September 17, 2025 • 6 mins
Craig Meads, Marketing Director of the National Street Rod Association joins us to discuss the 45th Annual NSRA Street Rod Nationals North in Kalamazoo this weekend!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's Talk of the Town on news radio with thirteen
hundred and one oh six nine FM Steve Kelly and Rep.
Kiita from West Michigan's Morning News and here we Go.
Friday and Saturday. Kalamazoo is hosting the forty fifth annual
NSRA Street Rod Nationals North. Craig Meads is the marketing
director of the National Street Rod Association. Thank you so
much for coming all the way in today.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Thanks for having me here.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
So how fast did you get here? Okay, that's not
very fast. First, Well, I guess they won't have construction
to deal with there. Talk to us a little bit
about what to expect. Kalamazoo County Expo Center. What a
couple of days ahead.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah, a lot of cool stuff, a lot of cool cars,
hot rod, street rods, muscle cars, classic cars, a little
bit of everything there. We've got arts and craft show,
got kids games, coloring contest. Then we have different classes
that cars can can take their car over to. It's
streets of Rods. So like there's a twenty nine blow
So if you're under thirty years old, you can take
(00:57):
your car over there and you can win a like
an air conditioning system for your car from Vintage Air,
so some pretty cool stuff.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Craig, what is it about that corridor? I live in
Byron Center on the South Side, and I had an
uncle through marriage that just loved going down, whether it
was the dragstrip or going to shows like this, the
Gilmore Car Museum in Richlink Gold Lake. I mean that community,
and not that people won't come from all over the
state of Michigan because it started in Detroit back in
the day. But I mean that really is that Kalamazoo
(01:25):
Byron Center, Martin Corridor plane. Well, they love things like
this with their vintage cars. They do, they do it,
and I'm not sure what it is. Matter of fact,
I went to the Gilmore Museum yesterday, first time I've
ever been there.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
What a place.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Oh man, it's really cool. Yeah, that's I spent all
the time in the muscle car museum there and think
I could do some damage with one of boat. Well
that's part of it. This weekend too. If you have
a vintage car, there's a swap meet. There's a parts
swamp meat. Yeah, that's incredible too.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
It's it's always the swamming here is always really good.
The guys have put that on for they were a
really nice job.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
One of the things Steve and I just were actual judges,
which we know nothing about, you know, when it comes
to the critique of a car show that was in
town recently, and I'm so amazed with the community, the camaraderie,
how people are so impressed with other people's cars that
bring them to show off as well as theirs, and
the time that they put into it, the care. Talk
(02:24):
about that a little bit.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
I think a lot of our clientele, our members, have
built their car themselves, or a lot of their car themselves,
so they know what's gone into that guy someone else's
car who's also done the same thing. They know what's
going on with that and how long it takes and
the kind of costs and everything associated with.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
The bill of sale. Right, this was their first car,
they bought when they were seventeen and have held on
to it and have just you know, constantly taken care
of it and fixed anything that they needed to.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
It could have been their granddad's car. Maybe they have
their grandad's car, their dad's car, whatever, or a buddy
in high school had one like that and you always
wanted one, but they never could afford it. But now
they've gotten you know that they've got the funds to.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Do it with. The official website is Nsradashusa dot com.
But you say, if you go to the Facebook.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Pagebook page is really good. Of course, we have ten
events this year. This is our last event of the year,
and so all our events from the all year longer
up on their photos, videos and everything. You can see
different award winners from the other shows and a lot
of good stuff on our Facebook page.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
We're talking to Craig Meads, who's the marketing director of
the National Street Rod Association. As Friday and Saturday this
weekend the forty fifth annual NSRA Street Rod Nationals North.
It'll be a Kalamazoo County Expo Center, and you'll find
all the events that you need to know either on
the website or on the Facebook page. But I guess
(03:46):
in more of a broader sense, I mean, could there
be anything more American? Right? And especially in Michigan as well,
absolutely home of the Big Three. I mean, especially those
of us that might have a little gray and our
beard that grew at grew up bit a time when
like working on your car and maybe doing all something
extra to it means so much more.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Oh yeah, but you know, back to the day when
when I know the three of us probably were growing up, uh,
you know, you could work on your car and you know,
and now they've gone so technical with the car is
now you really just look at you raise the hood
and you look at the enjine. You going okay, you
close the hood back up and call the dealership. You know.
But back in the day, you know, we did. You know,
you were out there with your dad or your granddad
working on the car. You know, you bought a car
(04:27):
for eight hundred dollars, you know, and it ran but
didn't run very very good, you know, but so your
dad and your granddad help you, help you work on it.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
I had a seventy two Kremlin Straight six myself. I
towed it myself to the to the dump. I was
able to scrap for that thing. I mean, what a
project that was.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Craig the forty fifth annual NSRA Street Rod Nationals North.
It's invading Kamazoo County Expo Center. Steve mentioned a two
day event and for those people who really want to
see the krem Dela Cram Saturday afternoon, come and check
it out. But then at five o'clock you've got the
circle of winners, right.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Yeah, well, actually the circle of winners. Well, we'll load
up around four o'clock and then at five o'clock we'll
start the award ceremony where it's a drive through, so
all that each of the cars that are going to
win award are going to drive through in front of
the grandstand, but you can see him an hour earlier
than that, all in a big circle there you can
see who wins what the award.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Pretty cool and the whole time that you're there too,
there'll be a specialty equipment and accessories and supply. So
if you're looking for that hard to find stuff swap.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Meet Man met That's been a great place, Yeah, a
great place to go. And if you're looking for, you know,
one little part that you might need for your car,
there's a lot of stuff out there.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Again. The official website is NSR dash USA dot com,
or if you go to the National Street Route Association
Facebook page, you'll find everything you need to know. Again.
It is Friday and Saturday at the calum Calamazoo County
Expo Center. Craigmeads, the marketing director of the National Street
Rod associate. Thanks so much for coming in today, Thanks
(06:01):
for having me. This is Talk of the Town on
news Radio with thirteen hundred and one oh six nine FM.
It's Talk of the Town on news radio with thirteen
hundred and one oh six nine FM Steve Kelly and Rep.
Kiita from West Michigan's Morning News and here we Go.
Friday and Saturday. Kalamazoo is hosting the forty fifth annual
NSRA Street Rod Nationals North. Craig Meads is the marketing
director of the National Street Rod Association. Thank you so
much for coming all the way in today.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Thanks for having me here.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
So how fast did you get here? Okay, that's not
very fast. First, Well, I guess they won't have construction
to deal with there. Talk to us a little bit
about what to expect. Kalamazoo County Expo Center. What a
couple of days ahead.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Yeah, a lot of cool stuff, a lot of cool cars,
hot rod, street rods, muscle cars, classic cars, a little
bit of everything there. We've got arts and craft show,
got kids games, coloring contest. Then we have different classes
that cars can can take their car over to. It's
streets of Rods. So like there's a twenty nine blow
So if you're under thirty years old, you can take
(00:57):
your car over there and you can win a like
an air conditioning system for your car from Vintage Air,
so some pretty cool stuff.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
Craig, what is it about that corridor? I live in
Byron Center on the South Side, and I had an
uncle through marriage that just loved going down, whether it
was the dragstrip or going to shows like this, the
Gilmore Car Museum in Richlink Gold Lake. I mean that community,
and not that people won't come from all over the
state of Michigan because it started in Detroit back in
the day. But I mean that really is that Kalamazoo
(01:25):
Byron Center, Martin Corridor plane. Well, they love things like
this with their vintage cars. They do, they do it,
and I'm not sure what it is. Matter of fact,
I went to the Gilmore Museum yesterday, first time I've
ever been there.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
What a place.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Oh man, it's really cool. Yeah, that's I spent all
the time in the muscle car museum there and think
I could do some damage with one of boat. Well
that's part of it. This weekend too. If you have
a vintage car, there's a swap meet. There's a parts
swamp meat. Yeah, that's incredible too.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
It's it's always the swamming here is always really good.
The guys have put that on for they were a
really nice job.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
One of the things Steve and I just were actual judges,
which we know nothing about, you know, when it comes
to the critique of a car show that was in
town recently, and I'm so amazed with the community, the camaraderie,
how people are so impressed with other people's cars that
bring them to show off as well as theirs, and
the time that they put into it, the care. Talk
(02:24):
about that a little bit.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
I think a lot of our clientele, our members, have
built their car themselves, or a lot of their car themselves,
so they know what's gone into that guy someone else's
car who's also done the same thing. They know what's
going on with that and how long it takes and
the kind of costs and everything associated with.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
The bill of sale. Right, this was their first car,
they bought when they were seventeen and have held on
to it and have just you know, constantly taken care
of it and fixed anything that they needed to.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
It could have been their granddad's car. Maybe they have
their grandad's car, their dad's car, whatever, or a buddy
in high school had one like that and you always
wanted one, but they never could afford it. But now
they've gotten you know that they've got the funds to.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Do it with. The official website is Nsradashusa dot com.
But you say, if you go to the Facebook.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Pagebook page is really good. Of course, we have ten
events this year. This is our last event of the year,
and so all our events from the all year longer
up on their photos, videos and everything. You can see
different award winners from the other shows and a lot
of good stuff on our Facebook page.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
We're talking to Craig Meads, who's the marketing director of
the National Street Rod Association. As Friday and Saturday this
weekend the forty fifth annual NSRA Street Rod Nationals North.
It'll be a Kalamazoo County Expo Center, and you'll find
all the events that you need to know either on
the website or on the Facebook page. But I guess
(03:46):
in more of a broader sense, I mean, could there
be anything more American? Right? And especially in Michigan as well,
absolutely home of the Big Three. I mean, especially those
of us that might have a little gray and our
beard that grew at grew up bit a time when
like working on your car and maybe doing all something
extra to it means so much more.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Oh yeah, but you know, back to the day when
when I know the three of us probably were growing up, uh,
you know, you could work on your car and you know,
and now they've gone so technical with the car is
now you really just look at you raise the hood
and you look at the enjine. You going okay, you
close the hood back up and call the dealership. You know.
But back in the day, you know, we did. You know,
you were out there with your dad or your granddad
working on the car. You know, you bought a car
(04:27):
for eight hundred dollars, you know, and it ran but
didn't run very very good, you know, but so your
dad and your granddad help you, help you work on it.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
I had a seventy two Kremlin Straight six myself. I
towed it myself to the to the dump. I was
able to scrap for that thing. I mean, what a
project that was.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Craig the forty fifth annual NSRA Street Rod Nationals North.
It's invading Kamazoo County Expo Center. Steve mentioned a two
day event and for those people who really want to
see the krem Dela Cram Saturday afternoon, come and check
it out. But then at five o'clock you've got the
circle of winners, right.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Yeah, well, actually the circle of winners. Well, we'll load
up around four o'clock and then at five o'clock we'll
start the award ceremony where it's a drive through, so
all that each of the cars that are going to
win award are going to drive through in front of
the grandstand, but you can see him an hour earlier
than that, all in a big circle there you can
see who wins what the award.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
Pretty cool and the whole time that you're there too,
there'll be a specialty equipment and accessories and supply. So
if you're looking for that hard to find stuff swap.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
Meet Man met That's been a great place, Yeah, a
great place to go. And if you're looking for, you know,
one little part that you might need for your car,
there's a lot of stuff out there.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Again. The official website is NSR dash USA dot com,
or if you go to the National Street Route Association
Facebook page, you'll find everything you need to know. Again.
It is Friday and Saturday at the calum Calamazoo County
Expo Center. Craigmeads, the marketing director of the National Street
Rod associate. Thanks so much for coming in today, Thanks
(06:01):
for having me. This is Talk of the Town on
news Radio with thirteen hundred and one oh six nine FM.
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