The Damn Yankees MayDay Nationals made
a welcome return to North Weald Airfield for 2006 and despite
a rather cloudy and chilly start to the day, by mid-morning
the airfield was bathed in warm sunshine, suggesting spring
had finally arrived! The now-familiar layout of the this
event comprised of show'n'shine cars parked on the hard-standing,
trade stalls to the right, fast food vendors, beer tent,
and arena to the left and car clubs located on the grass.
The drag race car display is one of the highlights of the
show for many enthusiasts, but unfortunately due to ever
increasing rules and regulations, the cars remained static
for this day. Arena parade commentary was provided by John
Price and the live Rock'n'Roll band entertained a large
crowd at lunchtime.
Paul Lechmere and family arrived in their
recently restored 1975 Ford Gran Torino in full Starsky
& Hutch guise. The Torino, a former US drag race car,
was purchased via the Internet and is Paul's first American
car, which he plans to keep for a long time. Having been
without the car for the best part of 18-months while it
was being painted and retrimmed, Paul only got the car back
home again recently and is keen to use it for the 2006 show
season, prior to detailing the engine and more work this
winter.
One of the more unusual vehicles on display was Dr Lee Jaschok's
1992 Miller Meteor Cadillac Hearse, complete with an imaginatively
painted casket! Lee runs a company called Freedom Funerals
in Colchester, Essex, with a fleet of three Cadillac hearses.
Caskets can be painted with any design that you want, the
only limit being your imagination. You can even have a picture
of your own car, truck or bike - can't get more cool or
personalised than that!
Colin Breeze drove down from Norfolk
in his mint 1969 Ford Fairlane 500, ostensibly with the
same body as the Torino, which has been the subject of a
1250-hour total restoration, and a true labour of love.
When Keith Kentish isn't attending R-REC or BDC rallies
with his Bentley, he likes nothing better than cruising
to American shows in his fully optioned 1976 Lincoln MkIV.
Keith is a veritable walking encyclopedia of knowledge on
older American cars and has attended countless events in
the US.
Chris York has been a fan of the Mustang for many years
having owned several cars, but he's seriously impressed
with his current 2005 Saleen. He says the car still gives
him the same buzz as his 1968 'Stang, but the performance
and handling is fantastic, giving him the best of both worlds!
By late afternoon many folk were heading for home and another
very successful MayDay Nationals drew to a close.
