• Masterfully Restored 1970 Muscle Car Takes Home Show's Top Prize for Second Time
  • Cleveland, North Carolina Car Owner Almost Left the Car at Home on Sunday

At 4 a.m. Sunday morning, Cleveland, North Carolina native John Jancic considered leaving his prized 1970 Plymouth AAR Barracuda home and out of the weather on what was a blustery, windy weekend; less than 12 hours later, the beautifully restored muscle car was sitting in Victory Lane at Charlotte Motor Speedway after winning the prestigious Best of Show award at the Pennzoil AutoFair. 

OVERVIEW:

The B5 Blue Plymouth AAR 'Cuda with blue interior topped cars from more than 40 clubs that attended this year's Pennzoil AutoFair and competed for the top prize of Best of Show. It marks the second time this pristine car has earned the Pennzoil AutoFair's highest award, the other coming in 2013.

The AAR 'Cuda resided in several states, including California and Wisconsin, before Jancic got his hands on it. The car's previous owner had to stop his restoration project due to poor health, so Jancic purchased it in December 2012 and got to work returning the car to its original glory.

"From front bumper to back bumper, we put the car back exactly the way that Chrysler had it," he said. "That is original color on the car - original color on the seats. That's original seats. It even has the original foam under the seat covers. The car is a true AAR 'Cuda."

The First Runner-Up Award at the Pennzoil AutoFair went to Jeff Smith of Locust, North Carolina, and his 1929 Ford Model A Roadster. Second Runner-Up Award was awarded to Paul Taylor of Aiken, South Carolina for his 1970 Chevrolet Camaro. 

Specialty award winners included:

  • Best Restoration By Owner: Mark Teal of Salisbury, North Carolina (1979 Pontiac Trans Am)
  • Best Paint: Terry Hatley of Richfield, North Carolina (1980 Chevrolet Z28 Camaro)
  • Ladies' Choice: Michael Tribucher of Charlotte, North Carolina (1957 Ford Thunderbird)
  • Most Creative: Delton Hubbard of Wallace, South Carolina (1989 Geo Tracker)

Each of the car clubs participating in the Pennzoil AutoFair was judged individually, with a Best of Show picked for each club before AutoFair officials and celebrity judge Lou Santiago from Velocity TV narrowed the field to the final three for overall Best of Show.

TICKETS:
The Fall AutoFair takes place Sept. 22-25 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. For tickets, contact the Charlotte Motor Speedway events department at (704) 455-3205 or visit our website.

MORE INFO:

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