Silver And Black Attack - 2005 Buick GS Nationals

The original Grand National was still on the drawing board when a group of Buick aficionados banded together to have the very first GS Nationals. To put that timeframe in perspective, you could walk into dealerships and buy a Pinto or a Pacer new, a magazine called High-Tech Performance wouldn't hit newsstands for another 15 years--and I was three years old.

One can only imagine the excitement that these Buford lovers felt at the inaugural event: bad-boy GS and GSX Buicks as far as the eye could see, torque flowing like water, and the beginnings of a close-knit community that survives to this day.

Twenty-five years on, the Grand Sports are the old guard--new blood came in the mid-'80s in the form of turbo V-6 Buicks, and recent years brought a supercharged front-drive version of Buick's bad six-banger. The enthusiasm still burns bright, and every May in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the Tri-Shield faithful still congregate at Beech Bend to celebrate everything Buick. That, friends, is called tradition.

Everyone was excited about 2005 and the milestone it brought. You felt it everywhere in tiny Bowling Green: from May 17 through the 21st, the hotels were sold out, the restaurants were packed, and scruffy guys pulling trailers had a mischievous twinkles in their eyes. There were more cars at the track on Wednesday than previous years had seen toward the end of the event, and the silver anniversary brought out some of the nicest and rarest Buicks that this author had ever seen. Killer color combos, immaculate restorations, and a row of pristine GNXs was more than enough to get the blood boiling.

The staging lanes were great indicators of just how successful the 25th was. The hard-core racers, show participants, and vendors show up every year. But people traveled big distances for time shots in '05, and it didn't matter how stock or modded they were, the lanes and pits were flooded with turbo Buicks. The professional staff at Beech Bend kept the cars moving and the track sticking all week, despite the massive car count. The left Budweiser lane seemed particularly grabby, at one point breaking two turbo Buicks in a row.There was a strong vendor showing at the Nats, and these folks put in long hours and dealt with torrential rains to service the Buford faithful. Speaking of weather, the temperatures were in the 70s and lower 80s all week. That rain made its mandatory appearance on Thursday and Friday, soaking the track and its visitors with over an inch of the wet stuff. Luckily, Saturday turned out to be cool and dry.

Along with the excitement of a 25th event, there were shakeups among the racer hierarchy that made for an interesting week. The big-dog TSO group was well represented, and early in the week, spectators were treated to scathing quarter-mile shots as racers turned the boost loose. Huge wheelstands, like Jack Cotton's twisted Pumpkin launch, were common and left tongues hanging in anticipation for the weekend's action. But Jack's T had engine troubles, as did Cal Hartline's GN. Dave Fiscus was ready to rumble as well, but he also was unable to overcome mechanical problems. And putting those heavy hitters on the trailer early meant that the door was left wide open in TSO.

TSM is always a favorite at the Nationals--the reasonable rule structure, which excludes pricey Stage II blocks and limits turbos to 70mm, means that the cost to race isn't prohibitive. That entices a lot of participants and really gets the crowd going. But running TSM and winning TSM are two very different things. For three years in a row, Jason Cramer's GN dominated this class. But times are changing. High 9s used to dominate, but with guys like Dave Bamford wielding new combos and quicker times, many will have to go back to the drawing board if they hope to be competitive in '06.

TSS is always a tough one if Red Armstrong shows up, which he did. Whether at the racetrack or in the middle of a food fight at a local eatery, Red is a big target. And he was doubly dangerous this year because, in addition to wife Jane's TSS-stomping T, he brought down a GN to compete in TSE too.Bottom line--the Nats were electric this year. The crowds keep getting bigger and the cars keep getting faster. Add in a completely hospitable group of people that look out for each other and welcome newcomers with open arms, and it makes for a great event. For 2006, the festivities are planned for May 16-20. Head down to Kentucky, Buick lovers, you'll be glad you did.