The Syracuse Nationals are pumping the brakes on the 2020 car show.

What You Need To Know


  • The Syracuse Nationals is postponed until July 16-18, 2021.

  • More than 8,000 cars and 90,000 people cruise to the Fairgrounds for the event.
  • The event drives in about $15 million in tourism.

  • Organizers are working on an extension to keep the event running through 2025.

“We had all of our fingers crossed that hopefully things would resolve and things would get back to normal quicker," said Rob O’Connor, Right Coast Inc. President and organizer of the event. "But the way things are it just didn’t happen that way, so we waited as long as we could.”

O’Connor said he knew June 1 was the day to postpone the show. It brings 8,000 cars and 90,000 people from across the US and Canada to Central New York. They needed time to cancel hotel rooms and rearrange their plans, he said.

“We really wanted to see all of our car friends," said O'Connor. "It’s a family. We wanted to get to see everybody. Just keep pushing forward. And we can’t wait to see everybody next year now.”

O’Connor says the event drives in about $15 million a year in tourism revenue for the region.

The good news is Syracuse Nationals is in the process of signing an extension with the fairgrounds, so the cars could keep roaring back through 2025.

“The event is half of the equation," said O'Connor. "Syracuse is the other half of the equation - the town the people - because everyone opens their arms for the Syracuse nationals and all of the car owners.”

Until then, O’Connor says stay safe and keep cruising.