To start off right, introduce yourself to the judge let him know your name and where you are from. If you traveled a large distance to make the show let the judge know this immediately. Let the judge know if you belong to a club / team, this is especially crucial if you are displaying in a vendor booth or are located in a special feature area of the show.

When being judged at an NCCA event, it is crucial that you open all parts of your vehicle for display. If your doors hood and trunk are not open this would be the time to do so. Ask the judge for a moment to prepare your vehicle. A NCCA judge will only judge what he can see.

Next, hand the judge your windshield card. This is the judging form that you received at registration. It is crucial that this paper is filled out neatly and legibly. It acts as a backup incase you are not at your car when it gets judged. With time constraints put on the judges, they are unable to search for a vehicle owner or skip a car and come back to it. If this paper is filled out and left on the outside of the windshield the judge will be able to use it as an aid in his process. (NCCA rules require a representative to be with the vehicle during judging. A NCCA judge will NOT touch a competitor’s vehicle) Some competitors go a step further and make a custom modifications sheet with illustrations and charts. This is a great addition as it will make legibility questions disappear and give you more time to speak with the judge. If you choose to make a custom modifications sheet be sure to attach it to the one provided.

The next step in the NCCA judging process is for you the competitor to walk the judge through the vehicle. With only 2-3 minutes for you to do this you must be direct and to the point, make sure not to repeat yourself so you can fit as much information into your presentation as possible. Make sure you work your way around the car, you do not want to skip back and forth from say an engine modification to a interior modification then back to an engine modification again The most crucial aspect of this presentation is to familiarize the judge with components that are not visible to the eye, modifications such as internal motor work, or special wiring adapted to fit a custom application. It is also good to have some type of documented proof that these unseen modifications are true. Not that the judge is going to question honesty, but it makes your presentation more through. Having pictures of the mechanics performing the work is the best, though a dyno sheet of the increased horsepower is great too. Some competitors have even begun to use pointers as part of their presentation, you can pick one up at any gadget store for about 20 bucks. You can point to which ever modification you are discussing.

Here is an outline of the information that you want to include in your presentation, do not be embarrassed to have a page or two of notes with you. It is important to be through.

1. Year make and model of you competition vehicle and your reason for selecting the particular vehicle.
2. Exterior modification including the wheels
3. Engine modifications
4. Interior modifications including the audio and video system
5. Suspension modifications including the brakes
6. Undercarriage modifications
7. Future modifications for the vehicle if any are planned


Let the judge know about the modifications that were performed throughout the vehicle. Tell him your reasoning for choice of product. If you recently changed a product because of looks and / or performance let him know the old product and why you made the change. Include the brand names in your presentation and your reasoning of choice for a particular brands product. Also remember to open and close all exterior panels (doors hood and trunk) to show the judge that all seams line up properly.

Once you have finished you presentation, step back and allow the judge some space to walk around the vehicle a few times, he is now concentrating on the scoring, let him have some time, but stay near the vehicle so that you may answer any questions that he may have. While the judge is going through the vehicle he may point out something that is causing a major points loss. The judge is not going to tell you every deduction but will point out something crucial. It takes a judge about 3 to 5 minutes to complete the judging process. Try not to interrupt the judge during his walk through.


Once the judge has made some notes and comments on the score sheet, he may ask you a few final questions concerning you installation of products or may suggest a few additions or adjustments that may enhance your overall point totals for your next competition. If you forgot to tell him something about your vehicle this would be the right time to bring it up.

Now that you have been judged it is time to enjoy the show. Remember the judging process should be educational for both the owner and the judge. Openness is encouraged for both the improvement of the judged and the judge.

Good Luck and Keep Showing!

Much Needed information Christina...Thanks! This will be a good guideline to use at each show. There's a lot of haters when it comes to the NCCA, but I figured thats only because the NCCA strict judging system is top dawg when it comes to judging real quality vehicles at Industry level events.

I'm thinking we should develop a "Samuri" style dicisipline of setting up our rides as if they are being judged by the NCCA at each and every show we do. Most other judging organzations are based off of NCCA rules & guildlines. They may add a slight twist, but the basic format is "NCCA"... I definitely think we all should do the addendum modication attachment sheets to go with the one given. You don't see this too much anymore, but at the shows we've judged it is ALWAYS a huge help & shows the competitor going that extra step.

As Fusion Modified matures and develops these type of dicisplined moves will become simple 2nd nature!

Thanks for the info Christina!