DAYTONA BEACH — For Justin Taylor, there’s a lot of history tied to his devotion to the annual fall Turkey Run, a beloved holiday weekend tradition at Daytona International Speedway that draws thousands of classic cars and the people who love them.
“I’ve been coming out here since I was a child,” said Taylor, 33, owner of a cleaning and restoration business in Eustis. “I grew up watching my father and his friends do this.”
Now, Taylor is among the early birds every day on the Speedway’s massive infield during the event’s four-day run that concludes Sunday, Nov. 30. In all, more than 150,000 lovers of carburetors and chrome are expected to roll through the gates.
Over 5,000 collector cars are showcased at the event’s car show in the eastern portion of the Speedway infield. In addition, another 1,500 collectible vehicles are displayed for sale or trade in the Car Corral.
Taking a break from polishing the gleaming “hot-rod red” finish on his meticulously refurbished 1970 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia on Friday, Nov. 28, Taylor tries to describe the appeal of working on classic cars, a skill that he also picked up from his father.
“I love taking things apart and putting them back together, resurrecting them from the dead, bringing them back to life,” he said. “I just have a love for automobiles.”
Looking across the infield, he marvels at the others who share that passion.
“I’ve loved coming here over the years, connecting and re-connecting with the people that do this,” he said. “They come from all over the United States and people are always excited to see what I’ve brought.”
Nearby, Don Larson, 87, has been a regular at the fall and spring Turkey Run events for 35 years. A member of the Port Orange Street Rods club, Larson was impressed with the early turnout on Friday, even with morning temperatures that dipped into the mid-40s.
“I didn’t think there would be anybody here, but it was crowded yesterday, too, even on Thanksgiving Day,” he said. Larson arrived in his 1940 Ford pick-up, an eye-catching classic with its retina-scarring “hugger orange” paint job.
A retired telephone technician, Larson bought the car partially restored in 2011, then set to work replacing the transmission, repairing rear-end damage and re-doing the interior.
The latter project is a particular point of pride, he said.
“That seat is out of a Cadillac Escalade, and it’s leather,” he said. “A friend of mine gave it to me to use and it just matched everything perfectly.”
Larson recently sold another classic car in his stable, a 1968 Plymouth GTX, but that doesn’t mean he’s thinning the herd.
“I’ll be out here looking for something,” he said. “I’ve got a pocket full of money and I’m ready to buy.”
Beyond the gleaming vintage vehicles, the event offers a sensory overload powered by the scents of exhaust fumes, grilled sausages and cigars accompanied by vintage rock ‘n’ roll soundtrack (think Chuck Berry and the Beach Boys) punctuated by rumbling tailpipes.
In addition, more than 2,000 vendors are selling every imaginable classic-car part or accessory in the event’s daily swap meet, everything from crankshafts to towlines.
Among the weekend vendors is North Fort Myers-based Classic Auto Restoration Specialist, Inc., a company that offers resources tailored to muscle cars, street rods and custom vehicles.
The company visits roughly 15 shows regionally throughout the Southeast, but the Turkey Run outshines them all, said owner Michael Case.
“The crowd here is a lot more diversified,” he said. “People come from all over the country, all over the world because it’s truly a destination to come here. There’s really nowhere else that you can find this kind of weather and this kind of facility.”
That sentiment was echoed by Don Larson, the Port Orange Street Rods member.
“If you’re from around here, you just know about cars,” he said. “We’re fortunate to have the weather that we have here and the Speedway. If you like cars, this is the place to be.”
WHAT: 52nd Annual Daytona Turkey Run
WHEN: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 27-29; 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 30
WHERE: Daytona International Speedway, 1801 W. International Speedway Boulevard, Daytona Beach.
COST: $20 (through Saturday); $15 (Sunday); free for ages 11 and younger.
ONLINE: turkeyrun.com

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