World of wheely cool

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/04/2010 (5974 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Let’s be honest here. There may be a few dudes in the local classic and special-interest vehicle hobby who have managed to convince the world that they are responsible adults, but the truth is most of us are simply overgrown children.

To prove this theory, I kept my eyes and ears on more than a few of my fellow cruisers as they strolled through the Winnipeg Convention Centre last weekend for Piston Ring’s 36th annual World of Wheels car show.

 

"Wow, check out that Chevelle," one guy said to his weary-looking wife as he hurried toward the car with lust in his eyes.

"Come on, Grandpa, I want some mini doughnuts," a youngster proclaimed as his motoring mentor dragged him by the hand toward yet another old Ford.

We may not be getting any younger, but from where I was sitting, it’s evident that once you’ve been bitten by the car bug even passing time will never dim the lights on your love for all things automotive.

Make no mistake about it, that’s a good thing.

Another one of my favourite things to do at the World of Wheels is canvas the crowd about what they think of the big show. In past years my fellow gearheads have lamented that there are too many of the same cars from last year, too many new cars, or worse yet… minivans and pickup trucks with zero modifications and decals plastered all over them.

There were still a few complaints about that stuff, but after asking no less than 100 locals for their thoughts I can report with complete confidence that this year’s show was the best in recent memory.

One of the major reasons for the change in public opinion is Bob Chubala, a founding director of the Manitoba Association of Auto Clubs and co-chairman for this year’s show. Chubala was responsible for selecting the more than 150 vehicles that were on display. It’s a tough job to be sure, but he orchestrated a killer lineup of vehicles that featured a great variety. He should also be commended for making the exhibitors feel both welcomed and appreciated and did a fantastic job ensuring the entire weekend rolled as smooth as silk.

We all have our favourites, but for me the coolest ride in the show was the breathtaking 1965 Chevelle owned by Lorne Plett of Ile des Chenes. This motoring masterpiece was built right here in Manitoba by Dale Loewen and his capable crew at SanDale Fabrication in Grande Pointe. From every angle this car blends modern engineering with old-skool cool and is arguably one of the nicest customs ever built in Manitoba.

 

Many in attendance at the show commented that they were shocked that this wasn’t one of the cars travelling with the show from the United States. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who felt this way; the judges picked it as best in show. We’ll be featuring the car right here in Willy’s Garage in the very near future.

Another ride that really caught my eye belongs to my friend and fellow Fabulous ’50s Ford Club of Manitoba member Adrien Poirier. This nostalgic 1958 Meteor sedan was Poirier’s first car, and he bought it from his father’s car lot when he was 16, way back in 1970 (sorry dude). He cruised in the car until 1976, and it has basically been in storage for more than 30 years.

Nowadays it’s back on the road and sporting a fresh paint job and a few modern mechanical upgrades. Other than that it appears exactly the way it did back in the day when Poirier was a car-crazy kid cruising the mean streets of Winnipeg. Call me an old softy, but when I spotted my buddy standing next to his prized ride for its long overdue debut at the World of Wheels there was a lump in my throat that even my $5.25 convention centre beer couldn’t wash down.

 

Another cool story belonged to my buddy Pat Kaniuga, who had his ultra-cool Plum Crazy Purple 1970 Dodge Challenger on display alongside his equally awesome and equally purple 2010 Challenger. Kaniuga ordered his new Challenger from Pembina Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep and actually got to go to the Brampton Assembly Plant in Ontario to watch his new ride being built. It was a tough weekend for Kaniuga, just last week some jerk cut him off while he was riding his mountain bike and Kaniuga fell so hard that he actually punctured his lung. That said, he wasn’t missing the chance to display his "Then and Now" Challengers and manned up all weekend. Thankfully he’s on the road to recovery, and I can’t wait to go for a ride in his latest Mopar muscle.

It was also cool to see my fellow members from the Riff Raff Car Club displaying their vehicles for the first time at the World of Wheels. Our mantra is to regularly drive nostalgic-looking cars that were built on a shoestring budget. It was a real thrill to see my fellow greasers finally get the recognition they deserve.

Although I’ve picked a few of my personal favourites, the reality is that everyone who showed a classic or special interest vehicle or manned a commercial booth throughout the weekend should be commended for their unwavering dedication to our hobby. The same should also be said for the local car clubs who participated in the show. It’s always a treat to see your theme-inspired displays and every club involved deserves a huge shout-out.

The king and queen of cruisers, John and Bev Dyck, were also joined throughout the weekend by fellow volunteers from the Manitoba Association of Auto Clubs as they presented the annual 2010 events guide. This jam-packed guide features all of the amazing auto events that will take place throughout Manitoba in 2010. We’ll continue to support MAAC events right here in the Free Press Autos section with a weekly event listing all summer long.

In addition to the car show, the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Show was also shining all weekend on the second floor of the convention centre. Organizer Robyn Gray did a fantastic job lining up a sea of shining bikes and a great variety of local vendors that cater to the motorcycle community. The fashion shows were also a huge hit and on Saturday night the lovely Breanna-Rae Stashko was crowned Miss World of Wheels in front of a packed house.

The Rolling Thunder portion of the World of Wheels was also a great place to promote a number of charity motorcycle rides that will be rolling through town in the upcoming months, including the Ride for Dad in support of prostate cancer on May 29, the Breast Cancer Pledge Ride on June 6, Ride for Sight on July 10, and the Ride for the Breath of Life in support of Cystic Fibrosis on July 18.

My friends and I spent a whirlwind month getting the old Chicken Delight "Chickenmobile" ready for the big show. We were both shocked and delighted with the amazing response the car received. The lesson learned is that if you egg us on we’ll deliver. Your kind words of support made all that sanding and all those sleepless nights totally worth it. Check out Willy’s Garage next week for a full report on this rapid restoration.

 

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Now that the World of Wheels is in our rear-view-mirror for another year, it’s time to get geared up for the Manitoba Street Rod Association’s 11th annual Rondex Rodarama, being held at the East End Arena in Transcona April 30-May 2. For more information check out www.msra.mb.ca "Take a Kid to a Car Show."

 

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The Manitoba Motorsports Hall of Fame was founded in 2006 by World of Wheels organizers Ron Lechman, Bob Chubala, Don Daley and Tom Williams to acknowledge the outstanding devotion and contributions of Manitobans from the ranks of drag racing, stock-car racing, motorcycling, hot-rodding, fabricating and customization.

This year’s inductees were drag racing champion Kenny Lang, legendary auto enthusiast Denis Verrier and road-racing pioneer George Chapman.

Kenny Lang is, without question, the most accomplished and celebrated drag racer in Manitoba motoring history. His racing resumé includes multiple wins at the national and international level. In 2008 Lang won his first IHRA pro-modified world title, becoming the first Canadian to ever achieve such lofty status. He repeated this amazing feat again in 2009. Lang was also chosen in 2009 by his peers as the IHRA’s best professional driver. This year the IHRA eliminated the professional classes, meaning Lang will go down in history as the last world champion in IHRA pro-mod history. Lang recently made the move to NHRA pro-modified racing and piloted his highly-modified 1953 Corvette to the podium in his inaugural event. His time was a blistering 5.908 seconds at 243.68 mph. As if all that isn’t enough, Lang, who is just 40 years old, also owns and operates Kenny Lang Autobody and is renowned as one of the finest paint and body experts in Manitoba.

Denis Verrier has been involved in Manitoba motorsports for more than 50 years. He got his start as a young car salesman at Dickson Motors in 1957 and made the move to Birchwood Motors in 1966. Forty-four years later, Verrier is still with Birchwood Motors and has long been considered the greatest car salesman in Manitoba. In addition to a very successful career in auto sales, Verrier has also owned, raced and restored a number of amazing machines including Corvettes, Firebirds, GTOs and street rods. Verrier’s 1935 Chevrolet street rod, aptly dubbed "Northern Star," is an award-winning machine that was built with no expense spared and has won countless trophies at car shows throughout North America. Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of meeting this treasure of a man knows that Denis Verrier is a true gentleman in every sense of the word and his contributions to motoring in Manitoba are as legendary as the amazing cars he has owned.

George Chapman was one of Manitoba’s most successful road racers and a true pioneer of the sport. His racing career began in 1952 and he won numerous events here in Manitoba and throughout North America. He is also credited with participating in the planning and building of Gimli Motorsports Park, the oldest continually used road race facility in Western Canada. Chapman practised law in Manitoba for many years and donated his experience and education to numerous auto racing-related associations and committees. In addition to his contributions to the Manitoba scene, Chapman has also championed the sport of auto racing at the national level and was inducted into the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1994. He is a former national director of the Canadian Automobile Sport Clubs, where he served three terms as president, and served on various international committees for the Federation International de Automobile. Now retired from racing, Chapman may not be a household name to the current generation of Manitoba racers and enthusiasts, but we all have this dedicated man to thank for laying the foundation for our amazing local scene.

 

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Sit on it, Sammie.

Forget Fonzie, if you ask me mayor Sam Katz should have been presenting the key to the city to World of Wheels representative Tom Williams from Detroit. Williams, who is retiring next month, is an executive with Championship Auto Shows and has been overseeing the Winnipeg leg of the show for more than 10 years. He has often said that Winnipeg is his favourite stop on the car show circuit and he has made many friends here in our car-crazy city. Williams, a complete gentleman in every sense of the word, may be retiring from the car show world, but he has big plans to devote his time to his church. We could all learn a thing or two from this prince of a man. All the best Tom… we’re going to miss you. You may not have the key to our city, but you have the key to our hearts.

 

willy@freepress.mb.ca