Pros Picks

[Bob Johnson]

Well, I guess the only repeat offender this year was Richard Ruiter and his '55 Chevy Convertible. The past couple of years if Bobby Alloway had 3 cars at Indy that won pros picks, usually the same cars would win at Columbus. Its not just Alloway either, a couple of years ago I can think of a car that won a pros pick at Indy, Columbus, and Kansas City. As for the Top 5, thats a whole other thread on its own. I totally agree with the winners. Both of those cars were by far the top street machine and top street rod. However, there were 3 finalist in the SROTY that I couldn't see and 3 finalist in the SMOTY that I couldn't see either. Lets start with the SROTY. Why didn't the Legens Willys pickup make the top 5? How did the Willys roadster make it? I have a hard time accepting that multiple judges listed it in there 5 picks. Same goes for the Black Dearborn Roadster. The silver 32, I can kind of see, but not really. My top 5 would have been the '38 Chevy, Greenings '32 Roadster, Willys Pickup, Meade Bladwin '40 Ford coupe, and the last one is a wild card. There were multiple cars that could have taken that spot. On the SMOTY side, I did not agree with the Oronzio tri five conglomerate. Custom Rod of the Year is the area that car belongs in, not SMOTY. Oh yeah and it should be Custom Rod of the Year 6 years ago when it was originally finished and before someone messed it up with some bad east coast decisions. Then again a very non street machine won it 3 years ago. Now the two silver '55s are definitely nice cars both could have a spot in the five. However both cars had qualified as finalist for Custom Rod of the Year. The convertible at Nashville and the post car at Des Moines. So in my opinion they are both out. If they had not been finalist for that, I would say a big yes to the convertible and the post car. So as for SMOTY the 5 finalist could have been Johnsons Cuda, the Chevelle, Terzich '61 Ford, the Black 60 Vette roadster, and another wild card that could possibly be the 55 Convert since it is such a damn nice car. Thats just my thoughts for what its worth.

I felt the same way on the Willys convt. and the Willys pick-up. I mentioned earlier in a post that I heard their mentality on the 41 Willys Truck was that it was going to probably be a shoe in for early Truck of the Year in Dallas so they didn't put it in the SROY. I agree that it was a marvelous piece but the 38 Chevy blew me away. It just got my eye and held me breathless. All the metal that was moved yet it wound up looking so symetrical and just had the overall look and stance. I just loved it, and I'm not a 38 Chevy kind of guy. I know how it feels to build a piece like the Willys pick up and come close but no cigar. I do think he will win early truck of the year if that's a consolation. The 57 Chevy was just plain butt ass ugly and wasn't at all proportional and the same was true on the Willys convt. I felt like the black Mustang of Bud Butsman/Year-One had proven its mettle by running the PTour long haul (in addition to driving from Atlanta to Orlando and returning from Englishtown to Atlanta). It has been drag raced and driven all over the place w/o any real problems. That's what a street machine is to me. Ridler quality undercarriage/chrome engine compartments etc just should not be the criteria for this pick. I also do not agree with having a car that's a Custom Rod finalist being in the finals for street machine of the year especially when there are deserving cars out there. No question the black 60 Vette should have been in there. I don't want to toot my horn (I will for Alan) but the best 2 cars won.. IMHO
As far as Boyd's Pros picks for Indy and Columbus..Ken Sarbu's 62 Chevy won both places..I think the 32 of Jack Shephard, and one more I think..I think Ron Winter said it best about the winning a pros pick..I think a better word for the 57..not comglomerate but conglomeration..lol