Muscle cars were built for performance. Even today, they're still forces to be reckoned with, at least in terms of straight-line speed, and, while static shows are lots of fun, muscle cars just don't look right being polished and sitting in a field all day. That's where the Mopar Euronationals comes in - it's where you go to use your muscle car the way it's supposed to be used, no matter how much the Kelley Blue Book says it's worth.

So, at the tail-end of July, and the tail-end of that heatwave, the horsepower average in Northamptonshire shot sky-high as hot American machines came from far and wide to Santa Pod. This year, the Euronats organisers had managed to get the strip open for business on the Friday, which was quite an achievement and gave everybody as much track-time as they could want. Plenty were taking advantage of the extra hours on the strip, and when the track closed at 7pm, most people bolted the treads and pipes back on and headed out to The Priory.

No, not that Priory … this is the pub where everybody heads for a quiet drink and maybe a bite to eat. And maybe the odd monster burnout. It seems to be traditional to leave the pub in as big a cloud of tyre-smoke as you can possibly muster. Stars of the evening for those sat on the banking were a couple of lads doing wheelies on step-through scooters, Phil Caswell in the High Tension Pontiac on open headers, and a pair of black Chargers burning out towards each other! The police obligingly turned up after most people had headed back to the site.

Saturday was a long day on the track. With a brisk headwind, few people would be setting any personal bests, but everybody was trying anyway, and the pairing lanes were full all day long. Everything from a 19-second Chevy Dayvan to Chris Orthodoxou's new Hemi-powered seven-second Viper was coming out to play. The day was only marred by one gent in a '67 Camaro having a high-speed altercation with the Armco at the top end, but the paramedics were promptly on the scene and he was later given a clean bill of health. Which is more than can be said for the Camaro - bad luck, mate.

Racing went on right up until 9pm, with all the King Of Street classes, plus the Nostalgia and Classic American-sponsored Stock-Appearing classes all putting in a terrific showing for an appreciative crowd. After that, most people headed to the beer tent where Mr Orthodoxou had changed from his fireproof overalls and was fronting, as always, the ever-entertaining Executive Relief for the headbangers. Later that night, the rain came down - how very obliging of it to wait until racing had finished, and stop in plenty of time for the next day's racing!

Sunday came, again with a headwind, and the venue filled up to bursting point. While the action on the strip was hot and heavy as always, the show'n'shine corral was home to some unbelievable machinery. The early Seventies Chargers and Satellites seem to be coming into the limelight now as the prices of their predecessors go ever further skywards, while the star of the show for many was a jaw-dropping 1973 'Cuda in metallic silver with a black vinyl roof. Amazing. There was even a couple of fresh early Sixties Darts, whose outlandish styling has ensured that they're almost entirely forgotten, even by Mopar aficionados. Not for much longer, I'll bet.
The Sunday lunchtime burnout competition was a riot as usual, with a superb silver Satellite narrowly beating early favourite Phil Caswell to the champion's title, after which it was back to racing full-speed. Strangely, by 5pm when the track closed, the pairing lanes were empty. But still, with the prizewinners collecting their trophies on the startline and then lining their cars up along the strip facing the setting sun, everyone seemed to go home very happy with yet another superb weekend at the Mopar Euronationals. The organisers all deserve credit for this event - it's a simple formula that they manage to keep fresh and popular year after year. If you've never been, get yourself there next year. You don't need a Mopar to take part, just a Mopar kinda attitude!Rybec/FJ CotY

At the eighth and final heat of our Car of the Year competition 2006, the last trophy went to Jeremy and Julie Taylor from Nottingham. In a sea of bright and brilliant muscle cars, you may have slightly overlooked their 1977 Chrysler Cordoba, but you missed something really special. Fifteen thousand miles from new, and with the Taylors being just the third owners, this is a timewarp car - an expression used too often, but to good effect here. It's a very late '77 model, and note the factory T-tops. Better still, get yourself to the NEC in October and check it out in the flesh - you won't believe it.

Prizewinners:
Best in Show, Graham Bloomfield, 1973 Plymouth Cuda
Runner-up, Jim Chandler, 1970 Plymouth GTX
Most Original Mopar, Jeremy Taylor, 1977 Chrysler Cordoba
Winged Warrior Trophy, Paul Harborne, 1970 Dodge Daytona
Participants' Choice, Stuart Keen, 1968 Dodge Super Bee
Landlord's Choice, Alan Rush, 1968 Dodge Charger R/T
Long Distance Award, Bruno Laforet, France
Hall of Fame inductee, Duncan 'Cannonball' Watts
Best Euro Mopar, French Connection Landy 1968 Plymouth Barracuda
Ace Café Best Restified Mopar, Phill Prior, 1969 General Lee Charger
Special Award, Martin Bennett, Fast Talk
Ultimate Euro Mopar, Chris Orthodoxou, Viper
Sinton Tyres' Burnout Contest Winner, Scott Carter, 1970 Plymouth Satellite
MMA Award, Jim Wilson, 1970 Dodge Challenger Convertible
Fastest TV Car Challenge, Phill Prior, 1969 General Lee Charger
PowerPoint Ronnie Sox Nostalgia Challenge, Mojo

Top 10:
Alex Doig, 1969 Plymouth Road Runner
Rob Kerr, 1970 Mercury Cougar Eliminator
Phil Waters, 1969 Chrysler New Yorker
Gary Sempar, 1969 Pontiac Firebird
Dave Long, 1972 Imperial
Sean Brown, 1968 Dodge Charger
Alan Carrington, 1968 Plymouth GTX Convertible
Julian Secker, 1968 Buick Skylark GS
John Muspratt, 1965 Dodge Dart
1969 Dodge Dart GTS TCF612G

Fastest Mopar
Ian Bishop, Dodge Avenger, 7.27 seconds

King Of Street
Dave Billadeau, 1970 Plymouth GTX, 10.35 seconds

Original King Of Street
Paul Fleckney, 1964 Plymouth Fury, 11.69 seconds

Unlimited King Of Street
Jerry Smith, 1968 Plymouth Road Runner, 9.25 seconds

Classic American Stock-Appearing
Ashley Rawlson, 1968 Plymouth GTX, 13.65 seconds