Grand National Roadster Show ’26

Feb. 2026 • By Nestor Cabrera, Larry Erickson, Tony Thacker, & Alan Zusman  
Presented by FirstUpApparel.com & MicksPaint.com  

Sixties-style Deuce Roadster ‘Blue Ribbon’ was built by Squeeg’s Kustoms for owner Nicole Baird of Phoenix, Arizona. Stack-injected Buick went on to win the prestigious AMBR Award.

Folks descended on Pomona, California from all over the U.S., and indeed, the world, for the 76th Grand National Roadster Show (GNRS) that has developed into a week-long party of open houses at shops such as the Kennedy Boys, Veazie Bros., Marcel’s, Stoker’s, and the legendary SO-CAL Speed Shop. Couple that to all the other So-Cal attractions with the weather and you have a reason to be cheerful.

Sponsored by O’Reilly Auto Parts, the GNRS features some 600 cars in the indoor displays and as many as 900 outside and the level of build is just astounding particularly in the two top tiers: the Al Slonaker Memorial Award for non-roadsters and the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster Award both sponsored by ARP Racing Products. The AMBR went to Nicole Baird and her Deuce Roadster while the Slonaker went to Dennis Troggio’s ’55 Ghia—both well-deserved.

Sadly, this year’s event was marred by the passing of renowned Brit rod builder Jay Dean who suffered a heart attack at the show. Jay, a prolific builder and hot rod racer will be missed in the SO-CAL scene. A couple of days later and we lost Ed ‘Isky’ Iskendarian—another huge loss to the industry. Race in Peace you guys.

AMBR

There were nine entries for the 2026 America’s Most Beautiful Roadster Award sponsored by ARP Racing Products.

Deuce Roadster ‘Blue Ribbon’ was built by Squeeg’s Kustoms for owner Nicole Baird of Phoenix, Arizona.

’37 convertible ‘Kapone’ owned by Cory Kozlowski of Port Albernie, BC, Canada, and built by JF Kustoms.

The ‘Kensa Special’ was built by Big Creek Restoration of Ellis, Kansas for John and Jennifer Fairleigh.

Late-40s survivor was rebuilt for 2026 by Clayton’s Hot Rods for Shawna and David Pillado and won the H&H Flatheads’ Best Dressed Flathead Award.

After immigrating from Czechoslovakia, Stanley and Daisy Chavik displayed their latest blown Ardun Roadster for the AMBR class.

Dave and Rebecca Gonzales’ ‘Davester’ a ’35 hiboy built by Roger Burman of Lakeside Rods and Rides .

‘Payton Phaeton’ is owned by Brandie Laird using the Chip Foose-designed phantom phaeton body built by Brookville Roadster .

‘Samsonized’ Deuce Roadster built by Gray’s Garage of Sanford, Michigan for Todd & Marie Samson.

Beth Meyers' ’34 Roadster ‘Inspired’ was inspired by Jack Morgan’s April 1951 Hot Rod Magazine cover car.

THE FUTURE

Two of the displays in 2026 featured future AMBR entries. The first was Dave Martin’s tube framed, blown Offy-powered ‘Martin Indy Special’ being built by Steve Watt’s Maxwell Industries. The second display was a more radical aluminum, space-frame roadster, likewise Off powered, being built by Troy Ladd’s Hollywood Hot Rods for Bruce Wanta.

SLONAKER

There were twelve entries for the 2026 Al Slonaker Memorial Award sponsored by ARP Racing Products. Each year, the standard of builds continues to rise as evidenced by Dennis Troggio’s Slonaker-winning ’55 Ghia.

’57 convertible ‘Debonair Bel Air’ was built by Troy Ladd’s Hollywood Hot Rods with body and paint by Mick’s Paint for George and Carol Keyes.

Stunning ‘Simply Red’ is owned by Lester Troup Jr., from Madisonville, Tennessee.

Peter Andressen's 1958 Corvette ‘Hard Cor’ built by Fast Eddies Race Cars of Hayden, Idaho.

’33 Bonneville’ coupe was designed and built by Hank Funk Design Studio BC .

The crew of Matt Jewell’s 1970 Chevelle Slonaker entry came in to give it a spruce up .

502 BB-powered 1956 Chevy 210 was created by Zrodz & Customs of Knox, Indiana.

Danny Dingillo of Dingo Kustoms built this ‘Corvette Coupe,’ originally a 1941 Chevy Deluxe Coupe.

’34 Chevy two-door Master sedan ‘Poison Ivy’ is owned by Bob and Bitzi Seitsinger of Bloomfield, New Mexico.

Dennis Troggio’s ’55 Ghia Slonaker winner was beyond beyond in terms of attention to detail.

Owned by Dennis Mayfield of Georgetown, Texas, this pickup is powered by a stack-injected 427 SOHC motor.

Revision Rods & Rides displayed their Eric Brockmeyer-designed ‘Roidrunner’.

Bullet-nose 1951 Studebaker Champion owned by Marv Struiksma of Riverside, California.

ELSEWHERE INSIDE

SUEDE PALACE

OUTSIDE

There are typically around 900 vehicles of all shapes and sizes in the outside areas surrounding the main display buildings and—everything from cackling AA/Fuel Dragsters to customs, lowrider and trucks. It’s always worth the time to take a walk and see something unexpected.

SO-CAL SPEED SHOP DRIVE-IN

Every year, the SO-CAL Speed Shop organizes a drive-in of customer’s and friend’s cars that park outside Building 4. We arrived too late to see the full show but what was left provided an inspiring display of traditional-style hot rods.

For more info about the show visit: https://rodshows.com

For more info about ARP Racing Products visit: https://arp-bolts.com

For more info about Mick’s Paint vist: https://www.mickspaintinc.com

For more info about First Up visit: https://firstupapparel.com

Mick’s Paint of Pomona, CA had more than a dozen vehicles in the show including this stunning 1964 Maserati 3500 GTI owned by Bruce Wanta. Bruce won the AMBR in 2017 with the ‘Mulholland Speedster’ Packard shown in the background—built by Troy Ladd’s Hollywood Hot Rods with body and paint by Mick’s Paint.