On display

WASILLA — Students from Wasilla High School busily paced the school parking lot during the 22nd annual car show. Hot rods, muscle cars and even dragsters gleamed in the sunlight.r

This student-led car show brought students and car enthusiasts from the community all together for the same passion for engines, pistons, and the smell of burning rubber on a racetrack. They came for a car show, a universal event that breeds a lifestyle in itself with many enthusiasts gaining their love of vehicles from their friends and family at a young age.

“I don’t get stressed on car show days. The kids are doing a really fantastic job. I’m very proud of them,” WHS automotive substitute Ed Clawson said.

Clawson retired from WHS after many years as the automotive instructor. He said the students were encouraged to bring their cars of all shapes and sizes without worry, just to clean them, shine them and roll them up to the school. He said that the juniors and seniors were getting some of their last hoorahs before graduating.

“It’s a chance for the automotive kids to have their day in the sun,” Clawson said.

Maddy Turnbull is a junior at WHS and was one of several students who invested their time to put this whole event together.

“This is a pretty big turnout. This is the biggest turnout since I’ve been here- so that’s good,” Turnbull said.

Turnbull said the student event coordinators are mostly from the school’s advanced auto shop class along with a “few random ones” like her. She who isn’t in the class this year but fully into the idea of helping make this event happen each year.

A total of 67 cars were on display this year. A majority of the entrees were from students along with some adult entrees from the 49th State Street Rodders, who helped out wherever they could, according to Clawson. Turnbull said that people flowed through the school’s parking lot throughout the day.

“We had so many votes it took forever to count,” Turnbull said with a laugh.

The 49th State Street Rodders is a longstanding club based in Palmer whose members all share a love for hot rods and other shiny, supped up rides. Clawson said the Rodders have been very supportive over the years, even bringing their iconic, giant barbeque for hot dogs and burgers. There was no barbeque this year because they had to decommission it.

“I’ve been doing this since my sister was in high school and I was in middle school and they’ve been here through it all. They always help us out with whatever we need,” Turnbull said.

Turnbull won the overall crowd favorite this year. After the show, one of her friends joked around with her as she walked past her pink and black dragster, asking if he could drive it. She told him, “if you can figure out how to start it, go for it.”

“That’s what I tell ‘em,” Turnbull said.

Turnbull is no stranger to car shows. In fact, she’s a seasoned race track veteran who’s been revving up dragster engines and peeling down the Alaska Raceway tracks since she was a teenager.

“A bunch of little girls today- they were so shocked that I was the one that drove this and how fast it goes and all that good stuff,” Turnbull said.

She said it’s a family affair.

“Yeah my whole family… my sister, my mom, my dad everybody,” Turnbull said.

She said that she got her first full size dragster when she was 16 years old and has been active on the dragstrip ever since. It was clear that she was very passionate about drag racing, a sport she said isn’t very common in her demographic.

“It’s so much fun and it’s really different. There’s definitely not very many girls, especially my age that do it. There’s a handful of girls on the track that do it. It’s just very different,” Turnbull said.

Turnbull said that she started with mini dragster when she was twelve years old.

“It doesn’t really give me a rush anymore. So hopefully, one day I’ll go a little bit faster,” she said with a laugh.

The next generation with their digital engines and neon colors mingled with the mostly retired generation of car enthusiasts, with their vintage muscle cars. Clawson said the cars today are more technology driven and are more efficient when it comes to matters of gas mileage but the love that hits the pavement is just as well.

He too got into the mortar head lifestyle because of family. He plans on passing his ’65 and ’67 Ford Mustangs to his children to carry on the tradition. The cars, just like the people behind the wheel, are different but still the same.

“The feelings are the same though,” Clawson said.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com