By Tommy Lee Byrd – Photography By The Author
When the Triple Crown of Rodding presented by Summit Racing Equipment started in 2023, it was already an event of great prestige. The buildup was incredible, and it lived up to the hype on the very first event. This show is the brainchild of Bobby Alloway, of Alloway’s Hot Rod Shop, and Gary Case, a legendary car show promoter. Together, they assembled a team of folks who could carry out the ideas and turn them into reality. The Triple Crown of Rodding is now in its fourth year, and it gets better every time.
For 2026, more than 200 vendors were on hand, which is a show in itself. The best parts companies in the industry were there, and dozens of builders set up in the vendor area as well. It’s the closest thing you’ll get to the SEMA Show in terms of vendor presence, and, of course, it’s open to the public, unlike SEMA. Beyond the vendors, the show offered great attractions, including a charity auction featuring custom pinstriped items, a celebrity meet-and-greet with an amazing selection of industry heroes, and exhilarating action on the autocross course with the BFGoodrich Share the Ride program. Meanwhile, three nostalgia Top Fuel dragsters provided noise and fumes, with nitromethane flowing through mechanical fuel injectors, for exhibition runs twice daily. The show also featured great giveaways, including a 50/50 drawing, a BluePrint Engines crate engine, and a brand-new Chevrolet truck customized by Alloway’s Hot Rod Shop.
The Triple Crown of Rodding is a two-day event packed with great cars and trucks. The general show area features a wide variety of vehicles, and a special parking area called the Patina Plantation is reserved for cars and trucks with weathered paint. Other parking areas include reserved spaces for touring groups, including Jerry Dixey’s Road Tourians and the Vintage Air Road Tour.
Although there are plenty of cool things to see and do at the Triple Crown of Rodding, Friday’s judging area focuses heavily on high-end hot rods and customs. Pit road at the Nashville Superspeedway fills with hundreds of high-end builds, ranging from traditional hot rods to muscle cars and everything in between. From the huge crowd of vehicles, the field narrows to the Top 30, then the Elite 10 (both awards sponsored by CPP), and finally the top six vehicles (truck awards sponsored by LMC and car awards by ARP) chosen for the Triple Crown awards. These include Best Street Rod, Best Street Machine, Best Street Cruiser, and three Best Truck awards, depending on the year. Some great Chevys were in the mix throughout the Top 30, including the Ridler-winning 1956 Chevy of Rex Satterfield, a fresh 1956 Nomad by Mike Goldman Customs, and a widebody 1968 Corvette built by B-Rod Or Custom, among others. Chevy trucks were well represented in the three Triple Crown Best Truck awards.
Once again, the quality of the cars was elevated by several new build debuts and dozens of cars that had already racked up serious awards during the 2026 car show season. The America’s Most Beautiful Roadster, the Slonaker winner, and many Goodguys winners were present, and seeing all these vehicles together in one place is something photos don’t do justice. You have to see it in person to soak in the magnitude of this event. The good news is you have another chance to see it. September 10-11, 2027, will be the 5th annual Triple Crown of Rodding at Nashville Superspeedway. Pre-registration is open, and you’ll find plenty of information at triplecrownofrodding.com if you’re interested in joining the fun.
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