In addition to the thousands of show vehicles, the Carlisle Ford Nationals include a massive swap meet area with rows and rows of tables and tarps lined with parts, toys memorabilia and more. In addition to vehicles for sale in the swap meet area, there is also the car corral, packed full of vehicles that are available for sale.
Those show-goers looking for new parts will find a variety of manufacturers with large displays, so you can leave Carlisle with more modifications than you arrived with, provided you brought your tools with you.
Racing
If your Ford is built to corner, you are in luck, as there is no drag strip, but there is an autocross area. If drag racing is more your thing, or generally just showing off how much power your car makes, there is a dyno on the grounds.
Finally, the stage area of the Carlisle fairgrounds plays home to the burnout competition and the bikini contest, both of which are very popular with the huge crowd.
Show vehicle entry is $55 ($49.50 if you register before April 30) while spectator entry is $30 for an event pass or $15 per day for adults. Kids 12 and under get in for free. You can bring in your own food and drinks, but there are a variety of refreshment stands around the grounds.
We have put together a gallery of 30 pictures below, but for a look at nearly a thousand shots from the Carlisle Ford Nationals, check out the official Flickr account.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
