Hot Summer Nights Annual Car and Hot Rod Show, Trout Creek
Montana
2nd weekend in September
What a location to cruise... From Trout Creek, MT to Lake Pend Oreille, to Sandpoint, ID to Coeur d'Alene, ID. Then turn on to I-90 to drive to Wallace then turn on the highway going to Prichard, finally head to Murray and over to Thompson Pass back to Trout Creek, MT!
Wow, whether cruising in a Muscle car, or on a Harley Davidson or in the family car you will enjoy the drive and the scenery during this yearly event in Trout Creek Montana.
Many different types of Hot Rods and Restored Cars were on display at the Trout Creek Motel - Lakeside Resort and motels
Dennis Miller, sits behind his 1929 Model A Ford Coup part of Trout Creek’s 4th Annual
Hot Summer Nights Car Show
Car Fever By Jason Shueh ~ Valley Press
Like many of the 24 entrants in the show, Dennis Miller, owner of the all-original brown Coupe,
was out
to enjoy the weather, the camaraderie and of course, the cars.
Yet memories were also an important part of the
equation for Miller, who said that he
bought his Model A to remember the era
of his infamous uncle, the 1920s gangster Vernon C. Miller.
I bought this car because this is what he drove,” Miller said. His uncle was a sheriff that turned into
an outlaw in the late 1920s. Vernon was a hired gunman for Al Capone during the late 1920s era
of bootleggers and racketeers. He was also responsible for the Kansas City Massacre.
Mafia members tried to rescue independent Chicago gangster Frank Nash. Several FBI agents,
a few police officers and Nash himself were killed in the attempt.
“The family never talked about him ever since,” Miller said. But Miller, who considers the colorful history centered around the era worth remembering, said he even dresses up as Bonnie and
Clyde and drives the car in different community parades like he did during
Trout Creek’s Huckleberry Festival.
Despite being built in 1929, Miller’s Ford has several surprisingly modern features: Including its original cruise control system. The Coupe’s lighting system was also integrated into the car’s dashboard.
Next year, Miller said that he would be giving his car another paint job to keep it in pristine condition.
“When you get my age, you get a lot of toys, and you have a lot more time to do things,
” he said. Classic cars like his require a lot of hours and zealous care.
While the show’s classic cars set the tone for a collage of old memories, it was also a venue for creating new ones. Especially for Ben and Phyllis Broyles, from Hayden, Idaho.
The Couple displayed their red and white 1956 12-foot flame shooting Chevy Bel Air
that they call their “prescription for fun.”
Ben Broyles said that after his wife’s mother passed away, his wife had a hard time grieving for
her. Broyles said that when they bought the car eight years ago and began the process of refurbishing and showing it, the experience helped her overcome the loss.
Through the course of this summer the Couple has attended 24 car shows and plans to attend another two more before
the end of the season.
Broyles said that the Trout Creek Hot Summer Nights Car Show is always one they’ve put on their list because of how beautiful the area is and because of the friendly people they’re able to meet.
“I love this show, I come up here every year,” Broyles said. “They always have wonderfully affordable hotel rooms and the people are just great.”
The show started off Friday night with a live band that played ‘50s and ‘60s music coupled with karaoke. On Saturday visitors and exhibitors voted for which cars they felt deserved the highest marks and the coveted trophies that accompanied the winners.
The best of show and people’s choice award were given to:
John Emacko, for his bright red 1956 Chevy
Pre-1954 class: Scott & Barb Young won with their Model T Roadster
1955 to 1957 class: Emacko won with his 56’ Chevy
1958-1972 class: Nancy Strope won with her ‘69 Camaro
1996 to current category: Dick Kostka won with his 1996 Corvette
There were also awards for best paint job, best interior and best truck.
Best Interior: The Broyles
Best Paint Job: Larry and Judy Swing
Best Truck: George Morgan for his 1929 Model A.
Event organizer John Harris, of the Lakeside Resort
and Motel in Trout Creek, said he was pleased with the event. “The show went good,” he said. “The weather was great. And the car crazy people had a lot to talk about it. We had a good variety of cars.”
Harris said that he wanted to thank all of the sponsors and invite everyone to the next show,
which
will be held on the second Saturday of September next year.
Tyler Riffle, left, and Jake Gascon, both 10 years old, ogle the cars at the 9th Annual Rods n’ Classics car show on Saturday.
Car show draws more than 100 entries by Jennifer McBride/Valley Press
The 9th Annual Show and Shine Car Show offered fun with flair last weekend in Thompson Falls
with a Rally Run and the Show and Shine.
The event featured 106 entries — all parked together in Ainsworth Field..
Dan Whittenburg, one of the event’s organizers, said they were very satisfied with
the turnout. “When we get a hundred cars, we get more than
pleased,” he said "People from all around the area came to appreciate the view and the workmanship.
Fred and Merry Thompson of Libby say the trip is worth it.“We like seeing the nice cars,” Fred Thompson said. “You can really appreciate all the work.”
Three years of effort went into the Thompson’s 1931 Ford, so it offers them a chance
to show off their own work, as well. Tyler Riffle, 10 years old, from Thompson Falls,
said he liked seeing the cars because they were different. “They’re odd,” he said.
“They don’t look like the ones on the road.”
Besides the eye candy, the car show also offered people a chance to give back to
the Cancer Network of Sanders County. The car show donated $672 total to the cancer network. Some of that money came from the winner of the 50-50 raffle. A cancer survivor himself, the winner anonymously donated the winnings — $336 — back to the network.
“There’s no reason for us to
have a lot of money around and we like to give back to the
community,” Whittenburg said.
“The good thing about the cancer network is that the money stays
in the community.”
When it came down to awards, several locals came up on top of the
pile, including
Donna Damaskos of Thompson Falls, who won the people’s choice award.
Her 1956 Ford F100 will be featured next year on the event’s fliers and T-shirts, when
the car show will be celebrating its tenth anniversary.“
~ Results ~
Top Ten Cars (no particular order)
Bob and Jo Joy, Kalispell, 1933 Chevrolet Master Coupe
Bob Fisk, Moses Lake, Wash., 1938 Ford Coupe
Jean Wainwright, Deer Park, 1936 Nash
Bruce Keller, Kalispell, 1955 Chevrolet Pickup
Donna Damaskos, Thompson Falls, 1956 Ford F100
Dean and Ethan Beck, Libby, 1957 Chevrolet Pickup
Gary and Sophia McGraw, Plains, 1931 Ford Roadster pickup
John Defrenn, Mullan Idaho, 1951 Mercury
Rob Ellenwood, Polson, 1932 Plymouth PB
Joe Jam, Columbia Falls, 1950 Chevrolet pickup
George Morgan, Trout Creek, 1929, Ford truck
People’s choice: Donna Damaskos, Thompson Falls, 1956 Ford F100
Club choice: Dave Castwood, Nine Mile, 1955 Chevrolet
Best motorcycle: Nick Ganatos, Thompson Falls, 2020 Harley Davidson.
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