MEGUIAR’S MAIN STREET CAR SHOW
IF THERE’S ONE EVENT THAT EXEMPLIFIES JUST HOW BIG REPCO BEACH HOP 18 WAS, THE MEGUIAR’S MAIN STREET CAR SHOW WOULD SURELY BE IT
It all happens on Saturday. Families make a day of it to check out what’s happening in Whangamata. Car enthusiasts who couldn’t get time off work enter town in droves. And all the Repco Beach Hop entrants and participants who have been there all week gear up for the biggest and most full-on day in the schedule. The parades in the morning give a good indication of the day to come, and, as far as that day is concerned, the Meguiar’s Main Street Car Show is pretty much it. It’s the one you see on the evening news, and the one that has the entire stretch of Whangamata’s Port Road packed with shoulder-to-shoulder foot traffic vying for a look at the myriad beautiful vehicles stationed down the street. It may be somewhat ironic, then, that the most popular vehicles this year seemed to be the least beautiful there. Yes, it was the trio of Australian gassers — with their multitudes of grazes, scuffs, and added character visible under the blazing sun — that was surrounded by crowds of stunned onlookers, some wondering what the hell they were looking at and others fizzing at the thought of seeing them in action at Meremere Dragway the following weekend. Coming in hot in the popularity contest was Justin Walker’s supercharged ’64 Ford Galaxie, which effortlessly reeled in the admirers, leaving them all impressed by the triumph of engineering and excess that it represents. As with most of the main-street parties in recent
memory, Karl Boniface was once again performing fire-ups of the ‘Nitro Flashback’ funny car, with the biggest audience the Hop has to offer. Earplugs were handed out, and the thumping noise of its supercharged big block spitting nitro through zoomie headers attracted fans like moths to a flame. But, while the cars are the undeniable stars of the show, you’d be hard-pressed to forget that all of this was happening on the main drag of one of the North Island’s most popular coastal towns, with all of its conveniences right at hand — plenty of cafes, convenience stores, and general shops to break up the automotive overload. And for a decent break, how about one of the four stages located along the stretch of the main street? These featured live performances from Tim and The Rockets, Gerry Lee, Rocking Roller Coasters, and Brendon Elvis Chase, with The Bonneville Band performing at The Lincoln for those who preferred a drop of beer with their music. The many orange-shirted Beach Hop crew members on hand also provided an opportunity to grab an official Beach Hop programme and fill it in for the prize draw later on in the afternoon. With that big moment looming, the central location of the Meguiar’s Main Street Car Show provided the perfect crossroads for spectators to choose which part of the Repco Beach Hop 18 programme to check out next. Luckily, you won’t have that problem here — keep flipping the pages to see it all!