2026 Syracuse Nationals Recap
The NAPA Auto Parts Syracuse Nationals, presented by the Maguire Automotive Group and Camping World, was once again an incredible celebration of automotive culture, community, and family entertainment. None of this would have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors, partners, vendors, volunteers, participants, and fans. Your commitment helped us create an unforgettable weekend filled with world-class vehicles, live entertainment, family-friendly attractions, and experiences that brought together enthusiasts from across the country.
More than financial support, your partnership helps preserve a tradition that continues to grow and inspire each year. We are sincerely grateful for your trust, your investment, and your belief in the Syracuse Nationals. We hope this recap demonstrates the impact of your partnership and the value your support brings to one of the Northeast's premier automotive events. Thank you for being an essential part of the 2026 Syracuse Nationals—we look forward to building on this success together and welcoming you back for an even bigger and better event in 2027.
We are also incredibly grateful to the County Executive and his team for their continued partnership and unwavering support. Their commitment to our community helps make our work possible, and we are proud to showcase the very best of our region to thousands of visitors each year, highlighting all that makes it such a special place to live, work, and explore.
“The Syracuse Nationals is one of those events that reminds us just how powerful tourism can be. Every summer, tens of thousands of people make the trip to Onondaga County, filling our hotels, eating in our restaurants, shopping in our local businesses, and creating an economic impact of more than $20 million. That’s not just a number—that’s paychecks for hospitality workers, revenue for small businesses, and tax dollars that help support our community.
I love seeing the excitement this event brings to our region. Visitors don’t just come for the incredible cars; they discover everything else that makes Syracuse and Onondaga County such a special place. The Syracuse Nationals has become one of our signature tourism events, and we’re incredibly proud to welcome these visitors year after year. Events like this are exactly why tourism matters, and why continuing to invest in attracting visitors is so important to our local economy.”
RADIO:
Galaxy Media Partners ran 4,723 radio spots across KROCK, TK 99, Sunny 102 and all ESPN stations to promote the 2026 Syracuse Nationals with an additional 3,587 spots across all Utica stations such as KROCK Utica, Mix 102 and ESPN. We also partnered with the Dinosaur in Syracuse to further spread the message of the Syracuse Nationals.
Radio spots also ran spots on 99.1 The Whale and 98.1 The Hawk in Binghamton, Froggy 97 and Z93 in Watertown, and on Spotify targeting Binghamton and Watertown. We also did campaigns with WZHC in Cortland and with the Finger Lakes Radio Group.
Below are a few examples of the radio spots:
TV:
Below is a sample of the TV spot that ran in Syracuse, Binghamton, Watertown and Rochester.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Below are a few examples of our social media posts to promote the event and get our audience excited!
Print:
The Syracuse Nationals was featured on the front cover of Table Hopping Magazine!
BILLBOARD:
The images below were the billboard images used to promote the event:
website/Social Media Statistics
Website
283,000 visits
Organic views: 5,720,595
Paid views: 268,040
+3,606 new followers
86% United States / 4% Canadian / 10% other
Top cities:
Syracuse, NY
Clay, NY
Cicero, NY
NY,NY
Rochester, NY
Rome, NY
Demographic
22% 45-54
21% 35-44
21% 55-64
17% 65+
16% 25-34
3% 18-24
Organic views: 814,110
+939 new followers
86% United States / 7% Canadian / 7% other
Demographic
27% 35-44
22% 45-54
21% 25-34
14% 55-64
10% 18-24
6% 65+
DIGITAL STATISTICS OVERVIEW:
As Syracuse Nationals approached, campaign performance continued to build momentum, with impressions steadily increasing leading up to and throughout the event. Buffalo generated the largest share of impressions, highlighting successful reach within one of the campaign's primary target audiences. On the OTT side, performance remained strong through the duration of the campaign, with the highest single-day impression total occurring on Friday of the event, demonstrating peak audience engagement at the ideal time.
NEWS/PRESS COVERAGE:
May 13, 2026
Spectrum News 1
Preparations underway for this summer's Syracuse Nationals, with new day format
May 13, 2026
CNYCentral
Syracuse Nationals shifts to Thu.-Sat. schedule, bringing movie cars and more
May 13, 2026
CNYCentral (YouTube)
Organizers announce details of the 2026 Syracuse Nationals (video from the press conference)Watch on YouTube
July 2026
Visit Syracuse
July 14, 2026
This Is CNY
Syracuse Nationals return to NYS Fairgrounds with new Thursday-Saturday schedule
July 15, 2026
WSYR-TV
The Syracuse Nationals begins Thursday
July 15, 2026
WKTV
Local Man Competing in Syracuse Nationals
July 16, 2026
WKTV
The Syracuse Nationals: A Car Show with Everything
July 16, 2026
CNY Central
WATCH: SkyEye One flies over a smoky Syracuse Nationals at the State Fairgrounds
July 17, 2026
Syracuse Nationals return with thousands of classic cars and family stories (photos)
July 17, 2026
CNY Central
A Tour of Must-See Rides at Syracuse Nationals
July 19, 2026
TLDR Syracuse
Things to Do in Syracuse & CNY This Week (includes Syracuse Nationals as one of the week's headline events)TLDR Syracuse Feature (TLDR Syracuse)
SYRACUSE NATIONALS GIVES BACK
The Syracuse National’s team raised a RECORD-BREAKING total of $107,877 for multiple LOCAL charities during the event!
The CNY Car Club Association organized by Mike Mastraco raised $10,800 for local CNY Charities.
The Brush Fest Auction organized by Paul Puzza raised $95,077 with ALL proceeds going to the Ronald McDonald House of CNY.
An additional $2,000 was raised from the Poker Run with all proceeds going to Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital.
The Syracuse Nationals also donates booth space to local CNY charities like Food Bank of CNY and The Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund.
ONSITE ACTIVATION
Additional photos can be found here:
Photos are organized by day and by section- so be sure to check out the link!
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
The 2026 NAPA Auto Parts Syracuse Nationals, presented by the Maguire Automotive Group and Camping World, was another incredible success and none of it would have been possible without the unwavering support of our sponsors, partners, vendors, volunteers, participants, and fans.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to our outstanding sponsors: NAPA Auto Parts, Maguire Automotive Group, Camping World, Onondaga County, Visit Syracuse, Mecum Auctions, Kinney Drugs, the Dunham Hall Family, A-Verdi Storage Containers, Leed Brakes, CNY Auto Spa, Monster Energy, Veda Leaf, Auburn Auto Group, Jammer's Sports Bar & Restaurant, Chick-fil-A of Clay, Streetside Classics, TurnKey Powered by Grundy, Injured Call Rich Hall, Kleis Equipment, BluePrint Engines, Eagle Performance, Affordable Speed & Fab, IBEW Local 1249, Burnout Nationals, Jr.'s Auto Collision, Lift King, House of Kolor, AMD, Wild Bill's Soda, and our many incredible vendors and exhibitors.
Your partnership, generosity, and commitment help make the Syracuse Nationals one of the premier automotive events in the Northeast. From creating unforgettable experiences for our participants and spectators to supporting our charitable initiatives and community impact, your contributions are woven into every aspect of the event's success.
Thank you for believing in our vision, supporting our mission, and helping us continue Bob O'Connor's legacy. We are truly grateful for your partnership and look forward to building an even bigger and better Syracuse Nationals together in 2027.