May 15-17, Carlisle PA Fairgrounds. Picture a huge open field as far as the eye can see. Scatter a few miscellaneous pole barns in it, and a grandstand. Now take thousands of the most impressive Import and Kit cars in the country and you have an approximation of what it’s like to attend the Carlisle Import and Kit Nationals. This year is particularly special, because we are the title sponsor of SAABs @ Carlisle 2015, a huge central show put on by the Central Pennsylvania SAAB Club, that happens in the center of this celebration of rare, kooky, interesting, or just plain cool cars, all on an epic pilgrimage to represent.
eEuroparts Presents SAABs@Carlisle is an impressive anomaly that just happened to result in huge SAAB representation. Most of the show field is row after row of sparking paint jobs and things of that nature. SAABs@Carlisle…well…let me put it this way. If you picture the SAAB show as a massive swarm of bees, SAABs@Carlisle is the hive. Taking place around and underneath a massive tent, this section of the show dominates the landscape, which is why we are so excited to get there and represent. The most noticeable thing about the hive is that it’s the only one there. No other parts of this entire show are big enough to be allowed to set up such a structure in the show field. The entire setup is elaborate and fantastic. Their Facebook page is [Here].
Underneath the SAABs@Carlisle tent you will find the stars of the show. Notable SAAB race cars are parked next to museum quality historic pieces. Perfect 99’s and 96’s share space with Canadian Touring Car 9-3’s and Aspen Police 9000’s. This year, our own Mr. Trionic will be putting on a seminar on retrofitting your SAAB 900 with T5 engine management, and we are promised the chance to hang out around an original Sonnet I, which will be a treat.
The bulk of the show is on Friday and Saturday, with activities tapering off on Sunday. The best part is that this event is more than a show. Accompanying the huge show field is a gigantic campground, where you should expect to see all manners of wacky, interesting, and innovative camping techniques executed in parallel to the show. One day, just one day, we hope to see someone roll up with a Toppola camper. We do, however, anticipate seeing cars chopped in half and made into trailers, as well as the token VW pop-up bus.
Located near the campground section of the fairground is a short autocross track, where the most diehard car geeks will run what they brung, and send their vehicles catapulting around the small coned off course in search of a time that warrants some bragging rights, and a surge of adrenaline to boot. Last year, this is where you could find a few of our motorsports competitors zooming around, including our own Gary Reider in his green machine. That expertly built hill-climb/autocross SAAB was also featured under the main tent. Gary enjoyed mild competition with all manners of go-fast machines, including an electric SRF Spec Ford race car, and a variety of very well built kit cars (It’s less emotionally taxing to flog a perfect condition Porsche 356 if you build it in your garage..)
We hope to see you there, [CLICK HERE] to see the photo gallery from last year. Can’t wait!
