21st Annual Summer Knights Car Show – April 29, 2012

Click here for the 64-image gallery from this show.

Beckley Road was the place to be as more than 1,600 car enthusiasts spent a sunny and breezy spring Sunday viewing close to 400 show cars and a couple of fire trucks at the 21st Annual Summer Knights Benefit Show Shine and 4th Annual Swap Meet at the Berlin Fairgrounds.

“Proceeds from this show have helped many children in the area, their families and other charities,” according to Summer Knights president John Jarush. “Last year, our benefit recipient was five-year-old Jonathan Silva of Berlin. He was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a very rare autoimmune disease that attacks the nervous system, on January 6, 2011. We were pleased to have Jonathan and his family attend the show. All profits from this year’s show will go to an as-yet-to-be-named worthy cause. Our club likes the beneficiary to be a young person or child and from the Berlin or surrounding area.”

3rd Annual Village Gate Car Show – April 28, 2012

Click here for the 36-image gallery from this show.

What a perfect way for Cruisin’ Photography to spend a sunny Saturday – strolling the grounds at Village Gate in Farmington at the 3rd Annual Car Show sponsored by the Bristol Auto Club. In the spirit of charity, a bake sale and an antique Good Humor truck offered delectable desserts and refreshing ice cream, while an enthusiastic group of high schoolers offered to wash your car.

Our first stop was to see Reggie L’Heureaux, President, and Dave Champagne, Vice President and Director of Communications/Webmaster, of the Bristol Auto Club, and exchange pleasantries.

Then Dave and I were off to see the cars. I took the lead and made a beeline for a 1970 “Big Bad Blue” AMC AMX that had caught my eye when it pulled in. Owner Rick Mullaney, of Bristol, bought the car in August of 2011. “I was looking for something to play with and was on the verge of buying a Corvette. Then I saw this car on eBay. It was originally from Oakland, California, but was located in Colorado when I found it. My Marine buddy Chuck who lives in NY, has a good friend in Colorado who knows AMXs. He asked his friend to check the car out, and when he gave it the thumbs up, I bought the car and had it shipped here.

“This car has been taken apart, stripped down to bare metal, and redone,” according to Mullaney, no stranger to AMC, having owned a 1970 moss green Javelin when he got out of the Marines. “While the paint is not original, it is the correct paint. The odometer reads 69,663 today, and I’ve only put on 100 or so of those miles.

“I took the car to one show in 2011 – the Connecticut AMO Regional, held in Wallingford, and came away with a couple of trophies. I’m planning to take the car to the 2012 National AMO Car Show, in Andover, MA. My buddy Chuck, from NY, will also be there with his 1970 Big Bad Orange AMX.”

C3 Spring Car Show – Saturday, April 21, 2012

Click here for the 36-image gallery from this show.

Cruisin’ Photography’s first outing of the year brought us to the C3 Spring Car Show held at CCSU on Saturday, April 21st. Held in perfect spring sunshine, the show attracted nearly 300 cars, bikes and trucks.

When Kathy and I arrived the show was in full swing. Our first stop was the parking lot rooftop for some elevated panoramic shots of the busy gathering below. With the shots taken we headed down to see our good friends Krystina Carbone, Terry Bollacker and Tom and Linda DeZenzo, along with Tai, their beautiful Doberman dog.

Krystina’s family was there to honor the memory of her cousin, Brian Wilson, Jr., who was 23 when a heart attack tragically cut his life short in 2008. Brian, a volunteer firefighter in Plainville and then in Burlington, also enjoyed Jeeps and off-roading.

Linda said her son had been an active member of C3, and the family was there to promote heart health and the American Heart Association. “It’s important to get the word out that a heart attack can strike anyone, including someone like Brian, who was 23, active and in good health,” said Linda.

As we chatted, two pristine fire trucks poignantly arrived at the show. Krystina arranged a shot of the families with the trucks and the volunteer firefighters manning them.

The trucks, from the Connecticut Fire Museum, were promoting an upcoming fundraiser for the Connecticut Trolley Museum. Xion Clere, Robert Levesque and Aaron Mangan invited us to the event, a beer/wine tasting that’s being held at the Trolley Museum on North Road, East Windsor on May 11th. All proceeds from the event, sponsored by Joe’s Fine Wine & Spirits in East Windsor, will benefit the restoration of the trolleys that were damaged when thieves broke into the museum earlier this year.

Volunteers at the museum found three trolley cars dating back to 1905 stripped of their copper and brass components. The damage is estimated to be tens of thousands of dollars. Crowbars were used to pry brass pieces off of the ceilings, windows, and exterior of the wooden cars, doing extensive damage to the woodwork; wiring was cut and some of the control gear was stripped out of the cars. All three cars require extensive work before they can be returned to operation for museum visitors to enjoy.

The Connecticut Trolley Museum, operated by volunteers, features trolley rides on a 1.5-mile track and exhibits of the era. The museum, dedicated to the preservation of the trolley era, is seeking donations to recover some of the costs associated with the repairs to these trolleys. For those interested in helping out, please contact the Connecticut Trolley Museum at 860-627-6540.

Legacy

I’d like to start by paying tribute to drag-racing legend Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins who recently died at the age of 81.

Jenkins earned legendary status by helping revolutionize drag racing’s Pro Stock class through innovations in engine, suspension and other parts. He also was a successful driver, taking 13 NHRA national-event victories and numerous other races under various sanctions.

In 2011, Jenkins was voted No. 8 among NHRA’s greatest racers. He is also a member of the Don Garlits International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, the Motorsports Hall of Fame and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Called “Grumpy” for his no-nonsense attitude, Jenkins earned a mechanical-engineering degree from Cornell University and used that knowledge and skill to transform the Pro Stock class. His engines won five NHRA Pro Stock championships in a row.

Jenkins, nicknamed “The Father of Pro Stock,” always took greater pride in his mechanical achievements than in his driving. Drag racing’s first dry-sump oil system, the first kick-out oil pans, Pro Stock strut-style front suspension, gas-port pistons, slick-shift manual transmissions, cool cans, and the electric water-pump fan are among his innovations.

Jenkins began competing at tracks in the late 1950s. Concentrating primarily on Junior Stock entries, he became an East Coast cult figure by the mid-1960s after helping prepare more than 30 national-record setting cars.

Jenkins gained national prominence in 1966 with his 327ci, 350hp Chevy II that outran most of the 426ci, 425hp Dodge and Plymouth Street Hemis. He exploited the “giant killer” approach in 1972 when he won six of eight national events with his 331ci small-block Pro Stock Vega.

In 1970, he was the first Pro Stock driver to break the 10-second barrier. Today’s Pro Stock cars regularly run 1,000ft times of 6.5 seconds, none of which would be possible without his work.

RIP Grumpy. Thanks for the memories. (Picture – www.dragracingonline.com.)

After reading about Grumpy’s legacy, I began thinking about how drag racing has changed over the years, how the pioneering days of the sixties have left their mark on today and how certain racecars from the sixties are again tearing up the strip.

From my early teens, I’ve been a huge fan of Ford Anglias. It doesn’t matter if it’s street or race, if it’s an Anglia, it stirs something inside me.

The pint-sized pocket rocket from “across the pond” was a crowd pleaser at the height of the Gasser Wars in the 1960s. In 1961, NHRA’s rules set the minimum wheelbase for a gasser at 94-inches. The rules also stated that the body must be from an American manufacturer. Both of these rules blew any chance of a foreign car entering the gas classes. (Picture – www.beaversprings.com.)

However, in 1963, NHRA allowed foreign cars to compete in the gas classes even though they were under the 94-inch wheelbase minimum. The kicker was, they could only run a small block engine and no blowers were allowed. This opened the door for the 90-inch Anglia and Thames panel van to join the gasser ranks.

NHRA stood fast on the minimum wheelbase restrictions until 1968, but over at AHRA-sanctioned strips, no such rules existed. This opened the door for west coast tracks like Lions and Irwindale to schedule AA/GS meets on a regular basis. These match races packed the stands, paid well and soon many of the former injected small block-powered cars switched over to superchargers and did remarkably well.

During 1965, two of the most famous Anglia gassers ever built switched from the small block Chevy to the all-new 396/427ci engine. The Shores & Hess Anglia, driven by Skip Hess, was one of the first racers to obtain the new big block Chevy. With the addition of a 6.71 blower, the car entered the AA/GS ranks, but only under the AHRA banner. Soon after, Ed and Ray Kohler of “King Kong” Anglia fame made the move to a 454ci Chevy. With both cars now competing in the AA/GS ranks, match race madness was in full swing.

When NHRA finally let the 90-inch wheelbase cars compete with all of the goodies, hundreds of Anglias, Prefects and Thames quickly appeared on US drag strips. Their popularity as a wild and sometimes out of control gasser quickly grew until late model bodies began to appear.

So the legacy of the Anglia and the Gasser Wars was made. But what of the tiny terror now? Many of the old cars are being restored and raced at nostalgia events. But “across the pond” back in it’s home country, the Anglia has a new cult following and a new lease on life. The 10-second cars of the sixties are now seven-second tarmac thrashers and they are called Outlaw Anglias.

Robert “Bob” Nixon, a drag race chassis builder from Essex formed the Outlaw Anglia class during the summer of 1992. He gathered a group of drivers already competing in various classes and turned his vision of a single make “Heads-Up” class into a reality. The class was an instant success with side-by-side burnouts and huge wheel stand launches. Pit areas soon became quiet when the Anglias were in action.

The first Outlaw Anglia championship was held in 1993, with Danny Cockerill’s eight-second car taking the honors.

Due to its success, cars were soon built specifically to compete in the Outlaw Anglia class. Andy Carter’s Anglia was designed to take full advantage of the minimal construction rules.

With a 101-inch chassis and 3,000hp+ Keith Black nitro motor, it made its debut in late 1993. I was a media accredited journalist at Avon Park that day, and was about 15 feet from Carter’s Anglia when it launched into its first seven-second pass. To this day, that ground-shaking pass remains one of the most brutal and exhilarating experiences of my life. Later that day, another Outlaw Anglia broke its wheelie bars on launch and sent the nose of the car directly over my head as I worked trackside…

As the series grew, the fields became faster and faster and evermore crowd pleasing. While these purpose-built beasts were light years away from the Gasser heritage, they still shared one thing – poor handling. Back in the day it was common to see an Outlaw get into trouble down track and cross the line on its roof, a combination of aerodynamics (or lack of) and short wheelbase being the culprit.

Paul Wright was a member of the series from day one in his Chevy-powered ex-street car. In 2004, he changed over to a full-on race chassis and in 2006 set new ET and speed records for the class of 7.560 & 190.57mph respectively. In 2008, he lowered the ET record to 7.477 in his methanol-powered 555ci Chevy-powered monster.

The Outlaw Anglias have evolved from a small group of record setters to a bunch of dedicated racers who come together to race and put on a unique, spectacular show that continues the legacy of the Ford Anglia in drag racing history.

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Stan Rogers – A Tribute

The 2012 Connecticut car show/cruise season will be missing a very familiar and popular face after the sad passing of Stan Rogers on January 21st. Wheelchair-bound Stan and his wife, Terry, were regular cruise night and car show visitors and were honorary members of the Connecticut Street Legends Car Club.

He married Terry, his high-school sweetheart, on July 4, 1964. They shared a love of classic cars, and spent most of their time at classic car shows, and working on classic cars, motorcycles and boats.

Shortly after Stan’s passing, Kathy and I met up with Street Legends’ Bob Serra, and met Stan and Terry’s sons, Stan Jr. and Matt and grandson, Jacob, to talk about Stan’s life and love of all things automotive.

Bob started by telling us how he got to know Stan and Terry “In 2002 we decided to have a best-of-the-best evening to close our cruise night season. We invited all the previous trophy winners to go head-to-head and we would pick the Best Of The Best.

“During these cruise nights, and other events we attended, we’d always see a woman pushing a man in a wheelchair, and they had a dog with them,” said Bob. “We started talking to Stan and Terry Rogers and we all became friends. They came to every show, and became our biggest supporters. They were fun people, so we gave them the Best Of The Best fan award. This was the first and only time we have presented such an award.

“When we were setting up the 2011 Street Legends Cruising Newington show, Terry stopped by and let me know that she and Stan had been in a car accident and Stan had a broken neck and shoulder,” Bob continued.

“After the show, the Legends members went for a bite to eat. I told the other members what had happened, and immediately people said we should do a benefit show. We took a vote, which was 100% in favor. We put the show together pretty quick.

“When they found out about the show, all the local car clubs handed out 1,000 color flyers that had been produced by Robbie Heim and the guys from the Connecticut GTO Club. The Over The Hill Gang Eastern Chapter gave us a check as a donation. Everyone wanted to help us with the show or give donations. It was through the show that we got to meet Stan and Terry’s sons Stan and Matt and grandson, Jacob. The show raised more than $3,500, which shows the love that the car clubs have for Stan and Terry.”

“Honestly, I didn’t know such good quality people still existed in this world,” Matt said.

“Stan had an electric wheelchair that he didn’t like to use,” Bob continued. “He thought it made him look handicapped. Besides, he liked Terry to push him around. Stan was a big man, but a gentle giant. He had some problems with his body, but he was sharp as a tack. I never heard him complain even once. He never felt sorry for himself.”

“When Dad was in high school they had a car club”, Stan Jr. said. “His car, at the time, was a ’58 Impala convertible that he had for many years. When Mom and Dad got married, the Impala was at the church with soda cans tied to the back bumper.

“He was a backyard mechanic throughout his life, working on various automobiles that included a ’50 Chevy and a ’67 Impala along with numerous Harley and Triumph motorcycles. I’d come home from school and Dad had cars lifted up on 1½-ton jacks with no other support and he would be working away underneath it. He used to scare me so much!

“There was several times when I would walk into the kitchen and see a transmission in pieces. Dad would be pulling an old gear out and putting a new one in right there on the kitchen table,” according to the younger Stan.

“I’d sleep over at my grandparents and help my grandmother,” Jacob said. “I’d hang out with them and go to the car shows. My grandfather would know everything about every single car there.”

“Dad liked to be right by the driveway at the Mark’s Classic Car Shows,” Stan said. “He would sit there in his wheelchair. He liked to see the cars come in and go out. He’d hate to leave. Mom and Jacob took turns pushing him around to see the cars.”

“Dad came home from the hospital and was doing okay and then he started to slip a little. He was down in the dumps,” Matt and Stan said. Bob and five of the Street Legends went to visit him. “He was sitting in a chair and looked up and gave us a huge big smile. We talked for about a half an hour. Terry called the next day and said Stan was trying to stand up. He told her he had to get better so he could go and see his friends at the car shows. The car shows really lifted his spirits.”

Bob finished our conversation with this story “Shortly after the accident, Terry bought Stan to the cruise night at the No Name Tortilla Grill in Berlin. He was too weak to get out of the car. They parked so that he could see everything that was going on. As soon as everybody found out that Stan was in that car, nobody was looking at the cars. They were all going to say hello to him. That said a lot about Stan.

Stan’s family has said that the Street Legends touched their lives. Stan has touched our lives, and so many other people’s lives in such a positive way. He will be missed so much by everyone who knew him.”

We would like to thank the Rogers family and Bob Serra for allowing us to use their photos to illustrate this tribute.

Vanning 2011

As I start to compile a few dates for the 2012 Cruisin’ Photography calendar, my mind wanders back to some of the memorable shows/cruises that Kathy and I attended last year. For both of us, some of our best times were spent with the extremely friendly folks at van shows.

Our first vantastic weekend was at the Four Town Fair Grounds in Somers for the Super Somer gathering. The day was hot and humid, but immediately the friendly nature of the vanners was apparent as they offered soda and water to make sure that we didn’t get dehydrated as we photographed the vans and interviewed the owners.

These guys want people to know that the halcyon days of vanning in the ‘70s never went away, and they’re working tirelessly to promote their side of the car show scene.

We watched Paul Mennett, of Cruisin’ New England, interview Pete Guthrie for a segment on vanning to be aired on the NESN TV channel. Guthrie, president of the Spindle City Truckers back home in Fall River, MA, bought his van on July 10, 1981. “I’ve done all the work myself except for the paint and artwork. The 1970s were a great time in America. Gas was about $1.00-a-gallon. People were working. Even in the early 1980s, it only cost $12.00 to fill Golden Voyager up.”

For 2012, the tie-dye and bandana-wearing Guthrie is the newly elected Public Relations Officer for the New England Van Council. The reserved-and-retiring “PR Pete” will be an asset to the community once he overcomes his shyness! Okay, those of you who know Pete will know that I’m teasing about being shy.

Trish Kenney and her husband Joe “Rooster” Kenney met while vanning. “We were both involved in vanning before we were married,” said Trish, owner of Wizard of Oz-themed Emerald City van. “I was selling t-shirts as a vendor at the Washington County Fairgrounds, and Joe bought one. Well he bought a few,” she laughed. “I love T-shirts,” according to Joe, whose van is called Neverending Story.

Our old friends Todd Vaillancourt and Mary Odom were troopers, donning their vanning coats that are covered in patches from the vanning events they’ve attended over the years, and posed for photographs. Had it not been for a chance meeting with Todd, Mary and their ’87 Astro van, Vanformer, we may not have even known that vanning was still in existence.

The following weekend Kathy and I were at the Berlin Fair Grounds for a Connecticut Street Legends show when we saw Rooster and his van. As we spoke with him, we saw Mike Siering, Pat Doolan and John Ostrander arrive in a van convoy and fit right in with the multitude of muscle cars, hot rods, classics and antique cars already parked. As we chatted, the guys invited us to Vandango XIII at the Brooklyn Fair Grounds in early September. We had to go!

Upon arrival at Vandango, we headed over to catch up with Johnny O. After a hearty welcome, he offered us some much-appreciated beverages. “I’ve been vanning since 1982. I was 18 years old and right out of high school,” he told us. “I was always interested in custom vehicles, and this is my third customized van.” After owning 1971 and 1976 Ford vans, Johnny O bought the 1973 Dodge B100 short body seven years ago, and did the interior and motor work on it. The van is actually white with sunset pearl, a striking orange color, over it.

Meriden, CT resident Roger Moyles was taking five in his “Sinsational” 1965 Chevy G10 van. He was quick to show us the custom bed frame and lights in the back of his van and said fellow vanner Mike Midnight did the work. “I did the welding and basic bodywork and the interior. Ron “Knighty” McCasland did the stitching on the bed. I’ve owned 41 vans that were built from 1964 – 1971, mostly for parts. I bought this van in 2001 and it sat for seven years before I did a swap of the body.”

Once again, like Super Somer, the offers of water and soda to combat the heat and humidity were overwhelming. A huge thanks to you all.

On Saturday November 12th, Cruisin’ headed out on I-84 West to the CoCo Key Resort in Waterbury. Todd and Mary had invited us to the New England Van Council meeting, hosted by Just Us Vanners from Watertown, as their guests.

In all, 25 van clubs were represented, so we got to meet a lot of new faces. Kathy and I were formally recognized by the Council and thanked for our involvement in the promotion of vanning.

After the meeting, we had the opportunity to catch up with Rooster Kenney and Trish Morrell, John Ostrander, Roger Moyles, Pat Doolan and Pete Guthrie.

Pat and Johnny O asked if Cruisin’ Photography could produce a high-quality 4 x 6 promotional piece for vanners to give out at shows in 2012.

We sent a list of prices/quantities to Pat, and early in the New Year, Johnny O gave the green light to design the promotional card.

Cruisin’ Photography’s images were supplemented with supplied images and text, resulting in an initial design and layout. The design was retooled after input from Johnny O, Pat and Doug “Virtual Vanner” in Toronto, Canada.

Johnny O started a thread on the Vannin.com web site to gauge people’s interest and to determine the print quantity. The initial response was very positive and resulted in a print order of 10,000 pieces.

After uploading the files to the printer, we took delivery of the finished product just five days later. Johnny O picked them up just 90 minutes later, opting to beat the threatened snow that weekend.

The cards are now with vanners in San Diego, Staten Island, Ohio, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma and Canada. Johnny O also took promotional cards to the Council of Council meeting in Florida, which means the initial order of 10,000 has almost all been distributed.

Happy Christmas!

Cruisin’ Photography would like to thank everyone who has helped us in 2011. Our clients, our Facebook fans, the great folks that we met at the shows, our families and so many more are all part of what we do.

Have a wonderful holiday, a safe and healthy New Year and a great show season. See you in 2012!