Car Show packs 'em in once again

The very first time Laurel's Phil and Mindy Cramer took their 1970, yellow and black Ford Torino Cobra 429 out of the garage since finishing the muscle car's restoration was to put it on a trailer and bring it to Malta for the 15th Annual First State Bank Car Show and come Saturday afternoon, they were very happy they did.

"It's a great honor," Phil said with the People's Choice for best car award in his hands. "This has been a great weekend."

Phil and Mindy (who is a 1999 Malta High School grad, maiden names Shores) came to town last weekend with their children Abigail and Hayden to visit family, do some fishing and, of course, enter the Torino in the car show. The car holds a special place in Phil's heart as it was his family's vehicle when he was a child, but in 2002 it was sold out of the family and Phil spent the next 13-years trying to locate and buy it back.

"I found it in Yakima, Wash., about three years ago," Phil said. "It was in the middle of restoration when I brought it back and this is the first time isthas been out of the garage."

The Cramer's Torino was one of 78 entries at the car show on Saturday on a day which also featured good food, music, motorcycle jumpers, waters slides, vendors and painting for the kids. The total entries were down about 20 from last year, attributed to the fact that event organizers didn't publicize the event as aggressively as normal because of the uncertainty of if or where the event would be held because of all the construction currently taking place in Malta.

"But we have some new cars and some new people so we are really excited about that," said First State Bank Secretary and Treasurer, and Car Show planner, Terry Skones. "The weather is incredible and everyone seems to be having fun."

Longest drive award went to Russ Schneidmiller from Calgary, Alberta and his 1971 Plymouth. The "Judged Top 6 Award" was given out to Tony Boos (1929 Essex) and Rick Starkey (1970 Buick) of Malta, Terry and Ben Carleton (1934 Ford Pickup) and Gerry and Helen Redekop (1932 Roadster) of Swift Current, Canada, Ken West (1969 Camaro) of Havre, Mont., and Sid and Pat Rice of Glasgow, Mont., with their 1941, blue Chevy Pickup. Sid and Pat have entered the First State Bank Car Show nearly every year and in 2006 the couple's truck won the "People's Choice Award."

"It's at home on a shelf with about 14 other trophies," Sid said.

On Saturday, Sid and Pat earned another award for their shelf as their old, shiny blue pickup was awarded the Darryl Seeley Memorial Award for best truck or tractor as picked by Darryl's widow, Patty.

Sid said he and Patty attend six or seven car shows each year and added the couple likes to start at Malta's First State Bank Car Show each summer. Sid has had the 1941 Chevy Pickup since 2002 and took four years to build in his shop in Glasgow; Sid Rice Repairs.

"Everything is new on it and the engine only has about 3,000 miles on it," Sid said. "I picked that model to restore because that was the year I was born and my folks had that same type of pickup. The Chevys have the best looking front ends on them. You could have bought that pickup new for probably $450 bucks...I have a little more money in it than that."