The Magic of Motorized Metal
by Jason R. Couch
You have got to love car shows. I mean, where else can you find such a beautiful display of good old American know how, history, craftsmanship, artistic expression, family fun and community minded charity? Once a year Rogue Valley Street Rods presents the Southern Oregon Rod and Custom show at the Jackson County Fair grounds to benefit local kids treated by the Oregon Health Sciences University and the Child Development and Rehabilitation Center at RVMC. In the last 29 years they have raised nearly $300,000 and most of it from ticket sales to this fun family event.
The show fills the main arena and spills out into the parking lot and adjoining buildings showcasing everything from Nationally recognized custom car builders to the Rogue Valley’s own Mark Daley and his “Thunderstruck” motorcycles and many local gear heads and backyard builders. Parts, performance and builder’s supply companies like Precision Brakes of Ashland and Industrial Source welders supply of Medford were also well represented with many raffling off donated items and ALL FOR CHARITY. Also many necessary items to put on and fill out the show were donated by local merchants including Sherm’s, Lithia Dodge and Shari’s restaurants. These people do us all proud folks and the word on the street was that Mark Daley was offered good money to show in Portland that weekend but he stayed here at home to chip in for this great cause; you have got to respect that and it is hard not to say “WOW! at the depth of the artistic ability, ingenuity and sticktoitivness the craft demands. Wow!
I will say it again here. For 29 years now the Rogue Valley Street Rods have been putting on this show and over the years have raised nearly $300,000 for charity and in the process club President Troy Boyd and Treasurer Larry Stalions pointed out that a fantastic family event has also grown and become a real showcase that everyone from Uncle Bill to little Violet can enjoy and certainly it was by special guest and recipient of much care and attention Jamie Edwards. You need to make sure you go and see this show for yourself when it comes back around next year.
I have been going to car shows since I was a kid and I think on some level we all love to see the super polished and tuned vintage and custom cars and motorcycles at car shows and parades but it is deeper than that. Recently Ford Motor Company announced that they were “going green” meaning that they are realigning the whole concept of how they are going to build cars for the future and locally bio-diesel and electric and hybrid cars are showing up more and more frequently. Do we as a nation have what it takes to buckle down and do the work and create transportation that will get us through the next hundred years while maintaining a connection to the wonder in design from out past and to tinker and adapt to a new paradigm? Hell yes, and a trip to any car show will prove it. Americans have the “from the ground up” know how, the determination and we are getting the motivation. Our out of the box style of thinking, creating and expression are in good working order and will get us where we need go and the go juice we need is not coming out of the ground half way around the world. It is between our ears. Hand me my welding helmet will you, please? We have work to do.
Oh and a quick disclosure; those raffle tickets can really pay off. I won a really nice Lincoln® MIG welder that was donated by Industrial Supply on a $1.00 try, woo hoo!
You have got to love car shows. I mean, where else can you find such a beautiful display of good old American know how, history, craftsmanship, artistic expression, family fun and community minded charity? Once a year Rogue Valley Street Rods presents the Southern Oregon Rod and Custom show at the Jackson County Fair grounds to benefit local kids treated by the Oregon Health Sciences University and the Child Development and Rehabilitation Center at RVMC. In the last 29 years they have raised nearly $300,000 and most of it from ticket sales to this fun family event.
The show fills the main arena and spills out into the parking lot and adjoining buildings showcasing everything from Nationally recognized custom car builders to the Rogue Valley’s own Mark Daley and his “Thunderstruck” motorcycles and many local gear heads and backyard builders. Parts, performance and builder’s supply companies like Precision Brakes of Ashland and Industrial Source welders supply of Medford were also well represented with many raffling off donated items and ALL FOR CHARITY. Also many necessary items to put on and fill out the show were donated by local merchants including Sherm’s, Lithia Dodge and Shari’s restaurants. These people do us all proud folks and the word on the street was that Mark Daley was offered good money to show in Portland that weekend but he stayed here at home to chip in for this great cause; you have got to respect that and it is hard not to say “WOW! at the depth of the artistic ability, ingenuity and sticktoitivness the craft demands. Wow!
I will say it again here. For 29 years now the Rogue Valley Street Rods have been putting on this show and over the years have raised nearly $300,000 for charity and in the process club President Troy Boyd and Treasurer Larry Stalions pointed out that a fantastic family event has also grown and become a real showcase that everyone from Uncle Bill to little Violet can enjoy and certainly it was by special guest and recipient of much care and attention Jamie Edwards. You need to make sure you go and see this show for yourself when it comes back around next year.
I have been going to car shows since I was a kid and I think on some level we all love to see the super polished and tuned vintage and custom cars and motorcycles at car shows and parades but it is deeper than that. Recently Ford Motor Company announced that they were “going green” meaning that they are realigning the whole concept of how they are going to build cars for the future and locally bio-diesel and electric and hybrid cars are showing up more and more frequently. Do we as a nation have what it takes to buckle down and do the work and create transportation that will get us through the next hundred years while maintaining a connection to the wonder in design from out past and to tinker and adapt to a new paradigm? Hell yes, and a trip to any car show will prove it. Americans have the “from the ground up” know how, the determination and we are getting the motivation. Our out of the box style of thinking, creating and expression are in good working order and will get us where we need go and the go juice we need is not coming out of the ground half way around the world. It is between our ears. Hand me my welding helmet will you, please? We have work to do.
Oh and a quick disclosure; those raffle tickets can really pay off. I won a really nice Lincoln® MIG welder that was donated by Industrial Supply on a $1.00 try, woo hoo!