Another great summer of showing and shining got fired up last weekend when the Manitoba Street Rod Association hosted its annual Rondex Rodarama car show at the East End Arena in Transcona.
In case you missed it, this year's show was a beauty, with many saying it was the best Rodarama to date. The show featured an eclectic mix of more than 100 classic and custom vehicles alongside a nice variety of local automotive related vendors.
Craig Churchman, 24, won the coveted Rising Star award at last weekend's Rondex Rodarama. The award is presented to the top exhibitor under the age of 25.
One of the best things about Rodarama is the chance to check out the many projects completed throughout our long winter. Without car shows, there would be no show cars, and many of the exhibitors were still putting the finishing touches on their rides just moments prior to the doors opening on Friday evening.
One car that had everyone doing a double-take was Andy Sansregret's awesome 1972 Dodge Challenger. This bad boy was recently primped to perfection at Winnipeg's own Ground Up Restorations. In addition to a killer black/tangerine candy paint job, the car also features more than a few modern modifications. Under the hood there's a fresh Mopar Performance 402 cubic-inch crate motor that fits so nicely it appears factory installed.
The interior was also upgraded, and for stopping power all four corners feature massive Baer disc-brakes. Every person who walked through the doors of Rodarama was handed a ballot for the People's Choice award, and on Sunday evening Sansregret's vision was rewarded with the coveted trophy. "It was a real shock to win the People's Choice award," Sansregret said. "All weekend people were saying they loved the car, and I guess they really did." Rest assured this hopped-up Challenger won't be a trailer queen -- Sansregret is looking forward to driving the car all summer long.
The Rising Star award is another coveted trophy presented to a show participant under the age of 25. This year's winner, Craig Churchman, is a relatively new member of Winnipeg's hot rod fraternity. Churchman, 24, is from Swift Current, Sask., and has been studying engineering at the University of Manitoba for the last two years. Like any car buff, he couldn't imagine being away from his hot rod, so Churchman brought along his 1931 Chevrolet 5-window coupe.
He started working on the car with his father back when he was only 13. "I did all the work on the car myself except for the paint job and the upholstery," said Churchman, who joined the River City Rat Rodz car club soon after his arrival in Winnipeg. "I really like the scene here," added Churchman, "It's amazing how many cool cars there are in this city."
Andy Sansregret, took home both the People's Choice and Best Mopar awards for his stunning 1972 Dodge Challenger. The car was completed by Ground Up Restorations just in time for Rodarama.
Some folks were a bit worried that Churchman would take his trophy, and his awesome car back to Saskatchewan when school was over. Fear not, it looks like he's going to stick around for a while -- he was recently hired by Winnipeg engineering firm SNC Lavalin. We can credit the local car scene with playing a big part in Churchman's decision to call our city home.
Hats off to all the volunteer members of the Manitoba Street Rod Association for another great car show, and thanks to everyone who supported this year's Rondex Rodarama. It was an enlightening weekend that reminded everyone that another fun-filled cruising season is ready to rumble.
Life's too short to worry about the price of gas, rest assured, we'll find a way to cruise in our classics.
Remember, it's not about miles per gallon, it's all about smiles per miles.
Longtime Manitoba Street Rod Association member Doug Bedford is the proud owner of this beautiful 1939 Buick sedan. The car is a bona fide star; it was repainted last fall and will be featured in The Hessen Affair, a period film shot right here in Winnipeg.
PREVIOUS
