The 2026 Nationals - Indianapolis, IN
Flying off to Indianapolis was really the best option for this year. The Wyndham hotel was conveniently located just a mile or two from the airport. Once there we were instantly immersed in all things Oldsmobile. You couldn’t help but notice the steady stream of friends from all around the U.S. arriving under the hotel canopy to check in…one beautiful Olds after another. Mother Nature cooperated by holding back on the intense heat and humidity of last year and she even blocked out the sun frequently with some random clouds.
Our many walks through the sold-out field of show cars revealed a very high quality of vehicles. Only a few were what could be considered daily drivers. The field, as was the case last year, consisted of a high percentage of “A” Body cars. The representation of older cars has been dropping off more and more each year…another sign of the times. The same holds true for the swap meet area…there were plenty of vendors, but other than Mike Fusick, primarily “A” Body parts were for sale. Indoors, the OCA sales and promotions room was filled with almost any kind of Olds printed item you might want. Everything from key chains to T-shirts was available to promote the cars, the club or Oldsmobile in general. In addition, the silent auction filled ¼ of the huge banquet room with more than 100 to 150 items. Since the Nationals were being held in Indianapolis, Brian Mccann set-up a huge display of Oldsmobile Pace Car history. Three tours were arranged for participants to enjoy…The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indiana War Memorial and the Ladies Luncheon Tour of the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site. Those attending the War Memorial tour were treated to a secret additional tour…The Ray Skillman Collection. Ray is the owner of a dozen or so auto dealerships in the area and has amassed a huge collection of classics, race cars, neon signs, bikes and Indy Speedway Memorabilia. The pictures below tell the story much better than words.
