Regionrides April 2015 by JWM Marketing & Web Design

April 2015 | Volume III | Issue I

FREE

Now Proudly Printed in NWI

IN THIS ISSUE

Letter from the Editor

ONE BAD APPLE Carl Piersinger’s ‘72 C10

ORIGINAL CLASSIC Richard Fanno’s ‘49 Mercury Sedan

SLICE ‘N DICE Thurman Stone Custom Chopper

BIG & BAD Scott Spinks’ ‘65 Biscayne

REGION RENEGADE Knut Creative

HOOSIER’S HOTTEST GARAGE Vos Upholstery

RIDES IN PROGRESS

REGION EVENTS: US 41 Motorplex Grand Re-Opening

Cinco De Mopar

SHOW & CRUISE SCHEDULES 36 PUBLISHER Mark Halliar Mark@RegionRides.com SENIOR WRITER Ray Saez Jr. CONTRIBUTING WRITER Stephanie Edwards

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jerome Hindmon Cary Robertson Jessica Halliar LAYOUT DESIGN Designs.by.Mark@gmail.com PRINTING Home Mountain Printing 3602 Enterprise Ave. Valparaiso, IN 46383 219.462.6601 ADVERTISING & SUBMISSIONS Region Rides LLC PO Box 283 Valparaiso IN 46383 708.821.6941 Sales@RegionRides.com

Region Rides is a monthly publication by Region Rides LLC. All rights reserved. Production without permission is strictly prohibited. All photographs & articles submitted become the sole property of Region Rides Magazine. ©2015 Region Rides LLC

Winter Projects

name

Mark Halliar

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| Welcome back to the 2015 Summer Season of Region Rides. As I write this, it’s sub still freezing... of course the sun is shining, which promises warmer weather soon, but right now we can only hope. Even tho it’s not quite show season, keep in mind there are several early spring events going on here in NWI, many are listed on pages 34 & 35. May is already shaping up to be a busy month! For 2015, we trying something a little different in the form of sponsoring several local venues and organizations. We’d like to thank the South Shore Roller Girls, Illiana Speedway and US 41 Motorplex for helping us out! Keep an eye out for us this summer, and follow us on facebook for updates! Like many of you, we’ve been working on a project over the winter. This year we’re very proud to announce that RR is now being printed locally at Home Mountain Printing in Valparaiso. Together with Home Mountain, we’re attempting to make Region Rides Magazine a subscription style publication, with monthly home delivery! With that would include a minimal fee of just a few dollars per month, however, that would guarantee you delivery of our publica-

email address city

state

zip

Please fill out the form and send it to:

Region Rides Subscriptions | PO Box 283 | Valparaiso, IN 46384 tion to your mailbox! The fee will cover bulk postage and getting a shipment of magazines delivered to the post office for shipment to you. We understand, that this is a free publication and you’ll STILL be able to pick it up, all over NWI, but, we’ve had inquiries on how to get it delivered to your homes. You’ve asked, so we’re working on it! What we need from you, to get a better idea of where the magazine will be distributed, is a list of more than 250 addresses to obtain the most affordable bulk shipping rates possible. If you’re at all interested in home delivery of Region Rides, please fill out the form above and send it back to us. This will not cost you anything, just a stamp. Also, please let me reiterate that we’ll still be offering the magazine for FREE in our normal distribution areas, however, the minimal fee will guarantee you a monthly copy you won’t have to search for. We’ll keep you posted on our progress throughout the summer. We’ll see you around... make sure to stop by our booth at the shows and cruise nights to say hi!

ONE BAD Words: Ray Saez Jr | Images: Cary Robertson

| This is Carl Piersinger and his new-to-him truck, but don’t get the wrong idea here. He’s as die-hard as the rest of us – if not more so. Carl has been the owner and driver of this ’72 Chevy C10 since 2013, but its original restoration dates back to the early 1990s. The original work was done by a

company called CA Classics, of Rockford, IL, but Carl picked the truck up from a friend of his who was a retired cop. It had been in that family for over twenty years, basically since it was restored. The detail work on this truck is top notch, and it always has

Region Rides Magazine | Page 8 | April 2015

D APPLE Carl Piersinger | Lowell, IN | 1972 Chevrolet C10

been, but that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop Carl from making his own tweaks and changes. Most notably, Carl changed up the front end of the truck by replacing the grille shell and headlight buckets with new chrome units, where before they were painted factory Corvette spec Torch Red like the rest of the truck. That

subtle change both harkened back to the classic styling of the truck and simultaneously modernized it, as the monochrome front end definitely dated the truck as an early 1990s custom. Complementing the bright red paint is an all-new bed floor finished in Oak with stainless steel rails and trimmings that really

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tie in the Body Coddington billet wheels. That’s all fine and good, but where this truck truly shines and stands above is the interior. Everything was replaced, even though this was originally a 36,000 mile unrestored survivor pre-restoration. Bobby Griffey of Knoxville, TN furnished the interior, with gray leather seats, Mercedes-Benz wool carpets, and a custom gray leather and tweed center console that matches the seats and sculpted headliner and door panels. Best of all, though – this was a factory AC truck, and the builders retained that, so Carl has all the comforts of home, including power steering and brakes. Under the hood is a 350 Chevy crate engine that was worked over by Street and Performance with a Corvette-sourced tuned port fuel injection system and converted to serpentine belt drive for reliability’s sake (the sweet polished brackets and pulleys don’t hurt, either). This isn’t Carl’s first hot rod, though. He picked up the ’72 C10 after selling his 1971 Z/28 Camaro… and he picked that up after selling a rare 1967 RS/SS Camaro finished in Royal Plum that had factory air… and a bench seat. To say he’s been around the block is an understatement. His wife of 37 years, Audrey, is supportive of his car and truck hobby, but she’s not the biggest enthusiast. Carl says she’s “happy that I have it, but that’s about where it ends.” When not driving and enjoying the truck, they’ve got three grandkids to enjoy, and Carl is an electrician by trade. After he sold the ’71 Camaro, he joked, “That’s it. I’m not getting any more cars…” At least he’s honest: this time he got a truck. - RR

WHO: Carl Piersinger WHAT: 1972 Chevrolet C10 Short Wide Bed WHERE: Lowell, IN ENGINE: 350 CID Chevy V8 crate engine TRANSMISSION: Turbo 400 Automatic REAR END: GM 12 Bolt PAINT/EXTERIOR: Torch Red Corvette finish, Oak bed with stainless steel rails and inserts INTERIOR: Bobby Griffey custom seats and console, Mercedes-Benz heavy custom molded carpet, and much more. WHEELS: 15 inch Boyd Coddington Billet Aluminum

CLASSIC OR

Words: Ray Saez Jr | Images: Cary Robertson

RIGINAL Richard Fanno | Dyer, IN 1949 Mercury Sport Sedan

|WE love customs here at Region Rides. It’s in our blood. Once in a while, though, something truly special comes along that makes us pause. Not because of a wild paint scheme, or a blown big block, or even a one-off set of wheels – but simply because the car has remained completely untouched. Such is the case with this car, Richard Fanno’s 1949 Mercury 4-door Sport Sedan. Its originality, while once would have made it blend in with the crowd, now makes it stand out with an air of class and coolness that turns it into the perfect feature for the magazine. Richard’s not the type of guy to find a clean car and store it away. That’s boring. No, instead, he road trips everywhere he can in his fantastic ’49 Merc. He should, too, because it was an adventure to buy. He ended up looking at the car three different times from its previous owner who never really drove it. “He put seventeen miles on it, he told me. He drove it one time; from where he picked it up to his garage at one of his properties, and that’s where it sat. When I [first] went to look at the car, there were cobwebs growing under it,” he recalled to me. After many months, the seller and Richard came to terms on the financials, and now he’s enjoying it like a regular car. It really is as clean as it looks in the photos, but make no mistake – this is no perfect show car. This is not a Concours quality restoration. This is a car that has seen over half a century of use and service on original components. Its original paint shines up well, but it’s still that: original. Richard says, “Every time I work on it, it’s like, ‘Wow.’ The car is just like it came out of the factory, just with scratches and dings.” And that’s just the way he likes it. Every year, he takes the car to the James Dean run in Fairmont, and he’s taken it as far as Concord, North Carolina for a car show at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Like many of us, he’s been a car nut for as long as he could remember. At 16 years old, his first car was a 1947 Ford that he picked up from his uncle, who owned a towing business. Currently, he owns nine cars that range from mild to

wild, including a 1939 Ford convertible with an engine from a 1955 Cadillac and dual quads, and another low mile survivor 1957 Bel Air 2-door Hardtop with 32,000 original miles. He’s got a very supportive wife of 44 years named JoEllen who also loves going on the car show adventures, and he still does all of his own repair work even though he’s been retired since 2006 from his positions in law enforcement and security. When asked about his future plans for the Merc, he chuckled a bit and calmly said, “I wouldn’t be afraid to drive that car to California tomorrow!” And knowing him, he just might. - RR

WHO: Richard Fanno WHERE: Dyer, IN WHAT: 1949 Mercury 4-door Sport Sedan ENGINE: Original 255 cid Flathead V8 TRANS: 3-speed manual w/overdrive PAINT: ORIGINAL Black Paint INTERIOR: ALL ORIGINAL Taupe/Brown interior WHEELS & SUSPENSION: All original, except for a power brake conversion

Thurman Stone | Hobart, IN | 2010 Kenny Williams Pro-Street Chopper

SLICE ‘N DICE

| Even though I’m a car guy at heart, sometimes I think the motorcycle features are my favorite part of writing for Region Rides every month. Thurman Stone and his bike, nicknamed Ginsu, are a perfect example of why. The bike is named Ginsu, like the well-known infomercial knives that cut everything and anything. Just look at it. Everything on this

bike is a shiny sharpened point. It’s as stylized as it could possibly be, and that’s what makes it amazing. Ginsu is a 2010 Kenny Williams Pro-Street chopper. He picked the bike up from Kenny himself in 2010, shortly after it was finished. While he may not have ordered it or had it custom built, it was (and is) everything he wanted in a build. Kenny used

Region Rides Magazine | Page 16 | April 2015

Words: Ray Saez Jr | Images: Jerome Hindmon

to live in Indiana himself, and is actually a part of how Thurman got into bikes in the first place. During the great custom bike renaissance of the early 2000s, where you couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t turn on the TV

without running into some sort of chopper or hot rod bike building show, he became interested. Like most people do now when interested in something, he hit up

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the Internet and discovered that Kenny Williams was from the area, and wanted to buy a bike. His first was in 2001, a Yamaha R1 sport bike. That’s now gone, replaced with Ginsu and a Softail Deluxe for daily riding duty (when the weather is nice, of course). He wanted to stand out, stop traffic, and turn heads, and from the looks of things, Thurman has succeeded in the best way. Ginsu is an incredible piece of machinery. Power comes from a 124 cubic inch fully polished S&S V-twin with custom ceramic coated exhaust, and a right-side drive Baker 6-speed transmission helps the bike remain better balanced. The 21 inch front wheel makes a bold statement, along with the custom cut brake rotors, further enhancing the sharp, pointed motif. The 18 inch wheel out back is wrapped in a 300 mm rear tire, not just for looks, but to keep this bike going in the right direction. Of course, the frame is a full custom one-off from Kenny Williams, and it also sports a full wire tuck with specifically designed pieces to hide everything. If that’s not enough, the paint and airbrush work is SURE to knock your socks off. There are over 160 skulls airbrushed onto the bike. They’re everywhere. Some are in your face, some are subtle, but each one has the same relentless attention to detail and perfection as the rest of the build. Thurman’s favorite part is the headlight. It’s an Arlen Ness “eyeball” headlight, and I’ve never seen anything else quite like it! At home, he’s got a fiancée named Josie. She doesn’t ride herself (yet, we suspect…), but they do have a suction cup seat so they can both enjoy Ginsu together as they cruise to local shows, veterans rides and other events. They’ve put about 1200 miles on the bike together, and while Thurmann says it’s comfortable, he’s got no visions of grandeur regarding long term trips. “I wouldn’t take it to Florida or anything,” he says. I would, or at least I’d try. I’d take it to Florida and smile all the way there. Ginsu is just that awesome. - RR WHO: Thurman Stone WHERE: Hobart, IN WHAT: 2010 Kenny Williams Pro-Street Chopper ENGINE: 124 cubic inch polished S&S breathing through one-off ceramic coated pipes TRANSMISSION: 6-speed Baker Trans WHEELS: 21” front, 18” rear Performance Machine wheels w/300 mm rear tire PAINT: Graphics done by Augie’s Art with over 160 skulls airbrushed onto the bike

BIG & Scott Spinks | Crown Point | 1965 Chevrolet Biscayne

BAD Words: Ray Saez Jr | Images: Jerome Hindmon

|THIS is, without a doubt, my favorite car from this month’s Region Rides. I apologize in advance to everyone else, but Scott Spinks’ Pro Street 1965 Chevrolet Biscayne just ticks all the right boxes for me, and I’m sure you’ll agree. To begin with, the color is awesome. Just stop reading for a moment and look at the pictures. It’s a factory GM color called Sun Burnt Orange Metallic, and in its day, it was found on the lowly Chevrolet Cavalier. Scott, like many of us, had an early influence when it came to his car hobby. His older brother used to drag race at the old US 30 Drag Strip, so there was always something fast and cool in the garage. Scott always helped out, and used those skills to make his first career. He was an auto mechanic for over 20 years before switching careers and working at US Steel, so he’s no stranger to cars, performance, or customs, but, he joked “This is the first one I’ve owned that’s almost done.” Why almost? Because no project is truly done. There are always improvements to be made. Some of his past rides include a number of modified trucks, a ’63 Impala, and a ’78 El Camino as well. The Biscayne has a whole host of go-fast goodies, too. It’s got a 502 cubic inch big block, a full back-half ladder bar and coil spring setup with a Moser 9” rear end…. oh, and an 8-point roll cage. Scott says, “It’s had custom work done on probably 90% of the car somewhere,” and from looking at this behemoth I’d say that was a conservative estimate. The build on the Biscayne started in 2000, with his friend Howard Snyder. Eventually, Howard lost interest, however, and Scott bought the car for himself with the intent of finishing it. He’d like to give a special thanks to Gene Pudlo, who did the back-half work on the car, and also a heartfelt thanks to Rick “Rudy” Plitt. Rudy, who regrettably passed away last year, did all the wiring work on the car. These days, the big block powered car spends its time on the street. While it may look like a race car, Scott says he gets more pleasure from driving it on the street than he ever would from taking it down the track. His wife and five year old son love the car, and he told me his son definitely shows signs of having “the bug.” Who knows – we just might see him in Region Rides next!-RR

WHO: Scott Spinks

REAR END: Full back-half, Moser 9” with 4.11 gears

WHERE: Crown Point, IN

PAINT: Sun Burnt Orange Metallic, a GM factory color for the Chevrolet Cavalier

WHAT: 1965 Chevrolet Biscayne Pro Street ENGINE: 502 Crate Engine – Edelbrock intake, 850 Holley Street Dominator, Pete Jackson gear driven timing set, Hooker Super comp headers, custom 4” exhaust TRANS: Turbo 400

INTERIOR: Stock interior with new fabric, custom door panels, bench seats, full 8-point roll cage WHEELS AND TIRES: Centerline Convo Pro wheels Hoosier street radials (and massive 33x21.50x15s out back)

Region Renegade

Words: Ray Saez Jr

David Cornett | Knut Creative Walls |Every guy wants a place of their own. It’s why the “man cave” concept has become so big in recent years. After all this time watching kitchen renovations with granite counter tops, accent walls being painted in rooms that were perfectly fine with white paint, and backyard remodels so extravagant that you probably wouldn’t want to ever use it as a real yard, finally, someone out there decided that there should be a room in your house for awesome car guy stuff – and not the garage. Enter David Cornett, and his business, Knut Creative Walls. He, like many of the people written about in these pages, has been into cars for just about his whole life. He grew up right near Charlotte Motor Speedway and had plenty of exposure to NASCAR teams that were in the area, but his biggest source of inspiration was his dad. His father had a body shop, and owned hundreds of different cars. “Every week he was driving something different home,” he said. Following in those footsteps, his brother also started a restoration shop, so there was no shortage of cool things kicking around the Cornett family. David, though, he took a different path. He picked up a pen and a paintbrush, and the rest is history. He’s been selling custom art pieces since he was in high school, and followed up by going to the Colorado Institute of Art for industrial design, and spent some time at the University of Kentucky for art education as well. However, instead of teaching, he found a way to combine his love for cars and art into a fun and successful business. That’s where Knut Creative Walls comes in.

David uses acrylic paints to bring his clients’ vehicles to life in color. These aren’t your standard 8x10 photos, though. Most of David’s work has a minimum of a four foot span. These are large, high quality, hand-painted works of art that any enthusiast would be proud to hang in their home. In addition to the wall paintings, David does custom t-shirts, screen printing, vintage signage, and something else that he calls “Wall Tatz”. Wall Tatz are extruded Styrofoam art pieces that are designed to be hung on walls, bringing a new dimension to your Garage Mahal. Each of the photos you see in this article are actual examples of David’s work, done for clients. In fact, if you REALLY want to see a cool example of his work, stop Cartronix’s new shop in Valparaiso, and check out their new inside signage. David is the kind of guy who pays extra close attention to detail, delivering one-of-a-kind artwork that truly captures the subject that he is working on. Take a look at the 1932 Flathead painting that’s in this article. Direct your eye to the tire. All of that tread was painstakingly hand painted. Why? Because it’s all in the details. When he’s not painting other people’s pride and joy, he’s got his own projects to work on, too. Currently, he’s working on a 1953 Packard, and a 1926 Ford roadster pickup that the whole family is going to enjoy. “My wife says I can’t sell the Ford ever. She fell in love with that one,” he laughed. If you’re, like me, want your own car, truck, or anything else done in paint, you can email David directly at knut_creative_ walls@yahoo.com or check out his new booth at the Valpo Car Show to see some of his work in person. - RR

Region Rides Magazine | Page 24 | April 2015

Hoosier’s Hottest Garage

Vos Upholstery | Lansing, IL |Upholstery is one of those automotive specialty trades that you really have to respect. Most people don’t realize it, but it’s arguably the most critical component to any show car build, and even your daily driver. Shows are won and lost every day based on the finishing touches. There can be a dozen red Chevelles at a car show with polished big block engines, but the one that’s going to take the prize is the one that has its interior on point, where the eye may not SEE the differences, but the judges and owners can FEEL the quality and craftsmanship that went into the project. That’s why Vos Upholstery is this month’s Region Renegade. Harold Vos has been cranking out handcrafted custom interiors for customers for years, and his passion for his craft shows in every stitch of fabric he lays down. This is the kind of shop

you want to have your pride and joy – one that will make it their own. Before opening his first upholstery shop, Harold worked as a roofer, and then got a gig at a furniture warehouse. A few years after high school, he picked up an old sewing machine and started practicing. From there, his skills improved and he began doing trim work on the side. All of his friends were in the auto body field or mechanics, so he always had an interest in cars, but soon realized he had a gift for the finer details and finally opened his own shop in 1976. The first interior he did was for a 1938 Ford, and the rest, as they say, is history. Vos Upholstery moved to their current location about three years ago. They used to have a bigger operation, but decided to downsize – not because business was slow, but because it

Region Rides Magazine | Page 26 | April 2015

Words: Ray Saez Jr wasn’t what he wanted. “I always wanted to do the work, and when I had a lot of employees, I got away from that. I missed it,” says Harold. He would rather do one car at a time, and do it right, than have a line of unhappy customers waiting in the wings. That’s the kind of person you want to work on your car. The current staff at Vos Upholstery includes Harold, his loving wife Jeanne, who handles stitching, sewing, and all the book work, and one other employee. You want small and local? It doesn’t get much better than Vos Upholstery. Vos can handle it all – from full custom hot rod interiors to factory restorations and everything in between. Vinyl tops, convertible tops, and even some small repairs on modern vehicles are all well within the capabilities of the shop. When I asked him what the craziest job he’d ever taken on was, he laughed and told of a gentleman who wanted a headliner done for his 1957 Chevy… but he cut the entire roof off of the car at the pillars and brought it in!

When not working in the shop, Harold is enjoying his own 1957 Chevy 2 door hardtop, which, of course, has its own custom interior (maybe you’ll see it in another issue… hint hint). He picked it up after selling his 1941 Ford panel truck at his wife’s suggestion, because he owned another ’57 way back when they were in high school. Jeanne doesn’t have her own project vehicle yet, but she’s got her eye on a 1948 Chevy pickup. A husband and wife team with a mutual interest in classic cars and a business where they can enjoy their own company and their passion together? It doesn’t get much better than that. If you want your own quality custom upholstery work or repair, you can visit Vos Upholstery at 3417 Randolph Street in Lansing, IL, or give them a call at 708-418-7099. - RR

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Racing Returns to the Region Words: Ray Saez Jr

Images Provided by: Tim Ringer

| Chances are, if you’re reading this right now that you are a fan of drag racing. If that’s the case, then we here at Region Rides have some GREAT news for you! The US 41 Motorplex, located in Moroco, Indiana is re-opening under new ownership! With the US 30 drag strip being closed, the re-opening of US 41 is a huge update to the area! The new owners are Tim Ringer and Bill Hupke, and since taking the reigns of the track, they’ve been putting in the time

the strip here in Northwest Indiana. As a youngster, he

to make it a place that you’re not only going to want to visit –

spent every weekend at the strip with his dad, like many of us.

you’re going to NEED to visit.

Tragically, Willis Ringer, Sr. passed away in 1992 from cancer,

Like us, Tim is an enthusiast. He understands us, our needs, our

but now he’s watching his son live their dream from above as US

wants, and knows what a good drag strip is supposed to be. He

41 gets brought back to life.

credits

his

The improvements being made at US 41 are many, and they

father, Wil-

include not just a new staff to run the facility, but many things

lis, for the in-

that local racers have been wishing for the track for years. New

spiration to

grandstands, updated restrooms, a revamped concessions area,

bring good,

and over 660 feet of new concrete are being added as you’re

clean racing

reading this – and more. The dilapidated facility is getting a new

off the street

lease on life thanks to Tim and Bill, and they’re working hard to

and back to

make sure everyone knows about it.

This year, US 41 Motorplex will be an outlaw track – but fear not. They are fully insured, and an ambulance will be on site for any emergencies, god forbid, as well as safety crews. They will be following the IHRA track rules, so all you local racers can be prepared! For the super serious among us, private testing and track rentals will be available during the week and on select Saturdays. The track’s first event is right around the corner. With construction and improvement continuing at its current rate, the new and improved US 41 will be open for racing during the first weekend of May, and they’d love to see you there! If you’ve been begging for a good, clean, and safe facility to race at – Tim and Bill are bring it right to your back yard with US 41 Motorplex! In case you forgot, US 41 Motorplex is located at 2695 West 50 South in Morocco, Indiana. Check out their Facebook page for more information about upcoming event scheduling, progress on the renovations, merchandise, or anything else you might want to know! There are several open Test & Tune dates on the calendar, bracket races, grudge races and more! www. facebook.com/us-41-motorplex Ladies and gentlemen, real racing is making a comeback in the NWI area, and we’re happy to welcome it back. There’s still time to prep your cars, so get out there and get working! - RR

Region Event Words: Stephanie Edwards | Images Provided by Zach Smiley

4th Annual Cinco De Mopar | The 4th Annual Cinco De Mopar is gearing up for one of their best shows to date! This years’ event takes place on Saturday, May 2 from 11am to 5pm EDT at 9 Irish Brothers East Authentic Irish Pub in Lafayette. Event organizer Zach Smiley is really looking forward to this event. “We already have about 160 people pre-registered,” he said. “We’ve got everything from a 1964 Plymouth to a Modern Challenger Hellcat – nine of those to be exact – so we are expecting a big crowd. It’s a pretty cool things to have nine of those at one spot.” Cool indeed – and it’s part of the reason why Smiley thinks this year’s event will be the biggest show yet. “We are the biggest show in the area,” said Smiley. “There’s no charge to participate, donations only, and all those donations go to local charities. This year the donations will go to the American Cancer Society and The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. In 2014, with the help of sponsors like the Finer Details and Bosak Performance, Cinco DeMopar had over 120 cars and were able to raise over $1000 for the American Cancer Society. Car participation is limited to Mopar vehicles (Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Fiat, Ram, SRT, Plymouth, AMC, Desoto, etc). Awards will be given out in six categories: Best Classic Mopar, Best Modern Mopar, Best of Show, 9 Irish Brothers Choice and then each charity will pick a car as well. This event is open to the public for spectators, and those who attend can partake in various raffles including a 50/50 raffle. There will be a DJ providing musical entertainment and those looking for a bite to eat can visit the restaurant next door. “We will also have a special guest at the event – Mr. Norm from Chicago will be showing up again,” said Smiley. “He will be set up with memorabilia. He’s always a crowd pleaser.”

The 4th Annual Cinco De Mopar will go on rain or shine and will feature vehicles from all over the country. There will be a variety of cruises going on as well – one that starts in Lowell that leaves at 8:30, one coming from Cincinnati and one coming from Indy. “We have people coming from all over – Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania,” said Smiley. “And we have people of all ages participating – it’s really something for everyone.” Those traveling from out of town and not wanting to head home after the show can stay the night at the Four Points By Sheraton. They have reserved a block of rooms in Lafayette, about 10 minutes from the show site. For more information on this event, please contact Zach Smiley at 765-532-0172 or via email, monstermoparzach@gmail.com. - RR

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Rides in Progress

The Man WHO: Mike Nasiatka | WHERE: Valparaiso | AGE: 27 The Ride YEAR: 1986 | MAKE: Pontiac | MODEL: Fiero PAINT: Debating on a wrap BODY: Front end is molded after the Porsche 944 and will be made into a single lift off unit for quick access to front end same with the hatch conversion for the rear there will also be scoops made into the front and rear to direct air into the rear of the brakes and scoops into the rear sail panels to vent out the engine bay heat, there will also be large 3/4 coverage fender flares made SUSPENSION: The suspension in front is custom tubular upper control arms now adjustable for caster and camber and modified stock lowers with a modified front subframe and tubular strut towers to accommodate full length coil overs for better control, the rear suspension has also been modified to except full coil overs, the rear subframe was also heavily modified to accommodate the new motor and braced and boxed to support the power also is now solid mounted to the body with solid aluminum bushings and the rest of the car has poly bushings thru the chassis. I have also added a sway bar to the rear of the car as in 86 this wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t an option. This car comes with solid rotor brakes originally so I have machines the front rotors down to a hub to accept the front brake rotor calipers and pads from an 87 grand am onto all 4 corners now. I am also running 18x9.5 rota wheels 285/45/18 rear and 255/45/18 fronts , I have widened the stance on the car about 5 inches on each side to help keep the car planted during high speed cornering. ENGINE: 700+hp Mitsubishi 4g63t Parts: Engine has fully built internals, forged rotating assy with stock 2.0 bore, 9:1 compression, balance shaft delete, race ported head, crower valvetrain with 272/272 cams and factory cam gears, sheet metal style stainless steel intake manifold with power products mustang 75mm throttlebody and 3 inch gm maf with a slowboys racing air/air intercooler, the exhaust setup has a dnp turbo manifold into a precision dual ball bearing 6768 turbo pushing a daily set 36 psi(have ran 50psi for fun) the exhaust will be routed up over the transmission and into a 3 inch dual tip exiting between the tail lights dead center (like the ford gt or the batmobile;)...) also running a 40mm tial wastegate and a 50mm tial blow off valve. The fuel system consist of an aluminum cell up front feeding E85 they braided lines thru a dual walboro 255 pump set up into a Aeromotive reg into 1600cc (150 lb ) injectors. All this is being tuned with ECMlink via a laptop thru the datalink connector. Build TRANS: Frankensteined mitsubishi fwd 5 speed transmission/ custom driveshaft shop axles and rear hubs Interior Will have a sheet metal style dash/console, race seats,full cage,also has complete willewood pedal box assy and hydraulic e-brake and roll control, also will be getting a hand built steering column with quick release and aluminum wheel, I have a large arrangement of autometer gauges as well to monitor everything and a innovative wideband/electronic boost controller. YEAR PURCHASED:2010 TIME SPENT BUILDING: off and on 4.5 years FUTURE PLANS: future plans are to finally get this thing running and driving as a fun street car and get to do some circuit track style racing

Region Car & Bike Shows

Region Cruise Nights

May 2015

Monday Nights

4th Annual Cinco DeMopar | Saturday May 2nd 9 Irish Brothers East - Authentic Irish Pub | Lafayette, IN

Blue Top | 8801 Indianapolis Blvd | Highland, IN | 5pm ‘til Close

11am to 5pm EDT | Car participation is limited to Mopar vehicles Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, Fiat, Ram, SRT, Plymouth, AMC, Desoto, etc. 50/50 Raffle | Dash Plaques | Special Awards Proceeds to benefit the American Cancer Society and The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention For more info call Zach Smiley at 765.532.0172 or email: monstermoparzach@gmail.com

8th Annual Moose 2513 Car Show | Sat. May 9th Moose Lodge 2513 | Winamac, IN

Michigan City Al’s Supermarket | 3535 Franklin St | Michigan City | 6:30pm to 9:30pm

Valpo Free Car Show | Sunday May 17th Porter County Fairgrounds | Valparaiso, IN

Wednesday Night Blue Top | 8801 Indianapolis Blvd | Highland, IN | 5pm ‘til Close

Four A’s Car Club Car & Bike Show | Sunday, June 7 Sunset Hills Farms | 755 Meridan Rd | Valparaiso, IN Gates Open at 9am | Registration at Noon | Awards at 3pm $10 Entry Fee | Spectators $5 per Car People’s Choice Top 40 | Free Swap Area | Food by Leroy’s Hot Stuff Proceeds to Benefit Porter County Habitat for Humanity & Porter County Career & Technical Education Dave: 219-861-6357 or Susan: 219-512-0630

Schepel Buick GMC Charity Car Show | Saturday June 27 3209 W. Lincoln Hwy | Merrillville, IN Registration 8am to 10am | Show Begins at 10 | Awards at 2:30pm Proceeds to Benefit Elim Christian Services Dave: 219-769-6381

Have an event? Email us at Events@RegionRides.com

Region Racing Schedule INR-SCCA 2015 Autox | Majestic Star Casino | Gary, IN

Registration & Tech 9:30am to 11am Driver’s Meeting 11am | First Car 12pm April 12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:30am May 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:30am

Illiana Speedway | 7211 U.S. 30 | Schererville, IN

Pits Open: 3pm | Stands Open: 4pm | Qualifying: 5:30pm | First Race: 7pm April 2015 April 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . Saturday Open Practice All Divisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3pm April 11. . . . . . . . . . . . Saturday Open Practice All Divisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3pm April 18. . . . . . . . . . . . Saturday Open Practice All Divisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3pm April 25. . . . . . . Saturday Night Opening Night - Full Race Program. . . . . . . . . 3pm May 2015 May 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Full Race Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3pm May 9 . . . . . . . . . . . .Full Race Program - Mothers Day Special. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3pm May 16 . . . . . . . . . Full Race Program - 13th Annual Food Drive . . . . . . . . . . . 3pm May 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Full Race Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3pm May 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chicagoland Showdown 150 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3pm In conjunction with ARCA/CRA Super Series

May 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Full Race Program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3pm

US 41 Motorplex | 2695 West 50 South | Morocco, IN April 2015

Weather Permitting & Track Improvements Completed

April 4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Test & Tune. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-5pm April 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Test & Tune/Drifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10pm April 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Test & Tune. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-5pm April 12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Test & Tune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-5pm April 18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Test & Tune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-5pm April 19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Test & Tune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-5pm April 25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Test & Tune. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-5pm April 26. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Test & Tune/Drifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10pm May 2015 May 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Slicks & Drag Radials Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10pm May 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Test & Tune(Track Rental Available). . . . . . . . . . . 10-10pm May 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bracket Race #1 Points/ TNT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5pm May 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Test & Tune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10pm May 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Test & Tune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10pm May 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Slicks & Drag Radials only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10pm May 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Test & Tune(Track Rental Available). . . . . . . . . . . 10-10pm May 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “ALL OUT SHOOTOUT” #1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-6pm May 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Test & Tune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10pm May 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Test & Tune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10pm May 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monster’s Night of Chaos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10pm May 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . .Test & Tune(Track Rental Available). . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10p May 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bracket Race #2 Points/ TNT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5pm May 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Test & Tune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10pm May 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Test & Tune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10pm May 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Slicks & Drag radials only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10pm May 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . DONYA(Fade to Black)RENTAL#1 . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-10pm May 24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Test & Tune 9-2pm Drifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10pm May 26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Test & Tune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10pm May 27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Test & Tune . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10pm May 29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Slicks & Drag Radials only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10pm May 30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Street Car Chaos Reunion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-10pm May 31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Test & Tune 9-2pm Drifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-10pm

Find Region Rides Magazine at these convenient locations Burns Harbor Burn Harbor Liquors 310 Melton Rd

Crown Point Cont. Buddy & Pal’s 1206 E. Summit

Hammond Cont. Levin Tire 6901 Indianapolis Blvd

Highland Cont. Woody’s Garage 2943 Highway Ave

Hobart Cont. JD’s Diner 1409 S. Lake Park Ave.

Cedar Lake Goodfellas 11200 W. 129th Ave.

Autozone 219 Main St

Prestige Auto Center 6219 Kennedy Ave

Duke of Oil 10438 Indianapolis Blvd

Indian Ridge Golf Course 6363 Grand Blvd

Mancave Barbershop 1600 E Summit St

Bob’s Custom Cycle 6240 Kennedy Ave

Levin Tire 9500 Indianapolis Blvd

Hobart Auto & Trans 954 Lincoln St.

TJT Tire 6730 W 133rd Ave

High Performance Dentistry 250 N Main Street #5

Chuy’s Auto Sales 6250 Kennedy Ave

Barton’s Pizza 3925 45th St

Scooter Shooters 9602 W 133rd Ave

Levin Tire 501 N. Main St.

Amerimex Mufflers 6638 Kennedy Ave

Advance Auto Parts 9015 Indy Blvd

LOFS Buddy & Pal’s 10685 Randolph St

Nagy’s Automotive 9600 W. 113rd Ave

East Chicago Los Comales 4841 Indy Blvd

Extreme Sports 6647 Kennedy Ave

Ultra Foods 8401 Indianapolis Blvd

Sounds Like Security 6949 Kennedy Ave

Cars Plus 9619 Indy Blvd

Hubcap World 6309 Indpls Blvd

Hobart Duke of Oil 3592 N. Hobart Rd

Gelsosomo’s Pizza 13019 Wicker Ave.

Chesterton El Cantarito 711 Plaza Dr.

Bomb Records 4534 Indy Blvd

Strack & Van Til 1600 Pioneer Trail

EC Window Tints 4145 Indy Blvd

Zip Foods 29 Franklin St.

Gary A1 Kustoms & Auto 4511 Cleveland

Venice Pizza 1453 Broadway Val’s Pizza 112 S. 11th St. Crown Point Alpine Motors 7725 W Lincoln Hwy Auto Design Collision 529 Sheridan St. Race Engineering 725 E. Goldsboro St. Three Monkey’s 21 W. 112th Ave. Tom & Ed’ Auto body 10735 Broadway Knight Automotive 859 Thomas St. Advance Auto Parts 914 N. Main St. Crown Point Auto 1510 N. Main St. Oil N Go 1492 N Main St.

Jason’s Sports Bar 3949 Hohman Ave Velasquez Mufflers 4800 Calumet Ave

Tom’s Tire Service 5020 W. 45th

Xtreme Auto Repair 4817 Calumet Ave

Griffith Party Liquors 404 N. Broad St.

Anchor Inn 6712 Calumet Ave

Duke of Oil 810 E. Ridge Road Martinez’s Body Shop 209 N. Colfax St. Quality 1st 1581 N. Cline Ave Griffith Billiards 116 S. Broad St. Set’Em Up Lanes 135 N. Broad St. Hammond Duke of Oil 6808 Calumet Ave Rainbow Auto Sales 6127 Kennedy Ave Strack & Van Til 2635 169th St.

Chapa’s Upholstery 6704 Kennedy Ave T&R Autobody 6552 Osborn Ave Bugaboo Tattoo 7014 Kennedy Ave Tattoo Lady 6817 Kennedy Ave Van Senus 6920 Kennedy Ave. Anderson Auto Parts 7114 Cline Ave. Hebron Pav’s 642 N Main St Highland Blue Top 8801 S. Indy Blvd

Levin Tire 1997 E 37th Ave Advance Auto Parts 7872 E. Ridge Rd. All American Tire 7799 E. Ridge Rd Quicklane 7877 E Ridge Rd SLB Citgo 151 S Illinois St

Lake Station Hamilton Machine 2715 Central Ave Mr Blue Upholstery 3100 Central Ave Velasquez Mufflers 2303 Central Ave. Central Transmission 3140 Central Ave. Key Markey 3232 Central Ave Party Liquors 3533 Central Ave Laportte Samantha’s Antiques 500 Lincolnway Full Throttle Salon 1239 St Rd 39

Color Craft/Curly’s 677 West State Rd 130

Lowell Hirata’s 9418 w. 181st Ave

NAPA 701 E. 3rd St.

CRT Cope Racing Trans 16768 Wicker Ave.

GZC Wheels 712 E. 3rd St

Merrillville Duke of Oil 2080 W 81st Ave

Panda Chinese Rest. 634 East 3rd St Hobart Lanes 99 S. Hobart Rd. Midas Auto Service 3654 N Hobart Rd. Paragon Restaurant 1701 E 37th Ave

Bosak Motor Sales 3111 Lincolnway Schepel 3209 W Lincoln Hwy Simon Sez 2250 W 81st Ave Hunch Furs 2021 W Lincoln Hwy

Merrillville Cont. Bugaboo Mrvl 4357 E Lincoln Hwy

Munster Cont. Strack & Van Til 12 Ridge Rd.

Portage Cont Brown Tires 6755 Melton Rd.

Valparaiso Cont. Cartronix 1155 Marsh St Ste A

Valparaiso Cont. Verona’s Pizza 1689 Morthland Dr

Southlake Auto Mall 4191 E Lincoln Hwy

Complete Car Center 9720 Fran-Lin Prkwy

Portage Tire 3520 Scottsdale St.

NAPA 1151 Southpoint Circle

Valpo Vienna’s 3 Napoleon St

Merrillville Auto Glass 8606 Mississippi St

Michael’s Restaurant 2040 45th St

Sandberg’s Garage 1252 Lincolnway

Town & Country 1805 Calumet Ave.

Levin Tire 5713 Broadway

New Chicago El Ranchero Restaurant 3559 Michigan Ave.

Plymouth Duke of Oil 1505 N. Michigan St

Pete’s Gyros 225 Morthland Dr.

Valpo Car Wash 2168 Morthland Dr.

USA Muffler 361 Morthland Dr

Strack & Van Til 2454 W Morthland Dr

Mr. Tire 451 Morthland Dr

Valpo Trailer 861 W. Morthland Dr

Pepe’s Mexican Rest. 1058 State Rd 2

Whiting Bull Dog Brewing Co. 1409 119th st

Broadway Glass 6491 Broadway Sheffield’s 1515 E. 82nd Ave.

Porter Wagner’s Ribs 361 Wagner Rd

Schererville Strack & Van Til 1515 US Highway 41 Jalapeños 200 US HWY 41

Leroy’s Hot Stuff 333 W US Hwy 20

Kust-M-Tint & Graphics 2 2321 US HWY 41

Maxim’s Lounge 7205 Broadway

Portage MCR Short Stop 6381 Central Ave

Bull Pen 1013 W. Lincoln Hwy

Maxim Power Sports 5901 E 81st Ave

El Cantarito 6291 Central Ave.

Mr. Tire 850 W. 81st Ave.

Boomer’s 2522 Portage Mall

Hydad’s 31 80th Place

Classic Body Works 6020 Central Ave

Delta Tint 6677 Broadway

Duneside Liquors 2681 Willowcreek Rd

Lake Cycle 7911 Taft St.

Santini’s Pizza 3287 Willowcreek Rd

Exhaust Masters 7913 Taft St.

Verona’s Pizza 5479 US HWY 6

Strack & Van Til 7201 Taft Street

National Transmission 5475 US HWY 6

Ultra Foods 6140 Broadway

Kustom Auto Body 5409 US HWY 6

Michigan City Kniola’s Automotive 4775 N 1100 W

Portage Carwash 5865 US Hwy 6

White’s Pit Stop 330 E. US HWY 30 St. John Loan Sum Pawn 8167 Wicker Ave.

Quaker Steak & Lube 6245 Amerplex

Blue 42 8209 Wicker Ave

Levin Tire 203 Silhavy Rd

Ryan’s Tavern 6340 Melton Rd

Valparaiso Classy Chassis 1000 Axe Ave

Ribordy Liquors 1665 Morthland Drive

Pepe’s Mexican Rest 8011 Broadway

Schoop’s 4105 Franklin St M.C. Harley Davidson 2968 US-421 Munster Cal. Harley Davidson 10350 Calumet Ave. Duke of Oil 449 Ridge Road

Red Carpet Inn 6481 Melton Rd Zip Foods 1856 Samuleson Rd

Boston Pizza 625 W. US HWY 30 El Amigo 312 W. US HWY 30 Spike’s Lakeside Inn 21 E. Joliet Rd. Schererville Lounge 40 E. Joliet Rd. White Pit 330 US HWY 30 Sal Y Limon Mexican Rest. 2330 Cline Ave. Christensen Chevrolet 9700 Indianapolis Blvd

Duffy’s Place 1154 Axe Ave. Valpo Harley Davidson 1151 US HWY 30

Sacred Chao Tattooing 206 Elm St Trail Inn Liquors 1307 Lincolnway Smoke Shop 1401 Lincolnway Car Quest Auto Parts 1403 Lincolnway Heinold & Feller 1707 Lincolnway ASG Ink 858W Lncnwy Ste 1A Duke of Oil 3 East Highway 6 Clements Auto Repair 1510 E. Lincolnway Rosewood Restaurant 367 US HWY 6 Culture Shock Tattoo 1052 Marsh St. Ste C

Center Lounge 1312 119th St. Leon’s 1454 Indy Blvd Grillers Restaurant 1240 119th St Strack & Van Til 1836 Calumet Ave. Winfield Levin Tire 10765 Randolph St. Winfield Ace Hardware 11702 Randolph St IL Locations MPC 1762 S Dixie Hwy Crete, Illinois Duke of Oil Locations in IL Bradley, IL 141 S Kinzie Ave Mt. Prospect, IL 689 E. Northwest Hwy Palatine, IL 1755 N. Rand Road Westmont, IL 25 East 63rd Street

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