By TR Robertson
A little wet weather this year did not stop hundreds of visitors to Downtown Historic Vista’s streets from taking in beautiful cars of every year, make, and model in the 36th Annual Vista Rod Run. The Rod Run was sponsored this year by Discover Vista (formerly the Vista Village Business Association) and The Perfect Event, Inc. An expected participation of around 300 cars did drop to a little over 200 cars, mainly due to the “sprinkly” weather, but those participating came prepared with wiping cloths to keep their cars ready for those walking the Historic Downtown Vista streets.
Over 40 trophies would be awarded in the afternoon for a variety of categories.
Speaking with many of the car owners, each person was ready to explain in detail how they obtained their car, what they did to get it into pristine condition, and answer any questions they were asked. The first person this reporter spoke with was Dale Vermillion, owner of a 1967 Corvette, who told me the car’s paint color was Marlborough Maroon, a limited-edition color for that year.
The oldest Corvette I saw on display was Ray Descheness’s 1959 Corvette. Andrea Hammond had owned her 1957 T-Bird since she was 16 years old and got it new. Gary Van Eik’s 1940 Woody and Joe Free’s 1950 Woody drew many visitors. David Staley had a number of people listening as he described the restoration process he went through for his 1937 Pontiac Business Coupe. Another car that drew a lot of interest was Ricardo Gutierrez’s 1998 Lincoln Town Car lowrider, lifted high to display the hydraulics.
Jeff Waldron, President of the Fallbrook Shafters Car Club, said the club has existed since 1949 and currently has around 62 members. Their club members’ cars filled the parking lot in front of Belching Beaver. Jeff’s car was a “tricked out” 1973 Dodge Charger. In the large parking lot on Broadway, Spanish-made Bultaco Dirt and Pavement Racer motorcycles were on display, with owner Mark Henry explaining everything about them. Nearby, a number of off-road vehicles were on display. Just down the street was a 1923 Ford T-Bucket, owned by Toby Vopat, and a 1929 Ford Model A, owned by John Taylor. The Model A was similar to the Model A my father once owned in DeSoto, Texas, which I had learned to drive in the fields of Texas long ago.
Along with the cars on display, a number of tents were set up for food sales, product sales and passing out a variety of information. Your food choices were We Cookn, Cruising Cones, Clean Water Coffee, Delish Dogs, Da Rice Shack, Earth Made Snow Cones and Mesa On Air, as well as all of the restaurants that were open in the Downtown Vista area. The outdoor eating areas of the restaurants were full, several had not opened. Some of the other tents included SDCCU, Travel Leisure, Machine Print, Discover Vista, The Perfect Event, Inc., North San Diego Young Marines, Vista High School Football, and Vista Firefighters Fire and Rescue. On the Vista Rod Run Stage, in the parking lot by the gazebo on Main Street, the sounds of the Lowdown Band could be heard on most of the streets as visitors to the Rod Run wandered, admiring the cars.
The Award Winners for the 2026 Rod Run were:
Best Antique – Pre-1930 John Taylor 1929 Ford Model A
Best 1930’s Jay Christopher 1939 Ford Roadster
Best 1940’s Steve Diffendal 1940 Chevy Coupe
Best 1950’s Jim Wayman 1957 Ford Thunderbird
Best 1960’s Jodi Pincombe 1967 Pontiac GTO
Best Street Rod Dennis Jenkins 1932 Ford 3-Window Coupe
Best Rat Rod Carrie Scott 1958 Plymouth Suburban
Best Hot Rod Gil Lucero 1932 Ford Roadster
Best Low Rider – All Years Erik Morales 1950 Chevy Convertible
Best Ford Mercury – All Years Paul Taylor 1950 Ford Custom Delux
Best Mopar – All Years Lynn Hart 1965 Dodge Coronet 500
Best GM – All Years Jake Escarcega 1978 GMC C3500 Pick Up
Best VW – All Tears Marie Shope 1970 VE Bus
Best Import – All Years Steve Nunes 1988 Porsche Carrera Targa
Best Sports Car John Buckman 1971 De Tomaso Pantera
Best VW Bug Tom Casey 1966 Volkswagen Beetle
Best Lowrider – 1980 or older Arturo Donaots 1969 Chevrolet Impala
Best 1970 or Newer Eddie Poquette 2012 Ford Mustang
Off Road
Best in Desert Natalie Crow 1993 Ford Explorer
Best 4×4 Charlie Carter 1995 Jeep Cherokee
Best Moto Rudy Alvarado 2005 Honda 450RL
Best Prerunner Kyle Aezer 2007 Chevy Silverado
Top 10
Mike Manley 1959 Chevrolet Corvette
Eric Hansen 1968 Chevrolet Camaro
Cathy Storms 1963 Ford Galaxie
Matt Deloscabos 1972 Chevrolet Blazer
Dave Felix 1967 Nova
M.G. La Mar 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
Cory Herrell 1965 Buick Wildcat
John Taylor 1929 Ford Model A
Lou & Carla Fishman 1959 Chevrolet Corvette
Fan Favorite
Main Show Fan Favorite Scott Lee
1956 Ford F-100
Off-Road Fan Favorite Shawn Hosington
1992 Mazda Miata Rally Spec
Best in Show
Best in Show #1 Tim Huizenga 1963 Ford Galaxie
