Beautiful sunsets and lots of traffic was what you could find in Mesquite the weekend of Motormania sponsored by Mesquite Gaming. Over 880 classic automobiles were displayed at the CasaBlanca, Virgin River and Eureka Casinos. The enormity of the event could be judged just by the amount of traffic that came in and out of town over the weekend. A steady stream of headlights came up and over the hill for a good hour after the event heading north on I-15 Saturday night. Photo by Teri Nehrenz
Thousands of classic cars got their motors running and headed out on the highway to Mesquite but the weather wasn’t nearly as hot as the “rods” that rolled in. Traffic was unusually heavy in Mesquite this weekend when folks from near and far flocked to town for the sixth annual Mesquite Motormania. Coming in and going out caused quite the stir with residents who aren’t used to sitting in traffic but they kept good-natured about it and most even got out to enjoy the cause. The winds and low temperatures threatened to keep many folks at home but it didn’t; they just bundled up and came anyway. Motormania 2017 turned out to be the best yet.
Each year the event continues to grow and bring in more car enthusiasts than the year before. The event drew lots of vendors this year as well. They didn’t appreciate having to sit in the cold but per Becky Hoff and Peggy Pope of the Women’s Defensive Weaponry Club, “Car nuts are die hard and we love the fact that they are.”
The “Whale” is an Ultra Van with ultra-slow speed at least when it came to the slow drag competition. The “Whale took third place in the slow drags which were held on Friday and Saturday evenings. Photo by Teri Nehrenz
“They don’t seem to mind the cold wind and we’ve gotten more than a page full of people who would like to learn more about the club. We are so grateful to Mesquite Gaming for this event, it’s awesome and always draws a huge crowd but this year’s been the best,” said Hoff.
Most of the display cars came from all parts of the western United States but there were some that Mesquite residents have the pleasure of seeing all the time such as the 1934 Plymouth 2 door coupe. It has a 318 with dual Strombergs and is owned by Dave and Vicky Cordle of Mesquite. Dave said it’s his only classic. “It’s the only one I own and is paid for. It’s really the only one I can afford, they’re a constant work in progress.” The Cordles drive the car all over Mesquite they said and even back and forth to Ohio where they spend their summers. They show the car all over and whenever they can.
Another great vehicle that you can see cruising the street of Mesquite is the Ultra Van. It’s powered by a Corvair engine, the original one as a matter of fact. The fact that the machine is a Chevy Corvair is why Chuck Hansen said he “had to have it.” Hanson drives his “Whale”, as he calls it, all over town and on to many adventures. Hanson said when he purchased the Ultra Van nine years ago, he got it home alright but began the task of looking it over to find what still worked; nothing did. He’s spent the entire time restoring and enjoying his precious find. He also says it’s a constant work in progress which seemed to be the token phrase among all the car enthusiasts.
Gearheads came in all shapes and sizes this weekend and some of them got their groove on just looking while others needed to take a more hands on approach to the ones they could touch.
One young up and coming car guy thought the “Whale” was as cool as they come and invited the whole family, even grandpa, in to sit for a spell. It didn’t appear that Grandpa objected to the thought; he came in and sat down like he was at home. The activity was more than okay with Hansen who just loves the attention and believes that everyone is entitled to have a “Whale” of a good time in his Ultra Van.
Gearheads came in all shapes and sizes this weekend and some of them got their groove on just looking while others needed to take a more hands on approach to the ones they could touch.This young guy thought the “Whale” was as cool as they come and invited the whole family, even grandpa, in to sit for a spell. Photo by Teri Nehrenz
Everybody seemed to be having a great time; vendors, visitors and gearheads were all happy with the turnout and thankful that the weather didn’t make it a wipe out.
A slideshow of some of the amazing automobiles that were shown this weekend is available at: https://youtu.be/txxGPrs4lww
Top award winners and their prizes for the 2017 event were:
Best of Show: George Sepulveda, 1948 Ford Woodie (Lake Havasu City, Arizona) $3,000
Participant’s Pick: Stan and Katie Ries: 1951 Chevy Sedan, Green (Palmdale, California) $2,000
People’s Choice: Dan Sneidmiller: 1934 Ford Coupe, Black (St. George, Utah) $1,000
