Labor Day weekend may signal the unofficial end of summer, but around the Hemmings headquarters in Bennington, Vermont, the holiday also marks the second Musclepalooza event of the year. Held on Sunday, September 4 at Lebanon Valley Dragway in West Lebanon, New York, Musclepalooza XXIV turned out to be yet another spectacular celebration of American-themed speed.
Old school: a Henry J gasser takes on a Nova.
License plate reverse psychology: this Mustang sported drag radials and a blower beneath the hood.
Under cloudless blue skies, nearly 450 show cars and over 300 race cars took to the field and to the track. From contemporary muscle to old school classics, there was something for everyone to appreciate, photograph and swap stories over. Action on track included everything from street cars to purpose-built dragsters, and Ray Stanton’s orange-with-purple-flames Studebaker once again drew cheers from the crowd, as did a Henry J gasser. The F.A.S.T. (Factory Appearing Stock Tire) crowd lived up to its reputation, but high temps saw ETs in the 11 instead of the 10s.
This Camaro Z28 sported 39,000 miles and was fresh from 41 years in storage.
Our pick for Best in Show was the 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 RS owned by Ronald Casadei of Edison, New Jersey, restored to day one status. Look for more on Ron’s Camaro in the coming days, but in the meantime, enjoy these shots from Sunday’s show.
