GNRS | Grand National Roadster Show 2024 Event Guide
- What: Grand National Roadster Show
- When: February 2-4, 2024
- Where: Fairplex, Pomona, CA
- Tickets: tickets.thefoat.com/rodshows
Grand National Roadster Show 2024
There’s a reason they call it “The Grand Daddy of Them All.” The Grand National Roadster Show is rich with history and brings out some of the best hot rods and customs in the world year after year. It’s a special show, and you can feel the history and excitement of the longest running indoor car show in the world the minute you set foot on the grounds of the Pomona Fairplex.
The GNRS is also home to coveted awards the like America’s Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR) and the Al Slonaker Memorial Award. Because of all this history and prestige, it’s a place to see and be seen for the “who’s who” in the hot rod and custom world. Want to check it out for yourself? Here’s a handy guide to help you make the most of your show experience.
Where is the Grand National Roadster Show?
The Pomona Fairplex has housed the GNRS since 2004. The Fairplex is located at 1101 W McKinley Ave in Pomona, CA. The Southern California locale is part of what makes the show great, happening on the same hallowed ground where hot rodding was born. But for those unfamiliar with So Cal and the Los Angeles area, it’s important to take a look at the map when planning your trip. Pomona is east of Los Angeles proper and it’s a decent jaunt if you’re coming from elsewhere in the LA area. You’ll want to plan your accommodations and mobility accordingly.
Attending the GNRS feels like walking through history as it’s being made, and that’s a big part of what makes it so special. The fact that the NHRA Motorsports Museum is also right there on the grounds of the Fairplex only adds to the historical experience.
Grand National Roadster Show Schedule
When is the Grand National Roadster Show? The 2024 show takes place Friday, February 2nd through Sunday, February 4th. The doors are open on Friday from 12pm to 8 pm, Saturday from 10am to 8pm, and Sunday from 10am to 6pm. We strongly recommend getting there early to take it all in. This year over 1000 cars are expected outside and over 600 in the buildings.
The indoor/outdoor combo is part of what makes the Roadster Show great. Certain areas and buildings have a theme, making for small shows within the show. This is one of the things that we love about attending this show, and you can check out our coverage of Grand National Roadster Show winners from 2022 and 2023.
The GNRS Drive-in, also known as the Grand Daddy Drive-In, is the outdoor portion of the show open to hot rods, T-Buckets, muscle cars, classics, and trucks of all shapes and sizes. It happens rain or shine and houses a huge variety of cars and trucks, all driven into the show.
Since its inception, the Grand National Roadster Show has been home to the award for America’s Most Beautiful Roadster. It’s one of the most prestigious awards in all of hot rodding, and it’s an award that inspires jaw-dropping cars from the best builders in the world. Cars being judged for the AMBR create a spectacle with over-the-top displays to accentuate their impeccable workmanship. They’re all vying for a shot at immortality and their name being added to the famous 9-foot trophy first awarded to Bill Niekamp’s Model A roadster in 1950. Seeing these cars and watching one being added to that hallowed list of past winners is something truly special, and it’s one of the ways in which attending the GNRS makes you feel like you’re experiencing hot rod history as it’s being made.
The Grand National Roadster Show Suede Palace is the place to be if you’re into rough and tumble traditional hot rods and customs. Walking through the doors to the Suede Palace is a bit like hopping on board a time machine. All the cars are built in a traditional 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s style and the combined effect of these cars under one roof creates an experience reminiscent of the early days of the Roadster Show. Live bands and vendors selling vintage clothing and original artwork complete the vibe.
What about those astonishing, impeccably built cars that aren’t roadsters? In 1974, GNRS founder Al Slonaker created an award to honor the best non-roadster car or truck at the show. After Al’s passing the following year the award became the Al Slonaker Memorial Award, then in 2020 ARP Fasteners began presenting the award. Now, the winner of this award takes home a big chunk of money along with a custom billet trophy.
In 2007 the GNRS started the tradition of a “Feature Building,” where a group of special, historically significant cars are hand selecting by a panel of judges to represent that year’s theme. In 2007, that featured group celebrated the 75th anniversary of the ’32 Ford and since then it has featured a variety of themes. Land speed racing, customs, drag racing, trucks, Model A’s, and many more curated groups have been presented. Often, this building is the place to see cars that you read about in magazines as a kid, built models of, or doodled in your high school notebook. This year’s feature is “Street Machines: Then & Now,” and it promises to be a once in a lifetime look at street machine history. From pro street to pro touring, you’re bound to see some familiar cars in this building.
Grand National Roadster Show Hotels
Below are some hotel options that are close to the Fairplex. Some even offer special rates for the Roadster Show.
Looking for a place to eat? Here’s a list of nearby restaurants recommended by those in the know:
- La Paloma Mexican Restaurant
- Eddies Eatery
- In-N-Out
- Red Devil Pizza
- The Hat (Pastrami Sandwiches)
Grand National Roadster Show History
“History” is a word that has come up often in this article. The Grand National Roadster Show is the oldest indoor car show in the world. These days, most of us have been attending car shows for our whole lives, but when Al and Mary Slonaker founded the National Roadster Show in 1950, the very concept was novel. Slonaker had put together some events around Oakland, California when he had the idea to create an event to highlight the hot rod scene that was exploding across the country, with it’s epicenter right there in California. In January of 1950, the Oakland Exposition Building was packed with a group of the best hot rod roadsters in the country and more than 20,000 people there to see them. Bill Niekamp got his name on that 9-foot AMBR trophy, and one of the most important traditions in the hot rod world was born. Since then, many important milestones in the history of hot rodding have taken place at the GNRS.
Wondering what’s with the whole “roadster” thing? Well for one, most hot rods were in fact roadsters in the early days. Coupes and sedans were less popular in the immediate post-war hot rod boom. But it’s also important to remember that in those days, the term “hot rod” had a negative connotation with a general public that was reading about dangerous street racing chaos being caused by young folks in hopped up jalopies. Al Slonaker likely knew that his show would be more successful under the moniker "Roadster Show" instead of the "Grand National Hot Rod Show.”
The show remained at various venues in Oakland for decades, often informally being called the “Oakland Roadster Show” or just “Oakland” to those in the know. But in 2004, the show moved south to the Pomona Fairplex, where it has lived ever since.
GNRS Event Info
Want to check out the 2024 GNRS? Maybe even participate with a car of your own? You’ll find ticketing information, a GNRS FAQ, and more on the Grand National Roadster Show website.
