STREET, Md. – It’s rewarding to share my experiences at enthusiast events with you here on FordPerformance.com, but my 25th car show in my 2011 Mustang V6 was hot, hot, hot! It was the 4-H Camp Summer Field of Dreams Car Show, held on Sunday, June 23, 2024, in Street, Maryland. This town is located in Harford County, northeast of our Baltimore Beltway. The drive was a 44-mile run with about half of the trip cruising on rolling country roads to get to the site -- and great fun to drive!
I went to this event last November and knew no one. It was their first show, but it worked out well, and I looked forward to going again. This event was open to all vehicles, and there were 67 trophies available, of which there was a “Top 50” and various "Best Of" categories. The organizers expected 500 cars and trucks to appear this year, but that seemed optimistic!
The best part of this show was that they were using a points system for judging again this year, which I greatly prefer, and they were also looking at our trunks, which is rare anymore. The forecast from a week out had called for temps in the high '90's by the day of the event, but the site was located on a huge, grassy field in the country, and in the center was the Harford County 4-H Camp building that was air-conditioned, and where a craft show was also scheduled for the same day. The good news was that we could go inside to cool off, if needed, as there was little shade nearby. Last year the organizers did an excellent job while using many judges to evaluate a great number of visiting cars and trucks.
As we arrived at the Saturday before this event, the forecast eased slightly, with a projected high of 92 with mostly cloudy skies and winds near 15 mph. This was not, however, the hottest show I ever attended. That dubious honor went to the Fair City Mall show conducted on a Sunday in Fairfax, Virginia, during the summer in the mid-1980's. That event was held on a macadam parking lot with absolutely no shade. There was a fast-food restaurant nearby where we could run in to get something to drink, but for the rest of the time we were out in the hot sun! There, the temperature hit 100 degrees by 10 a.m. This was one of the earliest shows I attended where the club tracked our scores on a computer, and -- you guessed it – it crashed. This delayed the final results and trophy time, causing more exposure to the high heat. This was also the only time I ever called in to work on a Monday in those days and pulled a vacation day to recover.
For this Field of Dreams show, I arrived at the 4-H site by 8:45 a.m. I could tell that the forecasted high temps would reduce the turnout as I was parked closer to the back of the field than last year. Much to my surprise, my friend John and his '66 Mustang was already parked across from me. I did not know he planned to go. I then gave my Mustang a complete once-over as I knew the heat would affect me sooner rather than later. With this being a judged show where my judge may look at anything, everything now needed attention.
It is amazing how much dust collects on a garaged car after sitting for only one week, and how streaky looking the glass gets! About an hour later I had my car set up and cleaned up the way I wanted. Then it was time to figure out how to deal with the heat. I found that I was good for only 20-30 minutes sitting with my Mustang in the sun with an open umbrella before I needed to walk inside the air-conditioned building for a few minutes to cool down. I could then go back out on the field again. I wanted to be with my car when my judge inspected it in case there were questions.
A few hours later, the judges started walking around the cars, trucks and motorcycles on display. When we had registered earlier, we were given our blank score sheets right away. It showed exactly what each judge would look at. The emphasis was on the exterior, engine and interior. There were 12 categories within those three major areas, and each sub-category was worth five points, for 60 in total. There was also a note to the judges telling them words to the effect that if the hood or trunk was not open, then the score was "zero," so they were serious about looking at those areas. When I first pulled onto the lot, a green Datsun 240Z was parked next to me, but he left his hood and rear hatch closed all day. I never saw that owner again until the show was over. I did not see how he could win under those circumstances.
When my judge came, he never looked my way or made any comments. He reviewed several areas for a few minutes, and then went on to the older red Plymouth parked beside me. After the judging was completed and the 50/50 winner was announced, the club first called the winners of their Top 50. The only person I knew was John with his '66 Mustang, and he was called early.
What I noticed was that the organizers were calling out quite a few late-model Mustangs and Camaros in their Top 50, which was a good sign. I was counting the winners, and when they got into the high-30's out of 50, I was very fortunate to be called. After that, there were the 17 other "Best Of" trophies. I later asked how many entrants there were on this day. Bear in mind that last November there were over 300, but this time with the heat, today's total only reached 123.
Soon after I walked back to my Mustang. By then there were cloudy skies forming with a threat of late afternoon storms, so it was time to pack up for my one-hour ride home. Despite having to brave the heat, it turned out to be another great day showing the Mustang!
FORD PERFORMANCE PHOTOS / COURTESY RICK MITCHELL
