Weekly Report (Cruise-Ins Benefit from Cooler Weather)

After one of the hottest weekends on record, a cool front finally pushed through last Monday bringing more seasonable temperatures and less humidity. The net result of the weather change was some nice attendance numbers this week at the local cruise-ins

Tuesday Night Cruise-In at the Hilton Polaris

After a slow start, the Tuesday Night Cruise-In at the Hilton Polaris had over 70 cars show up.

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The mode of operation for this cruise-ins seems to be for everyone to show up after 6:30 PM. Prior to 6:30 there were maybe 4-5 cars in the parking lot. I think rush hour traffic has something to do with the late start.

Here are some of the cars that made it out to the cruise-in:

Each week the cruise-in holds a 50/50 drawing with the proceeds going to Pelotonia. This past week it also raffled off a $25 gift certificate to Rock Auto.

The cruise-in time is advertised from 5:00 to 9:00 PM. I've noticed a lot of cars, myself included, leaving between 7:30 and 8:00 PM prior to the raffle drawings. It's a come late, leave early kind of crowd. I know the Hilton wants to give everyone ample opportunity to eat dinner at the Bar if they so choose. However, the cruise-in might get a few more cars to show up earlier and participate in the raffle if it held the drawing at 7:30. Just a suggestion.

Der Dutchman has Second-Best Attendance Ever

What a difference a week makes! Last week I almost died in a monsoon that hit Plain city. This week with sunny skies, low humidity and no threat of rain, Der Dutchman had its second-best attendance record ever. The cruise-in registered 203 vehicles, 45 of them being first-time participants.

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As promised, Wayne held two raffle drawings. One for the folks that survived the monsoon the week before and one for the current cruise-in.

Here's are some of the 203 cars and trucks from Thursday evening:

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I just want to take a minute to clear something up. There seems to be some misconception regarding registration at the cruise-in. Registering your vehicle is absolutely FREE. When you register, you'll receive a raffle ticket and are automatically entered to win a host of goodies from the restaurant or a $40 Der Dutchman gift card. So if you're a first-time participant, please take a moment to register. It's well worth it.

Rally for the Ranch at Easton Town Center

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This is my second year participating in Rally for Ranch at Easton Town Center. Both years have been a great experience. Not only do you get to show off your vehicle, but you get a free breakfast buffet at Smith and Wollensky (compliments of Esoteric Fine Auto Finishing) and a goody bag worth more than $50 in merchandise and discounts.

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And the best part it's all Free! The only stipulation is you must pre-register your vehicle in advance of the event.

What I like about Rally for Ranch, is that it gives you a chance to see automobiles you wouldn't typically see at a Central Ohio car show or cruise-in.

A good example is this $2.9 million 2019 Bugatti Chiron. Not many of those showing up at a Pepsi Auto Smarts Radio Cruise and Ride event.

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Same can be said for a $1.8 million 2019 McLaren Senna or 2015 McLaren P1.

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Now before you protest that you have no interest let alone can afford to own an"exotic" car, let me just say what makes Rally for the Ranch so unique is the nice mix of classic, muscle and exotic vehicles. Nowhere else will you see a '63 Chevy Impala, '56 Chevy 210, '57 Ford Sunliner, and '31 Ford Model A alongside million-dollar exotics.

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Sprinkle in the unique and unusual and Rally for the Ranch turns into a big cruise-in on steroids.

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If you're not into crowds of people, then the Rally for the Ranch is not for you. I'm going to make an educated guess that more than 5000 people walked by my car on Saturday.

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While the crowds were no where close to the ones surrounding the Bugatti, my Camaro still garnered a lot of attention.

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Like I said earlier, this year's Rally for the Ranch was another great experience. Without question, I plan to do it again next year. My goal is to get my friends and their classic cars to join me.

40th Annual Poor Man's Nationals

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The Buckeye Rod Builders celebrated Sunday's 40th Annual Poor Man's Nationals at the Past Time Park in Plain City, Ohio by making it a totally FREE event.

There was no registration fee, no fee for spectators, no judging, and no awards. The event this year was just one big Cruise-in.

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I can't think of any other car event in Central Ohio that has gone on longer than the Poor Man's Nationals. The closest rivals are the Arthritis Show in Dublin, Ohio which celebrated its 37th year at the end of June, and Cruisin' with The King in Marysville, Ohio which has been having a monthly show at the Burger King for more than 34 years.

Anyone bringing an automobile to the Poor Man's Nationals automatically received one raffle ticket towards a large array of door prizes. In addition to the door prizes, there were two separate 50/50 drawings. The one in the morning benefitting the Plain City Food Pantry. The proceeds from the afternoon drawing went to the American Cancer Society.

A swap meet and model car contest were two other activities going on simultaneously during the Nationals.

As in past years, there were only two food vendors. One selling shaved ice and the other selling real food like hot dogs and hamburgers. As you can imagine, the line to get something to eat was at times long.

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If there was one disadvantage to the nice weather, it was the dust at Past Time Park was out of control. After fours hours, my car had a pretty good layer of dust on it even with parking back in the trees well off the gravel roads. Black and dust don't mix.

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Despite the dust and lack of adequate food vendors, the event still managed to attract well over 200 vehicles by my "unofficial" count."

Here are some of the cars and trucks that caught my attention:

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A rumor is floating around that the this would be the last Poor Man's Nationals. The individual who gave me my raffle ticket said that rumor is absolutely NOT true. Now whether or not the show returns next year to be a "judged" event with a registration fee is still up for debate.

Other Area Shows

Cruisin' Tee Jays on West Broad Street in Columbus registered 35 cars on Saturday. The Best of Show award went to this 2005 Saleen Mustang.

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Cruisin for Autism held at Ohio Dominican University in Columbus registered 37 vehicles. This 1963 Chevy Impala received Best of Show.

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The 1st Annual Rotors and Motors Car and Airplane Show at JP's BBQ at Bolton Air Field in south Columbus registered over 130 autos. Along with the cars, there were a few airplanes and helicopters that also registered.

Judging was done by those participating in the show (always my favorite form of judging as I say that with a great deal of sarcasm). I understand there were only 5-6 awards. Obviously, JP's BBQ didn't expect the turn out it got. You really have to give them a pass since it was their first show.

Final Thoughts

I attended four events this week and didn't pay a single registration fee or have anyone judge my car. I've got to say it was refreshing to take a break from the "judged" events. Sometimes the events that are the most fun are those where you drive up in your special ride and just hang out with your friends.

It will be back to judged shows next week as I plan to attend Vettes, Rods and Classics at Creekside in Gahanna, Ohio. Look for a big report from that show.