History 1982 Saint Paul Street Rod Nationals - Newspaper headline

I found this old newspaper paper clipping I apparently saved from 1982 when the Street Rod Nationals were hosted here in Saint Paul. It was pretty common for people to line University and Snelling Avenues to watch the cars parade after the day events at the fair grounds. It also seemed, from my experiences at least, as the sun set the streets would narrow with throngs of young men trying to egg on the street rodders into burnout contests. Eventually one would give in to the thrill of it, and before long bleach would poured out onto the pavement for a more powerful display of smoke and tire squeal. Generally, the night would give way to flashing police lights and folks would move along and that would be that, but not always either! All extremely exciting to a young teen who loved cars.
In 1982, I was thirteen and hanging with my dad along Snelling Avenue to just watch the cars cruise along and yes a large crowd had gathered, and yes there was some action taking place, but actually rather quiet from what i had witnessed other nights. Soon the police arrived and they were in no mood to go easy, most likely already over the event and relating nonsense. From what I remember they tried to move the crowd for about ten minutes and then they had enough and moved on the crowd swinging the billies as they moved. My dad was just narrowly missed as we ran down through the neighboring street.
Now this is not an anti-police piece, this is just a story from my youth - in fact, I never blamed the police then and sure don't now, if anything it reaffirmed that when the police give you a reasonable order you better follow and that has served me well in life.
Anyways thought it was interesting to revisit an exciting night from day gone by and thought I would share!

 

I was there, but I was only 15 and probably in bed when the cops were busting heads. I doubt the people being beat were hot rodders. Even today at the BTTF's the people sitting outside the fairgrounds are usually locals, and not the hot rodders.

 

I was there also, but must have left before the cops came.

 

in the 70's a group of us used to go to US nationals at indy on labor day weekend there was a road that ran parallel to the track, and that was were the real crusin and action was those indiana hiway patrol would march 3 abreast two deep in full riot gear , they busted alot of heads they had buses fitted with wire cages lined up and when they filled one off it would go to holding cells in the jail and your weekend was done

 

I was at the '82 Street Rod Nats with my dad. He worked for Hemmings magazine as the car show guy and, of course, Hemmings was the old car and parts bible, catering to the antique auto and restoration car crowd. Back then they went to the major antique car events like Hershey and Carlisle but I guess no one had realized up to that point that street rodders and hot rodders were also big Hemmings readers. I was into hot rods and fast cars and talked him into pitching the idea that the magazine needed to increase its exposure the street rod and hot rod communities to Terry Ehrich and that they should hit the big three hot rod shows - Street Rod Nats in St. Paul, Hot Rod Nats in Cleveland, and the Street Machine Nats in Springfield. Terry went for it and I tagged along with my father and helped him set up the displays and sell the magazines and subscriptions. It was an incredible time driving cross country with my dad from Vermont to each of the shows, we even drove the 1936 Ford panel truck that was on the cover of Hemmings to Cleveland and got pulled over by a motorcycle cop that couldn't believe it actually existed and wanted his picture taken with it. I got to wander around the shows some during the day and ogle all the cars but we packed up each evening and went back to the hotel, no night life for us so I don't recall anything about the cops roughing people up. Even without that excitement those were some of the best times my dad and I had together. I left for the service later that summer but neither of us ever forgot the fun we had.

 

I was there too, I went to all the nats in St. Paul. I don’t remember the exact year but when the street dept put water on the streets it was time to go home.

 

I was there that night. Cop car after cop car. Police Dogs,shields etc. I was at Porkys Drive In and on my way home and could not believe what I was seeing. On Snelling Ave there was a bunch of guys trying to hold up the back of a semi tractor so he could do a burnout. I'd figure I better get the hell out of there. The St Paul Police Dept got a black eye that night! I think later on the next week they admitted that they over reacted.

 

Everyone has to follow the rules, and that includes the cops. Like the general public, most are good people that obey the law, but there is usually 5 to 10 percent that don't and that includes the police. When you have absolute power, some of them abuse that power and therein lies the problem. It is well do***ented, as we have seen in the news daily. It is a frustrating, thankless job and I have known many good men that are officers and it hurts me to see them tarred with the same brush as the bad ones. Like the ones in St. Paul that night. they give the whole force a black eye. Individual accountability is hard to come by, even today, but it is needed for them and the public.

 

An interesting read. I would have been 10 at the time, and we did not do anything so neat as attend the Nats, but my 33 was there. My Dad's good friend who built it was in attendance.
This goes a long way as to explaining how serious the MSRA is about the rules at Back to the Fifties. Around 12,000 cars attend each year now, and they stated 5500 in 1982.
I am not a fan of the twin cities, but I am thankful for the fairgrounds and the ability to attend BTTF each year. It is one of the highlights of my year.
I am very proficient at drinking beer, but I bring none to the show. I do see people that do, and I don't take issue with them. But for me, that is for the end of the day at my friend in Bloomington's place. I do not want to be a reason to give the event a black eye.

 

I was there, but it was during the day. I left before dark, because nothing good happens at these events at night.

The local idiots take over.