What are vans being judged on ?

Frequently Asked Question # 3

       Good Question.   I once asked an ISCA judge that Question and his answer was succinct. "Fit, finish, and detail.  Add to that design, creativity, and presentation.  When a lot of people look at the judging sheet below, they come away with the idea that more is better.  Not necessarily so. Sure, the more customizing will rate higher, but the quality of work will have a lot more influence on judges.

Creativity is one thing I look for when judging. Things you won't see in other vans.

      Presentation is also key. Cleanliness is one obvious thing. But there is a lot of little things that you can do. For instance, I have noticed a number of vans where the wheels and tires were coordinated where the lettering and valve stems were all set in the same position. Details

     When your van is being judged, leave the judge alone. There is nothing more irritating to a judge that someone following him around pointing out things or telling him stories about what he did on the van.  DO make yourself available if a judge wants to question you about something. From time to time, I have wanted to talk to an owner when judging to find out about something unique on his van.  But don't be a pest. 

      Above all realize that the Nationals show judging takes place for only a few hours. Things don't always go as expected. Weather is always a factor. Last year it started raining in the middle of the judging. Judges may mis something. You may be misclassified. Sheets are added wrong. Mistakes do happen.  

       In a drag race it is obvious who the winner is. A judged show is based on Judges OPINIONS.  These will change from judge to judge and year to year.  At the Nationals classes are judged by 2 judges for each class. The best Of's are judged by several judges as a team. We try to be as thorough as possible. There are a lot of super nice vans at the Nationals. Picking winners is difficult.  We want to get it right as much as anyone.  Above all enjoy the show. Many people love to see what you did with your van. 

						July 2019