Ah, the GS Nationals, a time-honored tradition that has gone on without interruption for 30 years and counting. Like the beginning of spring training, the changing of the leaves and the very first day of summer, the GS Nationals represent a yearly pastime that you can almost set your watch by. Unless, of course, you count the 2010 GS Nationals, which, on the event’s 30th Anniversary, almost didn’t happen. Now, it wasn’t for a lack of participation—you know how the Buick boys get—or a slumping economy, it was actually due to a freak flood.
Yes, a flood so epic that it filled Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, KY, with 38-feet of standing water just one week before the GS Nationals was scheduled to begin. If 38-feet of water sounds like a lot, that’s because it is and according to Dallas Jones, owner of Beech Bend, it was the worst flood he had ever seen, with water peaking at 43-feet above ground level. As news of the flood hit the streets, many people thought that Beech Bend would be ruined for years to come and feared that the end of racing in the Bowling Green area was near. To the Buick community, the news sent racers scrambling to change plans and cancel reservations. Would the event be rescheduled? Could Beech Bend even recover?
Of course it could! And, with the crew working diligently, Beech Bend was up and running in a surprisingly short amount of time and the GS Nationals was rescheduled for October 20th to the 23rd. When we arrived, you couldn’t even tell anything had happened in Beech Bend and the racers found the same track surface that they had come to know and love over the years. Enthusiasm was high and everyone in the pits was not only excited to be at the Nationals, but excited that we were celebrating the 30th GS Nationals in Bowling Green, the place where turbo Buick records are set and champions are crowned. As always, we were there to capture the action and to report on all of the winners and record setters. So follow along with us and stay tuned for next year!
There is only one place in...
There is only one place in the world to see Grand National after Grand National run down the track and that’s at the GS Nationals held in Bowling Green, KY, every year.
Even though racing was postponed...
Even though racing was postponed several months due to a flash flood at Beech Bend Raceway, nothing could stop Buick racers, enthusiasts, and fans from joining the action in late October.
Cal Hartline, a staple of...
Cal Hartline, a staple of the turbo Buick community, was, as always, found in the pits working on several of the fastest cars on the premises. Check out the massive intake tube and LSX-style coil-near-plug setup on Don Cruz’s rocket.
A rare glimpse inside the...
A rare glimpse inside the 6-second, twin-turbo Duttweiler/Gallina Racing Turbo Street Outlaw race car.
Enough talk—let’s get rac...
Enough talk—let’s get racing!
Jack Cotton is no stranger...
Jack Cotton is no stranger to GMHTP (“Smashing Pumpkin,” Feb. ’09) nor is he to the GS Nationals. If you’re looking for wild wheelies and 8-second passes, Jack’s your man.
Don Cruz stepped up his engine...
Don Cruz stepped up his engine and drivetrain program this year, switching from the high 8-second/low 9-second TSM class to the much faster TSO division. Unfortunately, engine problems cut his weekend short, although he did make a couple of solid passes early on.
For the purists, Turbo Stock...
For the purists, Turbo Stock Appearing (TSA) is one of the most exciting classes at the Nationals, with ’86-’87 stock appearing cars battling it out for supremacy. How fast can a bone-stock looking Turbo Buick go? Red Armstrong laid down an amazing 11.62 at 121 mph!
Clay Arnold took home the...
Clay Arnold took home the TSA trophy, running an 11.67 at 116 mph in the finals, grabbing the win over Red Armstrong on a blazingly quick reaction time and a quick sprint to the finish.