Goodguys Rod & Custom names 2008 Street Machine of the Year

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Every year, hot rodders from around the country gather for a huge custom car show, swap meet, and a night of drag racing put on by the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association. For many, it's a weekend of fun, but for others it's the chance to be named the Street Machine of the Year. The winner of the prestigious award this year went to Erv Roller's 1969 Chevy Camaro known as "RAZOR", built by the Ring Bros. of Spring Green, WI. If the Ring Bros. sound familiar, it might be because they built the Reactor Mustang, the car that won the award last year. It's the first time in the competition's 14 year history that the same builder has won the award two years in a row. Follow the jump to read more about Erv Roller's Camaro and how it came to be.

[Source: Goodguys Rod & Custom]

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The country's top award for a performance based Street Machine was presented to North Lake, Wisconsin's Erv Roller Saturday Night, July 12th at the Goodguys 11th PPG Nationals in Columbus, OH. Woller's 1969 Camaro, known as "RAZOR", was built by the Ring Bros. of Spring Green, Wisconsin, the same team that produced last year's Street Machine of the Year winner. That's the first time in the fourteen year history of the award the winning car was produced by the same build team in consecutive seasons.

Featuring a two-tone gray and orange design, "Hunter" leather interior, carbon fiber hood and decklid, a Detroit Speed & Engineering "Quadralink" suspension and one-off custom Budnik wheels, Woller's Camaro exudes class and ingenuity. Both Mike and Jim Ring, known for their ability to design and fabricate parts from carbon fiber as well as their finesse in body and paint applications, completely repainted "RAZOR" during a 96-hour period over the 4th of July holiday weekend. The car debuted June 27th at a Goodguys event in Nashville and when the car hit the sunlight, they saw some flaws they knew would not serve the car well in Columbus – the biggest stage there is for Street Machines. "It was painful decision," said Jim Ring. "Mike and I were at each other's throats and our wives may never talk to us again. It had to be done. You build a car like this for this event and this award. It means everything."

Woller expressed his gratitude for all the hard work of the build team. "When you embark on a project like this, you become family with everyone involved in the car. It's a project that takes a lot of resources and countless hours. I couldn't be prouder."

Part of this year's award criteria mandated that all eligible vehicles take part in a demanding three-lap autocross. Woller strapped himself into RAZOR and cranked out three very impressive lap times with a best of 18.466 for the 1000 foot course.

In the end, the RAZOR defeated the largest field of contenders ever (28 cars) for the Street Machine of the Year crown.

The top 5 finalists for this year's award included Kevin Alstott ('68 Camaro), Gary Abraham ('70 Nova), Woller's RAZOR, Jeff Hanson ('69 Camaro) and James McLeod ('69 Camaro Convertible).