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CRUISERS READY TO
ROLL DOWN FORT STREET
SOUTHGATE -- “Cruisers” are
gearing up for the region’s biggest classic car event of the year.
The
fun starts with the Cruise Kickoff Party on June 22 at Crystal Gardens
and runs through June 24, when the sixth annual Cruisin’ Downriver
shakes, rattles and rolls down Fort Street.
“It’s a homecoming for people — they come to see the cars and to
see their friends,” said Dave Chapman, a Brownstown resident and
freelance photographer who has helped The News-Herald Newspapers and the
Southern Wayne County Regional Chamber with planning efforts since the
event’s very beginning in 2001.
“Many people have block parties and they have their own bands and hang
with friends and just hang out; it’s good, clean fun,” said Chapman, who
runs around in a 1969 Camaro, while his wife, Carole, cruises in a 1968
Mustang convertible — all original.
Chapman had a Camaro in the early 1970s, and his current car is almost
like the original — “but considerably quicker,” he said.
As
in the past, the cruise will continue its route down Fort Street through
Lincoln Park, Wyandotte, Southgate and Riverview, and an estimated
500,000 car nuts are expected to converge to celebrate the classic art
on wheels.
Brownstown’s Tina and Jim Hoch of the Roam’n Chariots are looking
forward to getting their ’46 Ford Pro Street on Fort Street after having
it off the road last year for a complete renovation.
The Hochs’ pro-street rod features a new engine, exterior paint and
interior.
“We
had it out (at the cruise) before, two years ago, then they started
tearing it apart,” Tina Hoch said. “I’m proud, my husband — and son was
out there, too — and to see a family project come out as nice as it did
is something to be proud of.”
The Hochs will be hanging with her brother, Pat D’Aanna of Southgate, who
has helped start a tradition of honoring veterans, usually about eight,
at a 2 p.m. ceremony at the Roam’n Chariots site in the Meijer parking
lot. Rockin’ Ronny also does a musical medley, just to keep things
moving.
“I’ve been very active with the city of Southgate trying to promote
things at Meijer, and through St. Pius, we usually honor about eight
veterans, people in service, or widows, and at least try to honor four
young people serving in Afghanistan or Iraq,” said D’Aanna, who won’t be
cruising in his old ’67 Mustang because, “someone with good pocket
lining took the car off my hands.”
Fear
not, he said, he’s looking for another — probably something with a
1940s-era vintage.
He’s
one of many who are disillusioned with the Woodward Dream Cruise, which
many feel has gotten too big, too expensive and too commercialized for
the average classic car nut.
“This is a lot more relaxed and people with (parking) lots are not going
out of their way to charge people,” D’Aanna said. “We only keep our lot
open for club members until 10 a.m. (then they open it to everyone). To
have a firm like Meijer to be so nice, we want to be inclusive.
“I’m
looking forward to it, mostly because I’m so involved with paying
tribute to our veterans and am happy to see local car owners have a
place to cruise and a secure place to park.”
New
this year is a voluntary pre-registration to cruisers of $20.
Those who choose to pre-register will receive a T-shirt, a dash plaque
compliments of sponsor AutoAlliance International, a window placard and
various other items. To register, call Sandy Mull at 1-734-284.6000,
ext. 29, or e-mail
sandy@swccc.org.
There is no fee for the cruise itself.
Roam’n Chariots has 218 active members, Hoch said, with classics of all
kinds, from 1984 and older. This is the club’s fourth year at Meijer,
she said, which provides a prime spot for viewing the cruise.
Chapman said this thing might just catch on.
“It’s gotten better, more well-known now,” he said. “The first couple of
years people didn’t know if it was a fluke. And with Woodward, people
didn’t know it would happen, but people now look at Woodward and it’s
not a cruise, it’s a crawl.
“Downriver they can still go and park and it doesn’t cost $50, and we do
have room to grow, and the people just enjoy it as a family kind of
day.”
AutoAlliance International and The News-Herald Newspapers are major
sponsors once again this year. In addition, cruisers will see a new logo
for the event this year and only the car in the logo will change every
year.
Also, the official T-shirt will change with only the logo on the front.
All sponsors except WOMC — the official radio station of the cruise —
will have their logos on the back of the shirt. WOMC’s logo will stay on
the sleeve.
As usual, The News Herald will publish a special Cruise section again
this year, and will provide tire-to-tire coverage of planning and
upcoming events.
This year, the Mayors’ Opening Drive will
begin in Lincoln Park at 10 a.m. and end in Riverview.
“It’s like a holiday,” said Chapman enthusiastically. “The reason the
cruise will be better is people don’t have to drive up there (Oakland
County); you don’t just idle, you’re actually moving. Here you can find
a spot to park, and here you don’t have to be in gridlock.”
If
you’re going to the Cruise Kickoff Party, you’ll hear LEGEND The Band, a
’50s and ’60s cover band that will headline the event, Mull said. This
is the first time a band has played at the preview. And, again this
year, more than 20 classic cars will be on hand to greet partygoers.
The
theme this year is “Happy Days,” said Mull, featuring carhop food and an
indoor drive-in movie. And if it’s as good as last year’s party, she
said, a good time will be had by all.
Sponsorships and exhibitor tables are available and there will be a
raffle, so the chamber is accepting prize donations.
“It’s an opportunity prior to the cruise to generate enthusiasm both for
the community and for businesses to participate — and Crystal Gardens is
great, right along the cruise route, a good place to hold it,” said Guy Trupiano, vice president of human resources for AutoAlliance
International, one of the major sponsors.
Tickets will be $30 each, or $25 for 10 or more purchased together.
Preferred access to the cruise route is Southfield Freeway, but other
access will be permitted.
Each
city on the route will enforce a strict code of conduct to ensure public
safety. Speeding, drag racing, hole shots or laying rubber will not be
tolerated. Violators will be ticketed and removed from the cruise.
Unless otherwise marked, the two curb lanes of northbound and southbound
Fort Street will be designated for the cruise.
Since Fort Street will remain open for other traffic, the traffic
signals will remain operational and must be observed by all.
For
more information, visit www.cruisindownriver.com.
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