| May 10, 2008 - Old Dominion
Meet - Newport News, VA - The TRAACA had a strong turnout for this
year's Old Dominion Meet, hosted by the Historic Virginia Peninsula Region (HVPR).
The event began with a Friday Night Social at the host hotel that featured
silent-era movies full of badly abused antique autos, light snacks, and an
open bar. Saturday's show was beset with heavy cloud cover and a few
sprinkles, which cut down a little on expected attendance. However,
there was an abundance of terrific antique and special interest machinery on
hand for attendees to admire. The oldest car at the meet this year was
Reggie Nash's 1904 Rambler, with Riley Bests' Maxwell a close second.
Vehicles on display included a BMW Isetta, a 1962 Studebaker flatbed truck,
a 2-cylinder Crosley, A Ferrari, and a 1956 Packard Caribbean convertible.
Several TRAACA member got an extra bonus in the form of invitations to bring
their cars to the Hilton Head Concourse de' Elegance in November.
About seventeen members received their 1st
Junior prize, four got a Senior award, and there were at least fifteen
Preservations. A surprised Elaine Tarr claimed the longest distance driven
for her 1926 Buick and Dick Tarr’s 1966 Corvette (recent Grand National
Senior at Melbourne) was awarded the Best in Show. Our region had the most
cars at the meet, so Riley Best, TRAACA President, reclaimed the ODMA trophy
from Richmond. Ken Talley, the ODMA President for 2009, closed the ceremony
with his optimistic look at the future. (additional text from Marty
Sugermeyer, photos by Bob Stein, Marty Sugermeyer, and Steve Slapaugh.) |
| April 19, 2008 - Square Car
Tour - Our kick-off old car event, the Square Car Tour, got 2008 off to
a great start. Perfect weather, a scenic and easy tour, and plenty of
great cars and drivers combined to provide a lot of fun for all
participants. More than 50 folks from TRAACA and guests from the Cape
Henry Model A Club gathered at Ken and Barbara Tally's home to socialize
over coffee, punch, and donuts. There were plenty of cars to admire,
including the most glamorous Sophie (Bill Wilcox's 1932 Packard) and the
least glamorous 1929 Model A Firestone truck of the webmaster, a stunning
1942 Lincoln Coupe, and other antiques and classics that ranged from a 1924
Studebaker up to 1970s British Iron. The tour wound around back roads
of Chesapeake and Virginia Beach, and stopped off for a special tram ride
through Northwest River Park. Then it was back to the car to cruise
some more scenic country roads before the final stop at Angie's Family
Restaurant in Chesapeake for a late lunch. Many thanks to Ken and Barb
Talley and Richard and Sandy Hall for putting on a great start for our auto
activities! (Photos by Bob Stein and Terry and Sue Bond) |
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| April 3-5, 2008
- Charlotte Auto Fair and AACA Southeastern Division Spring Meet -
The Hornet's Nest region has decided to make their annual Charlotte Auto
Fair into another Hershey, and they may have succeeded a bit more than they
wanted with their first combined Auto Fair and National AACA Show.
Cold and wet weather provided plenty of mud, stuck cars, and comparisons to
the Pennsylvania event, however they also managed to provide just as much
fun as the Hershey event delivers as well. TRAACA was well-represented
at both the Auto Fair and at the National Show, with three Tidewater regions
vehicles up for National awards and plenty of our folks on hand to help with
judging. Members who received National Awards included Terry
and Sue Bond - 1974 MGB-GT (Senior), Bob and Sylvia Roughton - 1933 Pontiac
(Senior), Ken and Charlene Roach - 1931 Pontiac (DPC), and Gordon
and Nancy Garnett - 1962 Cadillac (Senior). Jeff and Pat Locke
received a Senior Preservation for their Demm Smily Moped. Other
TRAACA members on hand included Reed Matson, Bob and Dot Parrish, Mickey and
Toni McChesney, Dan Ciccone, Frank Lagana, Whit Moore, Neil Sugermeyer, Bob
Stein, Jim Elliot, Clay and Cheryl Drnec, Tom and Tammy Cox, Bob Flora, and Dick Mcinich. |
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| March 14-15, 2008
- AACA Annual Grand National and Southeastern Division Winter Meet(s) in
Melbourne FL - One Grand National
trophy is a big deal - however, TRAACA members scored NINE Grand National
'First' and 'Senior' awards at the Grand National/National Dual Meet held in Melbourne, Florida
March 14th and 15th. Richard and Sandy Hall - 1922 Ford Model T, Bob and Dot
Parrish - 1958 Chevrolet convertible, Bob and Linda Pellerin, 1936 Austin
10, Mickey and Toni McChesney - 1932 Chevrolet, Dick and Elaine Tarr - 1966
Corvette, Don and Bonita Whitlow - 1964 Ford Thunderbolt, Jim and Donna
Elliott - 1978 Corvette, Gordon and Nancy Garnett - 1962 Cadillac, and Bill Williams
- 1979 Lincoln. TRAACA members also brought home two National
seconds: Jeff and Pat Locke - 1977 Demm Smiley Moped and Tom Wedeking - 1941
Dodge Pickup. Participation did not stop there - other club members on
hand for support and judging included Terry and Sue Bond, Neil and Marty
Sugermeyer, Dan Ciccone, Clay and Cheryl Drnec, Tom and Tammy Cox, Bob Stein,
Janet V. Green, and Dick McInich.
As a special surprise, long time TRAACA members and now Florida residents
Ivan and Marjorie Joslin showed up Saturday to visit. The show fields
were amazing - 356 cars for the Grand National on Friday, with 498
registered for the National meet on Saturday. The restored GM
Futureliner was on display along with cars ranging from a 1902 Knox chugging
around the show field to an 'antique' Delorean complete with '88MPH' plates.
While there were a few scares weather-wise, the events turned out to be
clear and warm even for the locals - Saturday's high set a new record for
the region at 89 hot and sunny degrees! |
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| March 9, 2008
- Annual TRAACA Swap Meet - Although Weather Guru Terry Bond managed
to divert the worst of the storms, this year's Swap Meet was a soggy affair
for those who braved the outdoor spots. Despite the sometimes heavy
rain, there was a surprisingly good turnout for our 'kick start' event.
The volunteers proving canteen services did a fantastic job keeping the hot
dogs and sodas moving, and Sam Kern and his crew worked hard to coordinate parking and ensuring
that everyone had safe access in and out of the areas. Extra thanks go
to Dewey Milligan, who went home for his tractor to provide towing for those
few who got stuck in the parking area. Unusual item ranged from a
curious pedal-wagon offered by Mickey McChesney and a Yugo actually driven
by a spectator, to the return of a long-lost but not forgotten part of our
club's beginnings - the Petway! Pictured in the recent Hemmings
Classic Car magazine, the Petway was a one-off custom Hudson convertible
which was originally created by a TRAACA club member back in the early
1950s. Founding member Merritt Horne was able to provide the new owner
with a copy of artwork of the car done when it was built. Everyone had
a good time, and though it may not have been quite as successful by the
numbers, our 2008 Swap Meet served its purpose of getting car lovers out and
together! |
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| March 2, 2008
- Report on the TRAACA Smithfield Run by Terry Bond - I didn't count the
cars but we had a good turnout thanks to the sunshine. Left promptly at 10
from the Park and Ride and motored on to Smithfield for Brunch at Smithfield
Station. We were met by Ron Pack, owner, who helped park cars, then even
helped cook waffles on the buffet line. A highlight was a visit by St.
Georges brewery owners. They more than made up for the missing our visit on
the Winter Blast by providing ample samples of their craft brews. We had the
chance to taste a half dozen award-winning beers. They raffled off inscribed
glassware and I managed to win the "grand prize" - a selection of six of
their award-winners. Everyone enjoyed the brunch, and whether they chose to
taste the brew or drink the coffee, it was a great start to a superb day.
From there, we had the chance to tour on our own in the historic downtown
area. Several of the many antique shops were open and treasures quickly
found their way into trunks and backseats. For others, the chance to soak up
some early spring sunshine on a park bench was welcome. It was a short drive
to visit the home of Smithfield Inn owner Ron Pack. His superb garage and
workshop was a treat. From there it was only a short walk to the collection
of Lewis Little, a retired executive from Smithfield Foods. His impressive
collection of cars was a real cross-section featuring GM muscle in the form
of three superb early Corvettes, several well crafted street rods, and a
host of wonderfully restored originals including an early VW bus, a 48 Chevy
Country Club wood-sided coupe, and an immaculate 38 Buick Sedan. A pair of
Willys convertibles drew the attention of several members. Lewis' garage is
filled with memorabilia including a recreated early soda-fountain and a ton
of great early Coca-Cola and gasoline advertising. It was a great outing and
I'm sure just a taste of what is to come this season. Here comes spring -
here comes Tidewater! (Photos by Terry and Sue Bond and John Peters) |
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| February 23, 2008
- TRAACA Winter Blast! - Our annual Winter Blast event, organized this
year by Bob and Linda Pellerin and Dan and Angie Ciccone, managed to cram a
weekend's worth of activities and fun into one day! Kicking off early,
tour participants met at the Park-N-Ride at Indian River Road and were
loaded onto the bus by 7:45 AM. First stop was the St. George's
Brewery in Hampton for a facility tour that turned out to be a little
shorter than expected. Apparently the Brewery folks forgot we were
coming, and didn't show up. On to plan B, which consisted of a tour of
the local MacDonald's for breakfast - in our group Plan B is always food
related. The tour then continued to the next stop - the Hampton University
Museum. Museum Director Vernon S. Courtney was on hand to open up and
welcome the tour, and even drove his own antique car, a 1972 Ford
convertible, in honor of the club. The museum is one of the oldest n
the country, and features exhibits of Asian, Africa, and American=Indian
artwork and artifacts. From the museum, the group traveled to the
Marker 20 restaurant in Hampton for an outstanding lunch, and then headed
for a guided tour of Lee Hall Mansion in Newport News. Completed in
1859, this antebellum plantation house was used as a headquarters for the
Confederate Army early in 1862. It has been restored to it's
appearance at the start the war. Noted local historian and Director of
the Virginia War Museum John Quarstein joined the group at Lee hall to
provide a lively and informative guided tour of Civil War fortifications
used by the Confederate Army in Williamsburg, Yorktown, and Gloucester
Point. The tour then returned to Yorktown for fine dining at the
Riverwalk Restaurant before heading back to the Park-N-Ride. As usual,
great company and great food made for a terrific event, and the planners got
three' Huzzahs' for their hard work. |
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| February 7-9, 2008
- AACA 72nd Annual National Membership Meeting and Awards Banquet -
Philadelphia PA - The Tidewater Region was well-represented, as usual,
at AACA's Membership Meeting in Philadelphia, held at the Sheraton
Philadelphia City Center Hotel. TRAACA members were involved with 11
of the 50 Seminars offered during the event, and 12 members made the trek
from Virginia to Pennsylvania. Activities began Thursday with a
special tour and reception at the new Constitution Center, an impressive
multimedia-based education on the history and meaning of the U.S.
Constitution. Both the club's newsletter and Web site received 2007
Awards of Excellence, with Marty Sugermeyer and Ivie Lister earning the
Master Editor Award. Ivie's contributions to the AACA were noted in
his posthumous presentation. Bob Stein received the Master Webmaster
Award. (Photos by Bob Stein, Marty and Neil Sugermeyer) |
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| February 3, 2008
- Doumar's Run - Great weather and good food brought about 25 members
out to Doumar’s on Saturday February 2nd. Some members drove their antiques,
while others decided to drive modern iron. Our fearless leader Andrew Sitar
was finally on location after having timing issues at the last few visits to
Doumar’s. Due to our extremely busy schedule this year, we don’t have too
many of these planned but I’m quite sure we could squeeze one or two more in
should there be any interest to do so. (Story and photos by Andrew Sitar) |
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| January 12, 2008 - TRAACA
Annual Installation Banquet - Our first event of 2008 provided a chance
to honor those club members who excelled in 2007, and also welcome in our
new Board of Directors. The program, emceed by Sam Kern, included a
tongue-in-cheek review of the past year's highlights and the always
anticipated 'Now Picture This' story from Merritt Horne. Terry Bond
presided over the installation ceremony, which had each board members adding
apiece of the 'puzzle' to make a whole club logo. As usual, the
emphasis was on camaraderie and eating - two things the TRAACA does better
than anybody! |
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