A tradition that will not be broken

RPM Nationals at the historic Santa Margarita Ranch

It has been such a long year since the last RPM Nationals. With most events canceled in California, we were more than excited to hear that RPM Nationals would happen this year. RPM Nationals is one of the premier hotrod events in California. Everyone on social media was excited about the announcement.

RPM Nationals event located at the historic Santa Margarita Ranch in Santa Margarita, the Northern part of sunny Southern California, a short drive from the California Coast.

The Santa Margarita Ranch has its roots dating back to the 1700s. You enter the ranch by crossing over an old wooden bridge and passing by rustic buildings and old trucks scattered around. Santa Margarita is the perfect place for vintage drag racing with its old airstrip and flag start drag races.

The event brings hot rodders from all over California and other nearby states like Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, and Nevada. It was the 4th annual RPM Nationals.

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The hotrods were running strong this year

With California pretty much shut down, it seems like everyone racing had a little time to fine-tune their hot rods. As a result, the cars seemed a little faster this year.

The event started with a grudge match where you can race your friends or the hot rodder that torments you on social media. We were seeing these matchups develop in the days leading up to the event. The grudge match is the favorite part of the event for many.

After the grudge match and passes down the strip for fun, we had the elimination rounds and the finals to see who built the fastest hotrod in their class. Then, after the finals, they opened up the drag strip some runs for fun.

After watching a couple of rail cars taking some runs, Justin Baas in the RPM Rail car and Rick Palagyi in "The Thing" Aces cc Rail. We all were excited to see they would race in the finals against each other.

Ricks rail first re-surfaced after Outriders cc member found the frame in a field. After putting the car together and running it for over a decade, the rail sat for 30 years. And to make this matchup even more interesting, Justin Baas got the car that sat for 30yrs and sold it to Rick. Rick restored the car; now Justin and Rick are racing each other at RPM Nationals. Justin took the win in the RPM Nationals rail. We are hoping to see these cars back out to RPM Nationals.

Justin Baas - RPM Nationals Car

Rick Palagyi - The Legendary Aces Club Car

Traditional hotrods, from the late 20’s to the early 30’s

The cars that race at RPM Nationals and similar events are considered traditional hot rods. That was popular in the late thirties, forties, and fifties and today, especially in California. The hotrodders would strip down the cars to reduce their weight and modify the engines to make them more powerful. They mainly were Ford Model T's from the late '20s, Model A's '28-'31, and the more expensive coveted 1932-1934 Fords.

These cars may not have modern high-performance engines, but they have lots of character. These cars are a blast to watch; that's why so many people come out to see these cars race.

Family fun, a day they won’t forget

The event was fantastic as always, and everyone had such a great time. Bring your kids, mom, dad, or significant other to the next event. RPM Nationals is a family-friendly event like most car-related events. There were many family traditions in the making this year. With all the sights and sounds of the hotrods, it will be a day that they will not forget. So make it your family tradition to come and check out these cool hotrods.

It’s more than a traditional hotrod, its a lifestyle

It's more than a traditional hotrod; it's a lifestyle popular throughout the US and worldwide in places like the UK and Sweden. You don't need to have one of these traditional hotrods to join in the fun.

Come out to an event like RPM Nationals in California, see these cool rides, watch them compete, stroll through the camp and talk to the owners. You will have a blast. We are all looking forward to next year's RPM Nationals event.

There is plenty to do in the area if you want to make a weekend out of it. Santa Margarita is just a short 30min from the coast and an easy drive over to one of California's hidden gems; Morro Bay Check out beautiful Morro Bay