*2017 photo of Tom Ludwig’s 1951 Ford Custom Deluxe Tudor
By FRED KRONER
fred@mahometnews.com
The Mahomet Auto Fest is getting older, but it may not get much larger.
“We can’t add a lot,” said Walter Pierce, Mahomet Area Chamber of Commerce director. “There isn’t room.”
An event that began in 2009 in conjunction with the Sangamon River Music Fest and attracted 54 cars to the Busey Bank parking lot, grew into one that drew 270 vehicles along a closed-down Main Street in 2018.
Organizers are hoping to increase the record car count to 275 when this year’s 11th-annual event takes place on Sunday, July 14.
Many who display their cars have reasons for holding the Mahomet Auto Fest in high regard.
“I have had the good fortune to participate in car shows from coast to coast and in Canada,” said Mahomet’s Denny Elimon. “The Mahomet show provides a venue for all vintage marque and street rods to show, with a well-attended downtown location.
“Mahomet offers a friendly, laid-back setting for owners to display their cars, while interacting and visiting with fellow participants. It is always rewarding to discuss cars with the youngsters to introduce them to cars of the past. How often we hear, ‘I used to own one like that.’ “
Forty-five trophies will be given out at this year’s Mahomet event. Registration opens at 8 a.m. on July 14 with a $15 entry fee. The awards ceremony will start at 3:30.
The traditional Lake of the Woods cruise is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Among the exhibitors will be Mahomet’s Frank Creighton.
“I have been to other shows,” Creighton said. “The Mahomet show is much more organized and runs on time. I will be there this year.”
Creighton will be showing a 1978 Chevy C10 Short Bed truck.
It’s not just Mahomet residents who turn out for the auto show.
“I have been attending car shows on a regular basis since about 1985, and have coordinated and organized shows on both a local and national basis since 1992,” said Rick Ingram, from St. Joseph. “I am currently organizing a four-day national show in Atlantic City, N.J., at which we are budgeting for 800 to 1,000 cars to be registered.
“Should the planets be in alignment, I will be in Mahomet again this year, with the 1968 B/GT, the 1952 TD, or the 1972 MGB.
“I have been a gearhead since I was little … Matchbox cars, model cars, slot cars, since about 1960 or so started my passion. I had a 1957 Chevy in high school, and an MG Midget in college.”
Another St. Joseph resident, Gary Garrison, can also trace his interest in cars back for decades.
“Our interest in muscle cars goes back 50 years,” Garrison said. “Pam and I were married in 1967, the day after our graduation from Illinois State. Our first new car was a 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner, which we purchased in December, 1968.”
The Garrisons don’t expect to enter this year’s competition.
“If we attend the Mahomet show, it will be to visit with other old car owners and friends we have made in Mahomet,” Gary Garrison said. “They have changed the format of the show and we are not likely to be competitive anymore.
“At one time, the show had separate award divisions for GM, Ford and Chrysler. Currently, the show is participant-judged and doesn’t allow for separate manufacture divisions. Our Mopar cars start with two strikes against them. We are not part of any car club.
“Many club members support fellow club member cars with their votes. The second strike deals with production numbers. GM produced the majority of muscle cars. Ford and Chrysler owners are in the minority. GM people tend to favor GM products.”
Mahomet’s Jessie DeHaan is another event supporter, but will be unable to participate this year.
“I broke my ankle in May and am not able to drive, let alone a stick-shift old truck,” DeHaan said. “I’m not a big car show person, but have enjoyed watching this show grow each year.”
Former Mahomet mayor Deb Braunig is responsible for the surge in participation.
She altered the format created by original planners Lyn Ferdinand and Theresa Berry and made the Auto Fest its own stand-alone event. It was shifted from late August to mid-July and Braunig authorized the closing of several blocks of Main Street to display the cars.
The second year after she changed the date, the car count had more than doubled from its inaugural year (of 54 to 128). Four years later, it had more than doubled again (to 257). While the event was still in its infancy in Mahomet, Nick Taylor lent his support and assistance to help promote the growth.
“Nick does a great job and is so passionate about the show and cars,” DeHaan said.
Former Mahomet resident Tom Ludwig was a regular at the Mahomet Auto Fest for years.
“Over the years, I have attended many car shows in the area from Springfield to Danville, Tuscola to Seymour, Villa Grove to Bloomington, Clinton to Morris, and even the James Dean Show in Fairmount, Ind.,” Ludwig said. “Mahomet Auto Fest has always been special though because it’s where we lived.
“This is a well-run show and I’m always amazed at how this show continues to grow each year. It’s also special to see friends and neighbors, some who didn’t know I had an old car. The drive through Lake of the Woods is a nice touch, also.”
Ludwig attended each of the first nine Mahomet auto shows. This will be the second one which he will miss.
“After 35 years in Mahomet, my wife and I pulled up stakes and moved to Bradenton, Fla., to be closer to our grandchildren,” Ludwig said. “But there is a huge space in my heart for Mahomet. What a great community.”
Ludwig didn’t part with the car that he brought to Mahomet. It’s still in his possession as are the memories of his fascination for cars, which started during his childhood.
“I have been interested in cars from the time I was kid, even before I had a driver’s license,” Ludwig said. “When I turned 16, my first car was a 1949 Ford Club Coupe. Then, after high school came the Army, then a job/career, then marriage and family, etc.”
It was in his retirement years that he got his next old car.
“I always liked the old Ford Flatheads,” Ludwig said. “The sound of these engines paired with dual exhaust and Glasspack mufflers is just unbeatable. With the help of my friend, Chip McArty from Oakwood, we set out to find a ‘49 through ‘51 Ford, nicknamed the Shoebox Fords due to its slab body design.”
He purchased a 1951 Ford Custom Deluxe Tudor with “three on the tree and overdrive,” he said. “The car (Old Henry) needed some TLC and Chip’s help got the car in reliable road and show condition.”
For Ingram, one of his favorite parts about the Mahomet Auto Fest – which is a signature event of the Chamber of Commerce – is the variety.
“The Mahomet show draws many different types of antique cars, from stock examples through resto-mod,” Ingram said. “It’s nice being able to compare and contrast. There is truly something for everyone.
“Mahomet does a great job of promotion and follow-through during and post-event for all involved.”
Elimon, who hopes to show again this month, said the chance to provide education is part of the appeal to participating in the Mahomet auto show.
“My interest in MG vintage cars started in 1989, resulting in ownership of MGB’s, MGTD’s. MGBGT’s and now a 1957 MGA,” Elimon said. “These English cars caught my eye and have provided numerous adventures.
“My 1957 Glazier blue MGA loves to strut her stuff around muscle cars and rods. Most young people and some adults do not know what an MG is or have never seen one. I always love to tell its story.”
If Mahomet expands its classes beyond the current 15, Elimon has a suggestion.
“Perhaps in the future a British class or classes may be added to the show,” Elimon said.
History of Mahomet Auto Fest
YEAR CAR COUNT
2009 54
2010 72
2011 57
2012 69
2013 128
2014 131
2015 175
2016 207
2017 257
2018 270
SOURCE: Chamber of Commerce
