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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.
1970 Chevy Camaro (All Original) - Owner: Bill Dennis
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NEWS AND NOTES
The weather forecast mid-week called for a 90% chance of rain with the possibility of severe storms on Saturday. It was enough to make two events originally scheduled for Saturday move to Sunday. But once again the weather forecasters got it wrong. There was little to no rain throughout much of Central Ohio and there weren't any severe storms. However, many cruisers expecting wet conditions stayed home on Saturday including myself.
Der Dutchman Cruise-In:
What a difference a week makes. With the temperature back in the low 80s and humidity about half of what it was the week before, attendance at the cruise-in shot up to 332 cars.
Just a reminder there is NO "official" cruise-in this week because of the July 4th Holiday. Wayne Nisly sent out the following email:
Honda Marysville Motorsports Bike & Car Night Meet-Up:
The were about 20 cars and roughly the same number of bikes at the meet-up on Friday evening.
I took advantage of the free food from the Triple P Barbecue Co. food truck and ordered a BBQ bacon burger and tater tots. It was a pretty good burger and who doesn't like tater tots?
A few of the bike owners took the opportunity to have their bikes dyno'd. The one below made a max of 82 hp.
Prairie Township Fire Department Fish Fry & Friday Cruise-In:
The Prairie Township Fire Department Hosted its annual Fish Fry and Cruise-in on Friday evening.
The cruise-in registered 118 cars this year. There were 40 "Favorite" Awards plus 10 Specialty Trophies.
Arch Mayer's 1997 Ford Cobra received a "Favorite 40" Award.
The Fire Chief's Choice was the 1957 Chevy Bel Air belonging to Jim Loftus.
Best of Show honors went to Dave Bratton and his 1937 Ford Wild Rod.
Conkey Classic Car Show:
Originally scheduled for May 11, the Conkey Classic Car Show was rescheduled for Sunday, June 30, because of the weather.
The show took place at Weaver Park at the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Hilliard, Ohio. It honors the memory of Lou, Judy, and Dave Conkey who passed away from COVID-19 in 2020. Proceeds from the show go to the Conkey Memorial Foundation which assists persons with medical conditions and challenges.
Registration was $10 and included a chance to win one of the door prizes. There was also raffle prizes along with a 50/50 drawing. Multiple vendors had booths set up along the back fence of Weaver Park.
A total of 121 cars, trucks, and bikes were registered so it turned out to be a smart move to change the date to June 30. The weather was almost perfect for this time of year.
There were 15 "Specialty" car Awards and a Best of Show. There were also award plaques for the sponsors and awards for those who had participated in consecutive Conkey Classic shows. The kids also received awards for their Hula Hoop skills.
Here are the "Specialty" Award winners:
FARTHEST TRAVELED (135 miles from Akron) 1976 Chevy Laguena S-3 - Owner: Jeff LoudinPEOPLE'S CHOICE 1985 Nissan 300 ZX - Owner: John ArmentanoKID'S CHOICE 2009 Jeep Liberty - Owner: Eric GrandstormBEST JEEP 2011 Jeep Wrangler - Owner: Robin BlakeFAMILY FAVORITE 1963 Studebaker Hawk - Owners: Gary & Gregg AllwineCARZ & CAUSEZ AWARD 1953 Chevy 3100 - Owners: Dean & Luann MaisenbacherLOU CONKEY EARLY BIRD & COFFEE CONNECTIONS AWARDS 1956 Buick Super - Owner: Shannon WilliamsBEST TRUCK 1948 Chevy Pickup - Owner: Steve AndrixBEST DAILY DRIVER 1968 Pontiac Firebird - Owners: Dale & Betsy RiceDJ'S CHOICE 1981 Pontiac Trans Am - Owner: Matt RichBEST MOTORCYCLE 2017 Harley Davidson Road King - Owner: Robert BretzOLDEST VEHICLE 1927 Ford T-Coupe - Owner: Tim Harbert
The Best Display Award went to Jeff Ward's 2002 Chevy S10 "Low Rider"
The Mojo Car Club received the Club Participation Award.
Mark and Patty Enyart's 1962 Chevy Impala SS was selected Best of Show.
Final Thoughts: Weaver Park at the Franklin County Fairgrounds is not the ideal venue for a car show in my opinion. The grass area is rough with multiple potholes and tree roots above ground. A show participant tripped in one of the holes on Sunday and fell. The individual had to be transported to the hospital by EMS with the likelihood of a broken arm. The rest of the car show season is probably ruined for this person. With many of us cruisers up there in age, the last thing needed is a surface with a high potential to cause a fall. The organizers of the Conkey Show or any show for that matter should consider moving away from Weaver Park as a location for a car show. I have done my last show at the park. The risk of a fall is not worth it.
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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.
