Photos from the 2010 Nationals South in Knoxville

The two shots at extreme upper left are of a pair of "rat rods" seen by the pond at Chilhowee Park in Knoxville. The upper sedan is Hemi-powered, while the lower car contains a really rough, but workable, t-top.

Extreme upper right shows a couple of cars in the Winners' Circle. The gorgeous black '57 Nomad speaks for itself. The red and black sedan delivery is a fiberglass product; the chrome trim is painted on.

Beneath the rat rods are a pair of Studebaker Larks - unique no matter how they're displayed - or where.

To their right is a very late model Corvette - newer than the 1980 year of eligibility - reformed to resemble a '53 or '54 version. Nice; it got a lot of attention.

Under the Larks are a couple of attention getters themselves: a 1953 Studebaker Champion and a 1964 Lincoln - complete with air conditioning, the only option available on these cars when they were built.

To their right are more photos taken on my journey to Knoxville for the NSRA Street Rod Nationals South - plus. They include shots of the van six of us were traveling in on I-81 south of Woodstock, VA where we encountered a very large deer. No one was injured; the air bags didn't deploy, and we continued our adventure after an eight-hour delay.

1.'Neath the Lincoln: A customized '60 Chevy wagon. Very clean. Under that: A much-shortened '57 Chevy - an eye-catcher.

2. To the right of the Lincoln: Mid-thirties Chrysler Airflow. Colorful - the only time I spotted it on the grounds; it was leaving. Under: A gorgeous Hemi-Cuda built by well-known car guy Alan Johnson. It uses an early Hemi for power, and is a work of art from front to back.

Lower left: An impeccable 1955 Packard Carribean - spotless. Mostly original, except under the hood. No dust anywhere. Perfect. Under that: A "different" green 1940 Chevy coupe. The color caught my eye; I'd like to have that shade on an automobile at some time.

Lower Right: This '39 Nash sedan was parked outside the gate in an area holding cars for sale. The hood was warm, so I suspect the car was driven to the site. It was unusual, but I have to wonder about the reception people gave it as it motivated down the street enroute to the show.

Beneath: A very clean '50s GMC with a different twist to the dividing line separating the two main colors; it was tape, with some interesting reflections involved.