (Laramie, WY), Pinkee’s Rod Shop (Loveland, CO), Speedway Motors & Kuck Motorsports (Lincoln, NE), The Dennis Albaugh collection (Ankeny, IA) Heidt’s Hot Rods & Muscle Car Parts (Wauconda, IL), The Roadster Shop (Mundelein, IL), Billet Specialties (La Grange, IL), Rad Rides by Troy (Manteno, IL), Richard Munz collection (Madison, WI) and the Indycar race shop of Dryer & Reinbold (Indianapolis) among others, before ending at the Goodguys 2nd WIX Filters Speedway Nationals.
Daily tour sponsors include WIX Filters, Auto Trader Classics, Grundy Worldwide Insurance, Speedway Motors and Billet Specialties.
Brizio and Meadors will also lead the return trip which blasts off from Indy Sunday, Sept 23rd following the Speedway Nationals and cruises through Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
An event of this magnitude has required months of planning and coordination. The meticulously charted route will take the 100-strong hot rod pack on back roads, interstates and highways through 13 states. Route 2 media (www.route2media.com), who specialize in capturing the beauty of classic American cars on the road, will document every mile of the trip with video footage to be made into a feature film style presentation. The Goodguys Gazette team will also provide extensive coverage of the journey. A daily blog and a satellite “spot tracker” will let fans and enthusiasts throughout the world follow the tour live online.
To find out more, visit www.rodfathertour.com
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