2020, the year that no one would have predicted, where car shows became a distant memory and the ability to network with others brought new challenges. In previous years, by this time in late August, enthusiasts would have had the opportunity to attend dozens of shows and meets during the long awaited Alberta summer months . Fast forward to 2020 and this was the first official show that I had a chance to attend and the anticipation was high for this new offering brought to reality through the partnership of Tomei Canada and 780tuners.
Upon arriving at Castrol Raceway it was apparent that an event was soon to be underway with the huge lineup of vehicles at roll in. Anything and everything could be seen from a new Corvette, a widened BMW, all series of Nissan GTR’s and of course veteran owner’s brought their classic racecars to tear up the drag strip and show the younger crowd how it should be done. Tunerbash offered a Show and Shine as well as an opportunity for owners to try their luck on the quarter mile strip. Ultimately, this event demonstrated that the passion for the automotive scene covers all walks of life, ages and of course the diversity in the vehicles that were brought out.
This FD Rx7 still retained the rotary engine which is becoming rarer as engine swaps are slowly filling the void under the hoods. It was a nice touch with the various magazines displayed on the rear deck showcasing other Rx7 builds.
Owners taking the time to relax as spectators checked out the offerings.
Many of the participants were in attendance for the racing portion of the event. This GTO meant business and the highly modified Challenger “Mopar Familia” prepared to get back onto the track .
Continuing to walk around, it posed a challenge to choose which cars to focus on for some small features. I had seen this Supra at roll in and found the light hitting it just right so I snapped a couple of photos. With the launch of the new Supra, the older generations including this mark 4 have risen in value exponentially much like the NSX and Nissan GTR’s.
Yet another classic in attendance was this Mustang. Equipped with Hoosier slicks, the owner of this Ford left some rubber at the starting line a few times.
This 1955 Chevy really stood out from Blacklist Speed Shop. Parked under the the Team Nitrous Outlet tent, I just had to grab some photos of this unit.
Vendors were out selling their swag and showcasing some of their offerings including this display of wheels.
Continuing the rounds I came across several Nissan’s I have captured before from the Driven shows. I cannot get enough of the silver “Hakosuka” Skyline rocking Work Equips. This blue R33 GTR on Volk Ce28’s always catches my camera lens.
Heading back to my car I saw this JDM Toyota Chaser roll in that I had not seen before at an event in Edmonton. It may have been the concave Work Emotion T7r’s that drew me in initially but this car was done just right.
After grabbing some water, I continued over to check out this FC Rx7 on SSR Koenigs. Before acquiring my OZ Futuras for my NSX I had considered Koenigs for the timeless five spoke 3 piece look.
Take your pick, Volk TE37v, Work VS-KF, or TE37 Saga’s 
Doppelganger effect with Sean’s Sebring Silver NSX and mine. It is amazing how subtle differences can change the look of each car. Sean has the 2002+ sideskirts while mine has the OEM 91 skirts. Sean’s Advan’s vs my OZ’s.
Tunerbash had the race element plus a car show, so naturally a Z32 racecar was right at home being showcased. This was definitely a sight to see.
VIP minivans have been growing more widespread at the shows and Mercari Auto brought this Toyota Sienna out. Big brakes, an HKS air box, custom wrap, lowered and of course a custom set of wheels made me stop to check it out.
Variety is what made this event a great success with custom trucks in attendance as well that were detailed well to showcase their custom suspension and wheels.
The memories of my old MR2. It was great to see this being enjoyed by the new owner and I am sure the original builder from Project Omega would have been happy to see his creation still in great shape.
One thing about shows is that there is an expectation that the vehicles should be well kept and detailed. This G35 had several modifications and the exterior was immaculate. I felt obligated to snap a few shots because of the time the owner spent cleaning their Infiniti.
Another race ready 2 door Chevy ended up parking between all of the imports lined up on each side of the roads. Classic metal, especially heavily modified, earned a spot on my memory card. I think this owner is part of the Edmonton Street Rod club and may have ties with Hooptie Life.
As the sun began to set, more race participants lined up to test their response times and the performance of their rides. In part 2, there will be races, there will be burnouts and there will be an interesting limbo contest.
Regards,
Travis
Ryoko Kings 