Drive along the rolling hills of Riverview Avenue in Bowling Green, and you’re likely to hear the roar of engines racing Beech Bend Raceway’s ¼ mile drag strip once the picturesque road turns into Beech Bend Road. Installed in the 1950s as an added value to Beech Bend Park’s attractions, the raceway now welcomes fans and dragsters for dozens of races throughout the season – including the Tri-Five Nationals. The event includes, above all, a huge swap meet and drag racing. Any Chevrolet vehicle is welcome - cars, trucks, or corvettes – as long as it is a ’55, ’56, or ‘57 Chevrolet.
Just as Indianapolis and Daytona boast their 500s, Bowling Green has carved out its niche of historical proportions.
Founded by Chris Sondle in 2015 as a way to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the 1955 Chevy. “We were going to do a show in 2015, 2016, and 2017, and that was going to be it,” recalls Sondle, who says he wasn't in the car show business, but rather the business of building hot rods, “This was just going to be something we did for fun.”
The Tri-Five Nationals has become the largest gathering in the world of 1955-1957 Chevrolets, with an estimated $1.5 million annual impact for Bowling Green
That first year nearly doubled the amount of vintage cars originally expected. And, over the past 10 years, Sondle’s brainchild swelled to nearly 3,000 cars and thousands of participants and fans from all 50 states of America, and 13 different countries – making the Tri-Five Nationals the most well-attended event of the season. Sondle explains, “You couldn’t duplicate the show anywhere else. As long as we’re going to do this, Beech Bend is going to host it.”
Beyond the raceway’s turnout, attendees can visit with some of the participants as they cool off their classic Chevys before their next turn at the start line.
Take, for example, Brian Freels, who has raced his ‘55 Chevy sporting its name “Irish Hill-Billy” splashed along the driver’s door in the Tri-Five Nationals every year since its 2015 inception. He says that his dad raced ‘55 throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s. “It kind of rubbed off on the whole family. Our cousins and my son, my brother, we all have 55 Chevys, and it gets in your blood and you can't get it out,” he explains while waiting for his turn to burn out before pulling up to the tree. The family makes that yearly trek from Baltimore to Bowling Green, and you can bet they contribute to the economic impact Tri-Fives brings to Bowling Green. Freels says they make a pit stop every year to feast on all things smoked at Bowling Green’s location of Smokey Bones.
Cassandra and Greg Porter drove up from Greenville, South Carolina, for the Tri-Fives. While Cassandra was helping Greg strap into his ‘55 gasser named “Night Stalker”, she winked while saying, “We're adrenaline junkies. We did run with Southeast Gassers and the Outlaw Gassers, and we've been round tracking. We do anything with speed. So, this year, we're going to focus on us instead of ‘the kids racing’.” Greg acquired Night Stalker from an old school dragster by the name of Dude Moore. Moore promised that if Greg could do right by the old classic by restoring her to her glory days, the car was his. Indeed, the restoration was a work of art. So, Greg found it only fair to pay Moore in the end. And, it has been “Drivers! Start your engines” ever since!
But, the dragsters weren’t the only personalities to behold at the 2025 Tri-Fives.
Bubba Mize was spotted pedaling his bike around the vendors and swap meet with his little dog, Gigi, perched atop of his shoulder. The not-so-unlikely duo were on a special research and development mission from their hometown of Oxford, Mississippi, where their extensive collection of vintage cars, including his ‘57 Chevy “Iron Man”, also resides. But, make no mistake, Gigi is a Tri-Five pro. She didn’t even seem to bat an eye at the noise of the crowds and cars. Bubba explained, “She learned how to hop up on my shoulder day one.”
To learn more about each season of events hosted by Beech Bend Raceway, including the Tri-Five Nationals, click here. And, mark your calendars for August 13-15, 2026, for the 11th annual Tri-Five Nationals. Who knows, maybe Gigi will have learned to drive Bubba’s Iron Man by then. Stranger things have happened, ya know.
All images photographed by Midnight Club Photography.
