It's May, which means the upper Midwest warms up, flowers bloom, and all of the custom and collector cars come out of the woodwork. On the weekends the burger joints and ice cream drive-ins look like Coke advertisements. Take a drive through town on a weeknight and you can tell which homes house car enthusiasts because the open garage doors look like Norman Rockwell shop scenes. It is hard to describe what makes the Midwest scene different from the other regions. The west coast is the traditional hot spot where the car season never ends. But make no mistake, the Midwest is home to some of the most iconic automotive brands and builders, such as: Harley Davidson, the Ring Brothers, Rad Rides by Troy, AMS Performance, to name a few. At the Madison Area Technical College's "Pride in Your Ride" show a few weeks ago I asked Christy Lee the same question and her response was as simple as it was striking: "It feels like home." There is a certain family feel to most of the shows and gatherings where, regardless of age, background, or wealth, people take the time to interact and share their love of the car. The Midwest is home to a wide range of enthusiast types, everything from the classics, muscle cars, and hot rods to tuners, euros, and hot hatches. Which also means there are hundreds of shows and events for everyone. The show season kicks off every year with Automotion in the Wisconsin Dells. Thanks to NSA Aerial for their aerial photo. Automotion is the SEMA cruise, Hot Import Nights, Goodwood, and Back to the 50s all rolled into one. It takes place in mid-May every year in the Wisconsin Dells. "Automotion" is technically the 1900-1989 show held at Noah's Ark Park. But it is used to describe the entire weekend's worth of shows and events across town. Friday night is the night of show and shines. Every amusement park, restaurant, and gas station turns into mini shows. And the 2 intersecting main roads become 10 miles worth of cruising. I dont mean a few cars here and there...I mean L.A bumper to bumper cruising with hundreds of cars. And those without hot cars line the streets to take in the spectacle. Saturday is the main show day. This year saw an increase in shows put on...there were at least 8, and each one had something unique to offer. I attended the 1st annual show at Mt. Olympus, and it was a hell of a show. There was a burnout and doughnut pit, lowrider/hydro competitions, bikini and male hardbody competition, as well as a concourse style car show with a class for everything with wheels. I was surprised at the mix of attendees and range of vehicle types that were entered. Everything from traditional muscle cars, a plasti-dipped Audi, a Ring Brothers' Mustang, lowriders, mini trucks, drift cars, a squadron of Subarus, and a wild Radio Flyer custom wagon. The show itself was a blast, as there was something to do all day long...even our 2-year old didnt get bored. It was refreshing to see social groups that stereotypically dont interact much socialize and show genuine interest in each other's genres. Since Automotion has been running for over 20 years, everybody knows what time the events end. Which means for 10 miles, every inch of sidewalk and hotel balcony was packed full of onlookers to watch the show cars leave the various events. This was the first time I left right after the shows and I was at a loss as to how to describe it. From the downtown parks to the interstate was lined with over 2000 classic and custom cars and countless people. It was the best traffic jam I have ever been in and I am looking forward to next year where everybody is brought together to share in their love of the car.
What are shows like in your part of the country? We want to hear, leave a comment!
