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NEWS AND NOTES
I have to begin this week’s News and Notes on a somber note. Richard McPeek passed away on September 12, 2025. Richard was a familiar face at car shows in and around the Newark and Licking County area, where he proudly showed his 1934 Ford Sedan. He will be deeply missed by all of us in the car community.
Der Dutchman Cruise-In a Special Evening for Wayne:
Thursday’s second-to-last Der Dutchman Cruise-In of the season was a memorable one for Wayne Nisly, who has managed the event since its beginning. Wayne was honored with the second annual Lifetime Achievement Award from the Speak for the Unspoken Car Show in recognition of his tremendous contributions to the Central Ohio car community.
Under Wayne’s leadership, the cruise-in has grown from just seven cars at its very first gathering in 2012 to an impressive 394 cars this past Thursday. More importantly, he has created a welcoming place where enthusiasts can share their passion for unique and beautiful cars, reconnect with old friends, and forge new friendships. His dedication has left a lasting impact on the Central Ohio car scene—this award was a heartfelt way of saying thank you.
Just a reminder — this week’s cruise-in will be the last one of the season. The following week is the annual end of the season banquet. If you haven’t signed up for the banquet, Thursday will be your final chance to do so.
Ford Vs Ferrari Car Show:
Valley Ford of Columbus hosted its 2nd Annual Ford vs. Ferrari Car Show on Friday evening.
Registration was $10, with all proceeds benefiting QFM96’s Red, White & Q Fund. While no official car count was taken, most attendees estimated between 150–200 vehicles, with Mustangs making up about 90% of the field.
Special guest Steve Saleen, the legendary designer behind Saleen Fords, was on hand signing autographs.
The event also featured a wide variety of food trucks—including some serving adult beverages—that kept the large crowd of spectators and participants well fed.
At the conclusion of the show, six awards were presented:
Best Saleen Mustang
Best Modern Classic
Ladies’ Choice
Mechanics’ Choice
Dealer’s Choice
Best of Show
Here are the six winners:
Best Saleen Mustang: Mathew Bates - 2004 Saleen Mustang
Best Modern Classic: Bob Foutty - 2001 Mustang SVT Cobra
Ladies' Choice: Chris Zakrzewski - 1969 Ford Mustang
Mechanics' Choice: Matt Goff - 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass
Dealers' Choice - Mike Charles - 1990 Saleen Sports Truck (Not Pictured)
The Best of Show honors went to Todd Damon and his 1966 Ford GT 40 Mark 2
While the winning cars were all impressive, the most eye-catching vehicle of the evening wasn’t a Mustang, Ford GT, or Ferrari—it was a one-of-a-kind 2007 Valarra Corvette, featuring a ProCharged LS2 motor and massive 25-inch, 405-series rear tires!
Although the show welcomed all makes and models, the overwhelming presence of Mustangs and the strong Ford turnout gave the evening a distinctly Ford-focused vibe—just what you’d expect from an event hosted by a Ford dealer.
2010 Ford Mustang GT Convertible - Owner: Jim Allen
Before we get into this week’s list, I want to take a moment to thank the Columbus Area Chapter of the Mustang Club Ohio for the inaugural Life Time Achievement Award I received on Sunday at the Speak for the Unspoken Car Show. It was a surprise and an honor to receive this award for carshowtalk.com.
I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the many volunteers who contribute content to this site each week. The adage “It takes a village to raise a child” applies here. It certainly takes a village to create a content-rich car show blog. I can’t begin to express my appreciation for all the help I receive from the Central Ohio car community. I’m truly blessed in that regard.
I plan to prominently display this award on my desk so it always reminds me how much fun it is to go to a car show. It’s not so much about the cars or the awards but rather the people you meet, and the friends you make that all share a passion for cars.
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NEWS AND NOTES
Grace Chapel Wednesday Night Cruise-In:
The Wednesday Night Cruise-in at the Grace Chapel Community Church in Westerville, Ohio had around 50 cars in attendance this week.
Nothing fancy just a bunch of car people getting together and shooting the breeze on a lovely Wednesday evening.
The cruise-in will go to the end of October weather permitting. If you're looking for something to do on a Wednesday evening, check it out.
Der Dutchman Cruise-In:
The second-to-last Der Dutchman Cruise-In of the season had 380 cars in attendance.
A group of ten cars from the Dayton, Ohio area drove over to attend the cruise-in for the first time. One of the cars in the group, a current-generation Corvette, had a very cool military-themed wrap.
As is usually the case, you never know what might appear at the cruise-in. This week it was a semi-truck hauling assorted items including another truck and a hot air balloon.
This coming Thursday (9/26) will be the last Der Dutchman cruise-in of the season. The following week will be the banquet. If you're interested in attending the banquet, there is a sign-up sheet at the registration table.
Spectrum Support Car Show:
On Saturday, the Hi-Way Starz Car Club hosted its first-ever car show at the Eagles F.O.E in Newark, Ohio.
Registration was only $10 and with it came one door prize ticket. You could purchase more door prize tickets as well as 50/50 raffle tickets. All proceeds from the show went to support Autism.
The Hi-Way Starz registered 101 vehicles on Saturday. There were a total of 50 awards which included trophies for the Top 40, nine "Special Category" trophies, and a Best of Show.
Here were the "Special Category" winners:
BEST MODERN 2023 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing - Owner: K. HawksworthBEST IMPORT 1988 Porsche 928 S4 - Owner: Jim KeckBEST HOT ROD 1930 Ford Model A with a blown 354 Hemi - Owners: Joe/Hot Rod by EdBEST RAT ROD 1963 Volkswagon Bug - Owner: Brad SmithBEST TRUCK 1959 Ford F100 - Owner: BobbyBEST BIKE 2004 Harley Davidson Softtail Custom - Owner: Cory HolmesBEST MOPAR 1974 Plymouth Satelite RoadRunner Tribute - Owner: Duane GreenBEST FORD 1955 Ford Thunderbird - Owner: Will FordBEST GM 1961 Chevy Impala - Owner: Darlene Casey
The 1957 Chevy Bel Air wagon of Scott Shepherd was selected Best of Show.
For a first-time event, the Hi-Way Starz should be commended. The show was very organized and awards were presented on time without any glitches. Hopefully, the club will consider doing more shows in the future.
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NEWS AND NOTES
For those who may not know, George Burton passed away on September 6th. You may recognize him by his yellow Chevy SSR. He participated in lots of car shows around the area. George will be missed.
Der Dutchman Cruise-In:
The Der Dutchman Cruise-In was back in the 300s on Thursday evening. Attendance hit 330 cars to be exact.
On Saturday morning, attendance at the Coffee and Donuts Cruise-In broke the 100 mark.
Wayne in the barn loft counting cars
When you allow yourself one cream-filled Long John donut per year, man do they taste extra good!
While the Coffee and Donuts cruise-in was going on, the C10 Club Ohio was having breakfast in the restaurant before embarking on its historic bridge cruise.
I managed to catch some of the C10s before they left the restaurant. Looked like they had a pretty good turnout for the cruise.
NAPA Friday Night Cruise-In:
Thanks to great weather, the Cruise-In at the NAPA store in Hilliard, Ohio had 60-plus cars roll through Friday evening.
The cars in attendance were a nice mix of classics, modern muscle, and imports.
I can't think of too many better ways to spend a Friday evening than hanging out with your car buddies.
Farrow's Hot Rods & Handlebars:
It was a wild scene Saturday evening at Farrow Harley-Davidson in Sunbury, Ohio. The Harley-Davidson dealership hosted its second Hot Rods and Handlebars event this season.
The band Phoenix Rising entertained the crowd with classic rock during the evening.
Food and refreshments were available from four food trucks located to the left of the stage. Plus there was a beer garden for adult beverages.
I can't give an exact number of cars and motorcycles that were in attendance since the window placards were not numbered. My best guess on the cars was somewhere around 130 to 150. All I can say about the number of motorcycles is there was a boatload of them.
If you wanted your motorcycle judged, there was a specified area you needed to park and register it. As for the cars, I have no idea how they judged them. The show officially started at 4 PM and all judging had to be completed by 5:30 PM. I spoke with someone who was at the show and he saw three people he assumed were judges doing a pretty fast walk by each car.
If your car was selected as a finalist for an award, this placard was placed on the windshield.
There were four awards for the motorcycles, 1st, 2nd, 3rd place, and Best of Show. There were a total of 10 awards for the cars. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place for classic cars, modern cars (2000 and up), and Rabid's Choice plus a Best of Show
The Motorcycle Division winners:
3RD PLACE 2015 Harley Street Glide - Owner: Kibler2ND PLACE 1974 Harley Super Glide - Owner: Martin Huedepohl1ST PLACE 2011 Harley Road King - Owner: Antoine DavisBEST OF SHOW 1967 Harley Electric Glide - Owner: Rufus Smith
The Car Division Winners:
3RD PLACE RABID'S PICK 1965 Chevy C-10 - Owner: Ron Kinder2ND PLACE RABID'S PICK 1971 Chevy K5 Blazer - Owner: Mike Lowe1ST PLACE RABID'S PICK 1932 Ford - Owner: Ed Parker3RD PLACE MODERN 2023 Corvette - Owner: William Porter2ND PLACE MODERN 2015 Ford RTR Mustang - Owner: Rob West1ST PLACE MODERN 2019 Ford Shelby GT 350R - Owner: Tim McNelis3RD PLACE CLASSICS 1963 Corvette - Owner: J. Profio2ND PLACE CLASSICS 1968 Chevy Camaro - Owner: Scott Mayo1ST PLACE CLASSICS 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner - Owner: Jason McKendrickBEST OF SHOW 1937 Ford Roadster - Owner: John Fink
Motts Military "Driving for Daisy" Car Show:
Dan "Boots" Longenette and the Auto Smarts Radio Team were in Groveport, Ohio on Saturday hosting the annual car show at Motts Military Museum.
The show had over 100 cars in attendance.
Dale Pearce's 1950 Chevy 3100 pickup received the Manager's Pick.
Honor Flight's Pick went to Frank Deering and his 2000 Corvette.
Best of Show went to the 1969 Plymouth Road Runner Hemi owned by Jim Bickel.
First Church of God Fish Fry and Car Show:
The First Church of God in Circleville, Ohio hosted its annual Fish Fry and Car Show on Saturday. From what I understand, the fish sandwiches are pretty darn tasty.
This year the show registered 68 cars. There were 29 trophies presented at the end of the show. These included Top 20, Pastor's Choice, Roger Fortner Memorial, Six Top Class (Chevy, Ford, Dodge, etc.), and Best of Show.
Here are the Top three award winners:
Roger Fortner Memorial - 1967 Chevy Camaro - Owner: Leonard Cross or Croft
Pastor's Choice - 2016 Ford Mustang GT 350 - Owner: William Thomaschek
Best of Show - 1950 Chevy Pickup - Owner: Charlie Benson
Here are some of the cars from the show:
Speak for the Unspoken Car Show:
The Mustang Club of Ohio hosted its second Speak for the Unspoken Car Show on Sunday. The show took place in Hilliard, Ohio.
Proceeds from the show went to Speak for the Unspoken which is a foster-based rescue group for dogs with special needs.
Once the roads dried from some early morning showers, the show registered around 160 vehicles.
One of the vehicles that was registered was the 1985 Chevy Astro Van named Blastro. Built with a supercharged big block Chevy engine rated at 2000 HP, the owner claims it to be the fastest van in the world.
At around 2 PM, everyone in attendance got a chance to hear what a 2000 HP supercharged Chevy big block sounds like.
The Mustang Club of Ohio presented trophies to the "Top 40" along with 14 "Special" awards, a Runner-Up Best of Show, and a Best of Show.
Here are the "Special" award winners:
BEST BIKE 1942 Harley-Davidson WLC - Owner: Valentin MikichicBEST INTERIOR 1964 Plymouth Belvedere Wagon - Owner: James ElsmoreBEST MOPAR 1965 Plymouth Barracuda - Owner: Rebecca KerewskyFIRST RESPONDER 1966 Ford Fairlane GTA - Owner: Greg BarcusBEST TRUCK 1953 Chevy 3100 Pickup - Owner: Dean MaisenbacherBEST FOREIGN/IMPORT 1993 Nissan Grand Turismo - Owner: Wende MBEST MUSTANG 1970 Ford Mustang - Owner: Don ChambersBEST DISPLAY 2008 VW Beetle - Owner: Tom LawrencePUPPY'S PICK 1969 Chevy Camaro - Owner: Dave ChaseBEST FORD 1955 F-100 Pickup - Owner: Mike JohnsonMOST ORGINAL 1969 Pontiac GTO - Owner: John LintonBEST CHEVY 1955 Bel Air/Nomad - Owner: Michael MarzleyBEST PAINT 1967 Corvette - Owner: Craig Grunkemeyer2023 Jeep Todler Car - Owner: Charlie Bates
Runner-Up Best of Show went to Dan Gifford with a 1972 Oldsmobile 442 convertible.
Pete Lieb's 1962 Chevy Bel Air 409 received the Best of Show award.
Millersport Lions Club Car, Truck, & Bike Show:
The Millersport, Ohio Lions Club with the help of the Crossroads Events crew hosted a car, truck, and bike show on Sunday.
This show's "Spotlight" winner was Rick and Danielle Grogan and their 1936 Plymouth Coupe Hot Rod.
Nick Bradley's 1966 Dodge Coronet which was owned by his father and sat in a barn for 23 years received the Larry Bickers Daily Driver award.
The Best in Show winner was Jeff Wickham with his 1971 Chevy Monte Carlo SS.
Other Area Shows:
Coughlin Chevrolet in Pataskala, Ohio held its 16th Annual Car Show on Saturday. The show had 312+ cars in attendance. Lots of Corvettes. The show included free registration, free t-shirts, and a free lunch of hot dogs and chips. Coughlin presented awards to the Top 100 cars. There was no best-of-show award.
The Mid Ohio Cruisers Car Club hosted its September car show at the Burger King in Marysville, Ohio on Saturday evening. There were around 50 cars in attendance. Our friend, Kenny G., picked up a "Favorite 15" award for his 2016 Dodge Challenger Hellcat.
Despite some early morning rain, the Toy Barn in Dublin, Ohio had another packed house of cars and spectators for its fall car show on Sunday morning.
That's it for this week's News and Notes.
A big thanks to the following people for sending photos and info about this past week's events:
Jeff Shankle
Dave Bratton
Dale Pearce
Craig Grunkemeyer
Frank Russel
Kenny G.
Tim Davidheiser
I hope everyone has a good week! Stay safe. Look for a new list of Central Ohio car events and a News and Notes report next Monday.
A few weekly cruise-ins have dropped off the schedule, however, this weekend and next still have a full slate of events. Things will begin to wind down in October.
NEWS AND NOTES:
Der Dutchman:
The Der Dutchman Cruise-in experienced another good week of attendance with 287 cars Thursday evening. Two outstanding cars, a 1940 Woody wagon that won best of show at the Zucchinifest and West Jefferson Ox Roast last week, and a 50's Cadillac paid a visit this week.
Only three more cruise-ins left for this year. If you haven't made it to one yet, time is starting to run out.
Speaking of Der Dutchman, they will hold their Coffee and Donuts Cruise-in this Saturday morning. It's a great excuse to enjoy a cup of coffee, one of their famous long John donuts and hang out with your car buddies.
Creative Automotive/Advanced Auto Parts Car Show:
After battling rain the previous two months, The Creative Automotive/Advanced Auto Parts Car Show in Marysville, Ohio finally got a descent evening of weather.
Forty-two cars showed up Friday evening for the monthly show with 35 of them registering. The show raised $180 for the Milford Center and Marysville food pantries.
This month the manager of Advanced Auto Parts selected the following four cars for awards.
1970 Dodge Dart Swinger Owners: Thad & Theresa Roberts1986 Buick Grand National Owner: Bill Hoislbauer1968 Chevy Van Butch Owner: Butch Thompson1934 Ford Pickup Owner: Steve Atwell
Empty Pockets Cruisers Patriots Day Car Show:
The Empty Pockets Cruisers held their Patriots Day Car Show on Saturday at the Hilliard Community Center in Hilliard, Ohio.
This was the club's third show of the season and the first time hosting a show at the Hilliard Community center. Normally the club hosts three shows a season but in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of 9/11 they added this extra show.
The Community center turned out to be a nice venue for a car show. There was plenty of parking, clean restrooms and some shade if you wanted it. The club reached out to large number of food trucks but only two showed up on Saturday. I overheard some people complaining that the service from both trucks was a little slow.
The club registered 134 cars and presented 50 awards. The special awards at this event included Most Patriotic, First Responders Choice, Sponsors Choice, DJ's Choice, and Best of Show.
Best of Show award went to Dean and LuAnn Mafsenbacher and their 1953 Chevy 3100 pickup. The Mafsenbacher's truck also took the Best of Show honors at the Empty Pockets Armed Forces Day show in May.
All in all it was another great event put on by the Empty Pockets Cruisers. The club's final show of the season will be their annual Trunk or Treat event, one of my favorites, on October 16.
If you'd like to see more from the Patriots Day Show, CLICK HERE.
Ohio Corvette Club Alliance Corvette Gathering:
On Sunday I had the opportunity to participate in my very first Corvette Gathering in downtown Lancaster, Ohio.
The Gathering is put on by the Alliance of Corvette clubs from around the state of Ohio. It pretty much amounts to a big cruise-in for Corvettes. There's no judging or awards. For the $15 registration fee, you received a nice participation plaque and a raffle ticket for door prizes. The event also included a silent auction. Vendors were there selling Corvette related paraphernalia. After skipping last year because of Covid, this was the 16th year for the Corvette Gathering.
The Alliance registered 310 Corvettes, however, it was closer to 360 that participated. West Main Street in the historic district of downtown Lancaster is where the event is held. The street is closed between S. Columbus Street and S. High Street. There's a nice hill to climb as you walk towards S. High Street.
The newer Corvettes pretty much dominated the Gathering. Someone told me they only counted about 25 Corvettes from 1970 and older. I think there was more than that but the newer Corvettes were definitely in abundance. I saw quite a few out-of-state cars. The farthest away someone traveled that I saw was South Dakota.
If you like Corvettes and want to spend a relaxing day shooting the breeze with other Corvette owners, the Corvette Gathering is the place to be.
CLICK HERE to see a bunch of Corvettes from the Gathering.
Motts Military Driving for Daisy Car Show:
The Pepsi's Auto Smarts Radio Cruise and Ride crew were at the Motts Military Museum in Groveport, Ohio on Sunday for the Motts Military Driving for Daisy Car Show.
The show registered around 100 cars. The Best of Show award went to Jim Bickel and his 1969 AMC AMX. Dale Pearce and his 1950 Chevy 3100 pickup took Best Truck.
CLICK HEREfor more scenes from the Motts Military Driving Daisey show.
Other Area Car Shows:
I received word that the Street Elite Corvette Club's Charitable Open Car Show in Sunbury, Ohio on Saturday registered 160 cars. If anyone knows who took Best of Show, please post in the comments.
UPDATE: Sam Parks and his 1948 Chevy Pickup took the Best of Show award.
I'm told the turnout on Sunday for the All Ohio Ford Show at the Pastime Park in Plain City, Ohio was not very good. By 1 PM only 35-40 cars had registered. I understand there was no food or drink available. Very disappointing for a show with a $20 registration fee.
I want to again thank Dave Bratton and Jeff Shankle for sending information and photos on the shows they attending this weekend. It's great to have eyes, ears and cameras at the shows I'm unable to attend.
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