There is not a heck of a lot to see or do in Du Quoin, Illinois. It’s a sleepy little town of 5,800 people in the gently rolling hills of the southern part of the state just north of Carbondale. However, it comes alive a few times a year because the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds is located there. Of course, our favorite time is when the Street Machine Nationals (SMN) is in town!
The Du Quoin State Fairgrounds was founded in 1923 by W.R. Hayes as a parallel event to the Illinois State Fair, which had banned horse racing. Hayes built a one-mile oval dirt track with a 10,000-person-capacity grandstand as a centerpiece to attract swarms of people to the 179-acre property, and it worked. It has played home to several significant events over the years, including harness racing, flat-track motorcycle racing, and even ARCA stock cars from 1948 to 2021.
The Legendary Years
For those of us who like fast cars, 1986 to 1998 were the glory years for SMN in Du Quoin. It was “the show” to go to if you wanted to be recognized. There weren’t that many national events of the caliber of SMN. Many designers and shops made a name for themselves by debuting a vehicle in Du Quoin. Much like the Ridler Award, builds were kept under wraps to be unveiled on the hallowed fairgrounds. Names like Troy Trepanier, Scott Sullivan, Matt Hay, Rick Dobbertin, Rod Saboury, Mark Grimes, and Rocky Robertson (to name a few) all built their careers in Du Quoin, competing to get onto the cover of a national magazine.
And there was no magazine bigger than Hot Rod at the time. The legendary editor, Jeff Smith, was at the helm when readership bloomed to over a million subscribers. You’ve probably heard all the stories about the wild nights in Du Quoin. But if you haven’t, we highly recommend Toby Brooks’ book Sensory Overload. It is an excellent read whether you’ve been to SMN or not.
The newest iteration of the Street Machine Nationals returned in 2013 after a massive grassroots effort convinced Family Events, owners of the event then, to approach city leaders to allow it. A lot had changed over those 15 years since those debauchery days, and the city needed the money.
Many rules were implemented to ensure the craziness didn’t happen again. The town was locked down tighter than Alcatraz that first year, but those days were long gone. Even the famed bikini competition fizzled out. It’s no longer about crazy, drunken partying until the wee hours of the night.
The Road Ahead
The show was/is, first and foremost, about cars. More specifically, it’s about Street Machines and Pro Street cars. Du Quoin is where the term “Pro Street” was born, and some people who built (and still build), love, and respect them still return every year as a homecoming of sorts. However, it isn’t all nostalgia for the good ole days — new cars are still being built and displayed at the iconic venue, albeit at a much slower pace.
Though no official attendance numbers are released, spectator and participant attendance appears stagnant. Vendors are a big draw for national shows, and they are also bypassing Du Quoin for more populated areas. On top of that, the state has invested little-to-no money into the fairgrounds. The grounds are well-manicured, but the roads are horrific in places (especially for lowered vehicles). The horse stables are dilapidated, and though the grandstands still look majestic from the outside, the seats have seen better days. There are rumors of it being shuttered. So, the question becomes, is the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds still the place to host Street Machine Nationals?
Du Quoin 2023
Bonnier Events now owns SMN and has introduced a few ideas to generate enthusiasm for the event. Some have worked, some have not, but at least they are trying. They have met with a dedicated group of Pro Streeters and made the area in front of the grandstands a designated “Pro Street Alley” for anyone exhibiting a back-halved car.
They also instituted reserved parking spots along the cruise route. It caused consternation for some claiming it was a money grab. But out-of-towners seem to appreciate the ability to know they have a spot when they get there. This isn’t as big of a concern at Du Quoin as it is at the sister show in St. Paul, Minnesota, where people would stake their claim three days before the show even opened. There are still plenty of good spots for those not wanting to pay extra for a “premium seat” in Du Quoin.
For 2023, things were pretty much status quo besides the addition of a cornhole tournament and more awards. The weather was extremely cooperative. Although hot in the sun, there was a healthy breeze blowing all day, and there were always plenty of shady spots to stop and cool off. The busiest emcee in the business, Kevin Oeste of V8 Speed and Resto was burning up his classic rock playlist while keeping people informed and entertained.
The Cars of Du Quoin SMN
As usual, the Pro Street Alley was the place to be. The majority of vehicles were clustered in that area. Some really standout cars were on display — some from the past and some from the present. It may be safe to say that Du Quoin 2023 was the first show ever to feature two street-legal Funny Cars. Both Bradley Gray of Blown Mafia fame from North Carolina with his Nova and Jamie Pipher from Ontario, Canada, with his Mustang, not only had their cars on display but also drove them through the streets of Du Quoin. It was a sight and sound to behold!
Wally Elder of St. Charles, Missouri, had his grand-champion-winning ’69 Dodge Daytona roaming the streets this year after getting all the bugs worked out from its debut last year. Wendy Beard from Toronto returned with her iconic eye-popping ’70 Cuda on board Pipher’s hauler for the second year. Tony Netzel came down from Duluth, Minnesota, with his equally eye-popping killer ’61 Plymouth Belvedere. Mark Grimes appeared with his old triple-blower ’87 Chevy Eurosport. It looked just like it did back in the day!
One of the best parts of Street Machine Nationals is the ability to cruise around the grounds to look at other cars. The cruise route was busy throughout the day on Friday and Saturday as spectators got to see, hear, and smell the cars rolling by. There’s nothing quite like the whomp, whomp, whomp of surging superchargers coming around the corner — and Du Quoin has one of the highest concentrations of Pro Street cars you will see all year!
Many people skip out early on Sunday to start their drive home, but they miss one of the major attractions — the burnout competition. There is just something about watching someone frying their tires with the engine singing at full song. Though not many cars were taking part this year, the quality of the ones that participated was surprising. We usually see rat rods and old pickup trucks with some junkyard tires, but this year saw two Chevelles, a lowered OBS truck, a Diesel truck, and even a newly built General Lee!
Unfortunately, we had to leave before the awards ceremony that followed right after, but we extend our congratulations to those who came away with hardware. There were some extremely high-quality vehicles scattered throughout the grounds. As for the future of the Street Machine Nationals, whether it is in Du Quoin or elsewhere, we’ll be there! It is always good to see friends, and the legacy of SMN is one of those we can’t abandon. Be on the lookout for an announcement from Bonnier Events on SMN 2024, and be sure to check out other show coverage on our Lifestyle page!
