CARLISLE, PA – We’ve already highlighted some of our favorite Mustangs, classic Fords and even Ford Broncos that were among the more than 3,200 vehicles in attendance at this year’s 30th anniversary of the Carlisle Ford Nationals show. But as any Blue Oval fan who has ever been to this annual Ford festival can tell you, there’s so much more about the Carlisle Ford Nationals than the vehicles themselves. You could have been so consumed with seeing so many Fords as far as the eye can see or distracted by the torrential rainstorm that soaked everyone on show day that you may have overlooked some of the unique activities and happenings that took place there. So let’s see what you might have missed:
One of the main attractions for all ages of enthusiasts takes place at Carlisle’s autocross track, where a number of different activities are held throughout the weekend. You could buy a ticket to go for a ride on the Virginia Giant, a mid-90’s F-Series pickup-bodied Monster Truck. No, this Monster truck wasn’t crushing any Ford cars but we can’t confirm or deny that there may have been Chevys and Dodges getting pulverized underneath those massive tires. Of course, on the actual autocross track we saw lots of autocross “shuttle runs” hosted by the guys at Gateway Classic Mustang. You could catch a ride for a shuttle run in a modified GT350, Mach 1, or heavily modified Mustang GT. In between the autocross runs there were fan participation activities such as the rolling burnout competition and the exhaust competition. What made those fun was that all the cheering fans there watching decided the winners.
There is one showcase attraction on the track that really draws the most attention – and that’s the professional drifting demonstrations held by RTR. This year Formula Drift driver Ben Hobson was on-site doing what he does best, throwing that high-powered Ford Mustang RTR sideways and shredding the screaming tires – much to the delight of onlookers. Paired up with Ben was Rhys Conklin, a 16-year-old semi-pro drifter and developmental driver for the RTR team who was demonstrating Vaughn Gitten Jr.'s RTR Spec 3 car and the performance capability of that Mustang for potential owners.
If you find enough energy after walking through the massive show field viewing endless rows of Ford cars and trucks, there is a whole other world just on the other side of the grandstands, just past the food court and Car Corral. I’m talking about the Carlisle Swap Meet vendor area. Hundreds of auto parts and accessories can be found at any number of the vendor displays and tents in the swap meet area. And the whole family can enjoy seeing what is offered in this section of the fairgrounds, because it’s not just car parts or vehicles for sale back here. Rather, there’s every sort of collectible item, memorabilia and knick-knacks up for grabs, ranging from hot wheels, model cars, metal signs, detailing supplies, towing straps, even handmade art from used Ford auto parts!
Better than shopping for Ford superfans were all the opportunities to meet multiple celebrities in the Ford world during special seminars and events. There were current Ford chief engineers from the Mustang, Bronco and Raptor programs to the Mustang brand manager, Ford designers and even internet personalities and influencers alike. This year's special celebrity that drew big crowds was none other than retired Ford SVT Chief Engineer John Colletti. The line to meet John was almost an hour long, as John has not appeared at many Ford events for a long while.
Like there are every year, there were nameplate anniversaries being held at Carlile, including 70 years of the iconic Ford Thunderbird. This year they also celebrated 20 years of Mercury Motorsport Capris with a record amount being in one place at the same show. Bigger still was 60 years of the Shelby GT350, which drew all sorts of different examples through the years and the many proud owners to go along with them. For motorsports fans, the biggest celebration for this year was the 20-year anniversary of the modern Ford GT, hosted by “GT Joey” Limongelli with big names from the program over the years, from Camilo Pardo to Lee Holman. Th Ford GT was not only a Ford centennial masterpiece but became a living legend in the automotive world as one of the most sought-after collector cars of all time.
There’s no way you can overlook the numerous clubs that participate at the Ford Nationals with a group tent. The clubs themselves are a huge staple here and a big reason why the Ford Nats are so successful. What makes Ford more special than any other brand is the underlying camaraderie among the vehicle clubs from around the world. That’s why every year, Ford’s enthusiast communications manager John Clor is on-site for a series of club tent visits and rolling fan interaction – anther thing that makes Ford Motor Company so cool. Speaking of cool, one of John’s roles is to help pick the Coolest Club Hangout award, and once again for this year, it was the Venom Invasion crew taking home first-place with their prison-themed club tent and matching apparel. The reborn Red Mustang Registry and the Berks County Mustang Car Club took Honorable Mentions.
Through the hustle and bustle of the main pedestrian walks, you could check out all the special display tents and buildings or visit the main hospitality tent for various seminars, guest speakers and mixers. One meet & greet hosted each year by Ford Performance is by Clor to explain the benefits of the Club Connect and Special Vehicle Registry programs for Ford enthusiasts. John returned to the big tent on show day this year, along with MOCSEM president Mike Rey where they co-hosted an episode of their popular Mustang Owner’s Podcast in front of a live audience with a town hall-style “ask us anything” recording session. This was just the kind of fan interaction that Carlisle is famous for – and proved to be quite entertaining in a very packed tent! The top-rated Mustang Owner’s Podcast is making waves on Spotify and YouTube, and it was fun to have listeners and new faces alike ask some interesting Ford questions to these well-known hosts. If you missed this one, we can only hope they do it again next year.
We’ve given you lots of coverage from the 2025 Carlisle Ford Nationals, and we do it each and every year for good reason. It’s truly a bucket-list event! Our thanks to Carlisle’s Ford event manager Ken Appell and all of the hard-working Carlisle Events staff who run a well-organized and enjoyable show each year. Without the continued support of all of the Ford owners and enthusiasts who make the trip to Carlilse every summer, the annual Ford Nats wouldn’t keep topping attendance records as it continues to grow and improve. Now the countdown begins until we see you on the first full weekend in June next year for the 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals. Don’t miss it!
FORD PEFORMANCE PHOTOS / COURTESY JOE DELADVITCH
