WHS Car Club hits cruise control with annual show

WASILLA — Wasilla High School Car Club roared into its 15th annual car show last week and smashed the previous year’s entry records by more than 15 cars.

With more than 90 cars, trucks, motorcycles, four-wheelers and one boat, this year’s show gave students, staff and car enthusiasts something to look at, and the car club something to be proud of.

Show manager Brittani Goss said the exhibition is something club members work on all school year and one of the primary tasks of the car club. All 26 members get involved, Goss said Friday afternoon between organizing security staff and taking participant entry registrations.

“Our main goal is to plan this show, run it and keep it going smoothly,” she said. “Everything depends on us. We handle everything. The club members decide how to set up the parking lot, what trophies to get and order the T-shirts and sweatshirts. We do every little detail.”

The Wasilla High School Car Club is a 25-year-old service organization affiliated with Skills USA, which is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to help students and student organizations excel in their respective fields of training or career choices. The club formed through collaboration with Wasilla High School students and automotive teacher Ed Clawson, and is also a way students can get together to share ideas and hang out.

Clawson, who had two Mustangs in the show, is passionate about hot rods and even more so about helping and watching his students grow. When Clawson started the club, he saw it as a way to engage students and change some of the stereotypes associated with automotive vocational training.

“Sometimes the Carhartt boys get kind of a bad rap and stuff,” Clawson said. “The club was kind of a way for us to organize and have some influence on them. We’d have rules and then we started doing service projects. We did Toys for Tots, we do Thanksgiving baskets and we do car inspections for free.”

Clawson said he sees the car show as a way to help prepare students for the outside world.

“It gives them a chance to stand-up and grow and get ready to enter the real world,” said Clawson standing in a row of classic cars and souped-up hot rods. “We’re going to hand the world over to these kids and we need to prepare them, and this helps prepare them.”

Clawson said that even though it is fun to have the car show at school, it’s more fun to see the students put it on.

WHS activities director Paul Cossette said he also sees the show and the club as a teaching tool.

“It is a great opportunity for them. They work with the school administration, they tell us what their layout is going to be, we go over guest passes and double check the rules,” he said. “They get some really good life skills from this.”

Cossette sees the vocational program as a great way to introduce students to a variety of aspects they might deal with in the real world. They handle everything from the logistics and having to be professional not only in a high school setting, but with community members and dealing with the public, he said.

School officials aren’t the only ones impressed with the effort. Valley resident and first-time entrant Ned Entwisle said he feels the club hit the mark with this year’s car show. Entwisle entered his kit car, a 1988 Chevy Chevette frame and motor with a 1928 Mercedes Benz body, in the show.

“I am real impressed,” Entwisle said. “Guys my age trash kids all the time, but they really did a nice job here. There’s a very nice bunch of vehicles and the kids did a great job.”

By 11:30 a.m., the parking lot behind the school was packed with more than 90 vehicles, and just as many people walking around looking at cars and filling out ballots for their favorites.

Goss said last year there were close to 74 entries, and the club easily toppled that mark.

“It grows bigger every year,” she said. “We have 10 classes this year. Open truck, open car, student truck and student car. We also have classic, project, beater, mudder, restored mod, and new this year were giving out a Mustang trophy. The staff is going to vote on the best Mustang.”

Goss said that by far, the most popular class at the show is the student open truck.

“Student truck is the biggest class that we have today. We have about 40 entries of student trucks which is about half of our entries today. It is a pretty big class.”

With so many entries and all the spectators that come through to check out the rides, you might think what a mess for the Wasilla High staff to have to clean up. Not so, said Clawson.

“I walk in here and the thing is on auto pilot,” he said. “At the end of the day, I leave earlier than I can usually leave at the end of the school day. The place is clean and the kids do a fantastic job.”