BlackTop Nationals catches a break from the weather

August often means car shows are staged in scorching heat and humidity, with time divided between prowling the rows of vehicles and seeking out shade and a cool drink.

This year’s BlackTop Nationals dodged a bullet last Saturday, as an ominous thunderstorm rolled into Wichita, packing heavy rains and the threat of high winds and hail just as exhibitors were heading for downtown to begin setting up for the day. Fortunately, the storm served mostly to wash down the streets and keep temperatures in the balmy range, and to show that the Wichita area car community can’t be kept at home when there are good times to be had.

The turnout of cars and spectators was encouraging after the storm clouds passed and car owners happily wiped down their vehicles and settled in for a great day. In fact, the whole three-day event, the sixth annual edition of BTN, left participants feeling pretty good about how things turned out and looking forward to the car shows of autumn.

There were numerous “new” cars to be seen, some finished just hours before being put on display, like BTN founder Rick Nuckolls’ amazing 1939 V-16 Cadillac Fleetwood, a car with a connection to both Jay Leno and the McPherson College Auto Restoration Program.

Here are views of some of the outstanding cars that graced the Century II area, some of which will receive the full feature treatment on a future Wichita On Wheels page.

Enjoy these — and more on our online galleries.

This story was originally published August 28, 2015 at 4:07 PM with the headline "BlackTop Nationals catches a break from the weather."