The year 2006 saw an abbreviated HOT ROD staff. Former Associate Editor Stephen Kim got sick of living in L.A. and left for Texas back in mid-'05, and Matt King left soon after, when Harley-Davidson came a-callin'. That left Freiburger, Kinnan, and Davis as the sole people responsible for creating America's largest performance magazine . But we got through it, and now we're back up to a nearly full staff with the recent hirings of Associate Editor Christopher Campbell and our brand-new Detroit Editor, Bill McGuire.
In the past, when it came time to select our favorite hot rods of the year, each staffer would make an individual Top 10 list, then we'd gather around the conference-room table, see what everybody picked, and start arguing our individual cases. This year, however, it was just Freiburger, Kinnan, and Campbell making the choices. We made the list before McGuire started, and Davis was out indefinitely, so the committee had three members. That means if your favorite car didn't make the list, you have only the three of us to yell at, which we're expecting.
The second-guessing is a given, since this Top 10 list is and always has been brutally subjective. We pick the vehicles that turn us on individually, purely as a matter of our tastes and nobody else's. It's the staff's list of favorites, which is bound to be different from the lists of many other people. The criterion for choosing the cars on the list was simple: they must have appeared in the pages of HOT ROD sometime between the Jan. '06 issue and this one. A car needn't have had a complete, six-page feature to be considered, either. We chose cars for the Top 10 that had had nothing more than a single photo in Roddin' at Random. If you saw it in HOT ROD, it was eligible for the list.
So, with the explanations and excuses out of the way, here, in no particular order, is HOT ROD's Top 10 for 2006.
Jay Brown * 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 * January issue
We felt obligated to pick a car from the landmark, first-ever Drag Week(TM) event, and while Carl Scott's winning Nova would be the obvious choice, we had to go more with the style of car that we yearn to own ourselves and the type we'd like to see exemplify the cars of Drag Week(TM). Of all the stellar entries, our pick went to Jay Brown's Mach with its combination of not-a-Chevy appeal and FE power. This thing looks like an everyday musclecar and runs reliable mid-10s on motor. It looks the part, and it acts the part. If we gave style points in drag racing, this car would have taken them all at Drag Week(TM). -David Freiburger
Kurt Urban/Wheel To Wheel * 1972 Chevrolet Nova * November issue
It's no secret I'm bent on beaters. The single fact that people will scream, "How does that junk make it in the Top 10?!" makes me want to put it there. And even though crusty street racers are nothing new, this competitor in HOT ROD's Pump Gas Drags(TM) and upcoming Drag Week(TM) events has plenty new: like a 402ci Gen III small-block stuffed with two new Rotrex superchargers for 1,160 hp that's all tucked under the hood. It's tucked everywhere else, too, with ingenious packaging of the intercoolers and dual fuel systems for total driveability and anytime power. It's just cool. The bosses at Wheel To Wheel want to paint it. We say no. -David Freiburger
Don Stellhorn * 1965 Pontiac GTO * December issue
How good was the first car you ever built? And when we say built, we mean fabricated nearly from scratch. After totaling his '64 GTO on a road course, Don decided that with nothing to lose, he might as well build his dream car--and eliminate compromises along the way. He literally built nearly the entire GTO from scratch, keeping only the roof and some repro quarter-panels and draping them on a full-tube chassis designed for road racing. Yes, it's a full-on race car with not even a hint of streetability, and the flares, wing, and some other parts of the car verge on being over the top, but the look says "Get out of my way," and the bite backs up the bark. This is, in our opinion, the baddest-looking GTO ever built, and we mean that in a good way. -Christopher Campbell
Heaven is just a cast away. For this is Minnesota, a land that boasts over 90,000 miles of shoreline—more than California, Florida and Hawaii combined. Roaming these waters are some of the finest game fish to ever wear scales: large and smallmouth bass, trout, panfish, pike, muskies, and of course, Minnesota's state fish—the mighty walleye. In fact, the fishing is so good, some of the world's best-known anglers have made Minnesota their home.
Lake of the Woods, Northwest Angle
Minnesota Opener brings weather and walleyes
By Mike Yurk - When it comes to the opening of the fishing season in Minnesota, the story has as much to do with the weather as it does with the fish. Full Story
Elk herds hit highest numbers in more than 65 years
Thief River Falls, Minn. – Winter elk surveys conducted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in 2006 show two elk herds that are healthy and growing, according to results announced at a recent Project Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation in Minnesota. Full Story
Minnesota Bound launches LIVE Loon Cam
GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. - Minnesota Bound is showcasing our state bird like never before. Thanks to cutting edge technology and a pair of cooperating loons, Ron Schara's crew captures every moment on a live loon nest. You can see for yourself at www.mnbound.com. Full Story
Sturgeon restitution, invasive species among proposed rule changes
New rules proposed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) would increase the restitution value of lake sturgeon, modify regulations for scientific and natural areas, add three animals to the state's prohibited invasive species list and allow nonresidents to capture raptors for falconry. Full Story
ANNANDALE - B.J.'s Bait & Tackle, Bill, west side of Clearwater Lake, between the two public accesses (320-274-3730) The crappie tourney last week was tough, but a 2.2 pounder managed to come in and take first. Most are reporting sunnies and crappies along the emerging weedlines, using a flu-flu and minnow. Looking ahead to the opener, it should be good as long as the weather holds.
ANOKA – Action's Fishing, Jack, 809 West Hwy 10 (763-422-4890) There is a good crappie bite going on right now, best I've seen in 10 years. We have shiners, leeches, and crawlers. And we should have redtails for the opener. The Mississippi looks good for walleyes this weekend north of Anoka. We are ready to go for the opener.
BATTLE LAKE – Ben's Bait & Tackle, Josie, Junction of Hwy 78 and 210 (218-864-5596) The crappies continue to bite well on Clitheral, Elbow, Molly Stark, Blanch and West Battle Lakes. Most are coming from 4-6 feet of water. Everything looks good for this weekend. We are getting our docks put back in after the high winds last weekend. We should be good to go there. We'll be fully stocked up on bait. The water seems to be a little warmer then the past years.
BEMIDJI – Bluewater Bait & Sports, Mark Cook, 1 mile north of the Hwy 2 & 71 Intersection (218-444-2248) The crappies are going good on area lakes. We had a very successful crappie contest with the winning stringer weighing in at 15 pounds for 10 fish. The winners wouldn't reveal their spots though, but they are out there. The suckers are still running in the streams. We are geared up for the opener and we'll have everything for your open water fishing needs.
BLACKDUCK - Timberline Sport & Tackle, Carl Adams, Junction of Hwy 71 and Blackduck Lake Rd (218-835-4636) There have been a lot of crappies caught on Upper Red Lake last weekend the walleyes are ready to go too. The crappies on other area lakes are biting well too. It looks like it's going to be a great opener.
BRAINERD – www.sandwbait.com & www.walleyedan.com - S&W Bait and Tackle - Home of Walleye Dan's Guide Service, 7 1/2 miles North of Brainerd on the East side of Hwy 371 (218-829-7010) The countdown is on. I am chomping at the bit to hook into that first open water walleye of the 2007 season. Our group of fishing guides will be out in force and most of us will be on the Gull Lake Chain. We have a group that has booked us for the past number of openers and it is a fun time. Things are shaping up and it looks like we will have a very busy season on the water for all of our guides and then some. Our guide service will be in and out of S&W Bait all week long, so make sure to stop us and ask questions if you have any. Make sure you look through our new website at www.walleyedan.com
AP
A $16 million horse that has never run a race.
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Churchill Downs played host to Queen Elizabeth II.
