Sunny skies and moderate temperatures greeted revelers Saturday for this year’s Hot August Nights Show and Shine event in Lewiston’s downtown corridor.
The annual car show, hosted by Palouse Empire Radio, kicked off Friday evening with its parade-like Car Cruise through the center of town. However, for the main event Saturday, participants lined Lewiston’s Main Street with rare and classic cars, trucks and motorcycles, aiming for a chance to win honors in more than a dozen categories (see results, Page 2B).
Organizer and Palouse Empire Radio Promotions Assistant Kylie Nagel said the event, now in its 35th year, has become a must-attend staple of the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley, drawing hundreds car enthusiasts from across the country annually. Even among other car shows, she said, Lewiston’s Hot August Nights has something special that keeps people coming back.
“You come into the valley and it’s already such a community feel, and then it’s right downtown — you’re not out in a parking lot; you’re not out in fairgrounds here,” she said. “You’re right in downtown, with the shops, and the vendors, and the park and all that kind of stuff.”
Nagel said one of the great things about the show and shine is the conversations that can be had with the owners of the rare and classic vehicles — everyone has a story to tell.
This held true for Kim and Tracy Clark, from Dayton, Wash. They were attending for their third time to display a restored 1960 Ford F-100 that has become a family heirloom.
“It’s never been out of the family — my parents bought it brand new in 1960 and then my dad always wanted to make a hot rod out of it,” Kim said. “So we inherited it 22 years ago and converted it from an old Ford pickup to what you see — you can see in the back window it says, ‘Built in the memory of dad’s dream.’ ”
Just a little ways down the street, Mark and Susan Rounds of Moscow had their own story to tell about their “Lady in Red” — a deceptively rare breed of Dodge Magnum. Susan said that when they purchased the car, it was billed out as a sport-utility vehicle, but after owning it for a little while, the Rounds found it had more power than they’d anticipated. Mark said unlike most cars of its make, their car’s transmission, suspension and eight-cylinder motor are built for speed.
“After we bought it, and were using it for camping, we found out how rare it is,” Susan said. “They only made 165 of them.”
“ — In this color,” added Mark.
“A lot of them have been wrecked,” Susan continued. “People didn’t realize how fast they went.”
While another group of attendees weren’t there to participate in the Show and Shine per se, a contingent of the Confluence Valley Ghostbusters stood near their own version of the classic film’s Ectomobile, handing out coloring sheets for children. Head ‘buster and founder Dana Gludt, clad in his own custom-made tan jumpsuit and proton pack, described the organization as a “not-for-profit for nonprofits.” Gludt said they were there Saturday to spread the word about their work aiding local nonprofits like the YWCA and St. Vincent DePaul in fundraising efforts and other charitable work. Last weekend, Gludt said, the group helped raise more than $400 and several cartloads of school supplies for the YWCA.
“It’s kind of just a way to catch people’s eye as opposed to just the YWCA sitting over there by themselves, people are gonna pay less attention,” explained Ghostbuster Ben Brinegar. “But if they see a bunch of dudes in nerd costumes, it’s like ‘What the heck are you doing?’ ”
Jackson can be reached at (208) 883-4636, or by email to sjackson@dnews.com.
First place winners for Saturday’s Show and Shine:
Antique Pre-1950: J.R. Gregory, 1929 Ford Model T
Street Rods: Tim McGee, 1941 Willys Coupe
Auto 1950-’69: Bob Burmeister, 1959 Chevy Brookwood two-door wagon
Auto 1970-Present: Dave Cunningham, 1970 Dodge Challenger
Auto Custom or Modified 1950-’69: Marvin Frank, 1966 Chevy Chevelle
Auto Custom or Modified 1970-present: Craig Klages, 1971 Dodge Charger
Sports car and Compact: Greg Eylar, 1973 Jaguar E-type 2+2
Pickup Original and Restored: Bill Henke, 1956 Ford F-100 Custom
Pickup Custom or Modified: Roger and Karen Hill, 1954 Chevy Bel Air
Mini Truck: Nick Rogers, 1994 Toyota Pickup
4x4: Mark Wittaker, 1971 Ford Bronco
Rat Rods: Dan Noll, 1988 GMC Suburban
Under Construction: Jess Hahn, 1938 GMC Pickup
Specialty: Larry Kachelmier, 1972 Volkswagen Beetle
Original: Tim and Barb Weza, 1972 Chevy Malibu 400
Motorcycle - Stock 1997-Newer: Ben Smith, 2015 Indian Chieftain
Motorcycle - Custom 1997-Newer: Greg Slusher, 2015 Harley Davidson Road Glide Special
People’s Choice -- motorcycle: Greg Slusher, 2015 Harley Davidson Road Glide Special
People’s Choice -- car: Tim McGee, 1941 Willys Coupe