On the first days of August every year, thousands upon thousands of street rods roll into Louisville, Kentucky, gathering together upon the massive grounds of the Kentucky Exposition Center.
The occasion? The annual Street Rod Nationals, put on by the National Street Rod Association.
For over five decades, street rodders made the Nationals a temporary home away from home, where one and all could build new friendships and renew old ones over their cars.
Meanwhile, the NSRA made Louisville their permanent home in the late Nineties, having visited the River City three times before back when the Nationals traveled across the country.
Since then, 22 editions have gone off without a hitch, including the Nationals\’ golden anniversary in 2019. The 50th anniversary was such a big deal, yours truly had to return to the gathering after a years-long absence on the road of life.
This year, though, is different.
There\’s a pandemic outside, for starters.