Calling all cars

As the old saying goes, “you can plan a pretty picnic, but you can’t predict the weather.”

For the last two years, rain hasn’t been an issue for those that host the First State Bank Car Show in Malta, and according to the weather man this year, precipitation shouldn’t be a problem, but rain or shine, the 14th Annual event will be held this Saturday as one of many events to be held this weekend in our fair city.

“It has rained in the past and we just keep going,” said First State Bank Secretary and Treasurer, and Car Show planner, Terry Skones. “We don’t melt.”

Registration for the car show entrants starts at 9 a.m. (and is open until noon) and the show starts at 11 a.m. and runs until 2 p.m. After the cars are judged, awards for Top Six, longest distance traveled to the event and the Darryl Seeley Award for Best Truck will be given out.

“We will give out awards at 2 p.m. and then let them loose,” Skones said. “From there, if the weather is nice, they can go run up and down the track (at the Hi-Line Dragstrip) a few times at the Test and Tune.”

As always, the Car Show will be dotted by vendors both local and from afar – including the ever-popular Kiwanis burgers and fries, Crossroad Coffee and DalRena’s (where at least one reporter will indulge in corndogs.) This weekend features a slew of events to take place in Malta and Skones said Car Show attendance should get a boost in attendance from a certain group of celebrators headed to town.

“The (Malta High School) 60’s Reunion will be going on so we are expecting more people,” Skones said. “I don’t know if any of them will enter cars, but the more the merrier.”

The Darryl Seeley Memorial Award is in honor of Seeley, a former First State Bank loan officer who passed away from cancer. Each year his widow, Patty, helps determine which truck Darryl would have liked the best. Last year, the award went to Bryan Long and the year before that the award went to Glasgow’s Sid Rice and his 1941 Chevy Half-ton.

The biggest trophy of the day will be awarded to the People’s Choice (as voted on by the public.) two years ago that honor went to Havre’s Dan Holt and his Chevy Bel Air and last year’s winner was Bud Walsh of Malta, and his 1969 Plymouth GTX 440 (a car he has had for nearly 50-years and holds a special place in his heart.)

"I brought both of my sons home from the hospital (in Harlem), when they were born," Walsh told the PCN last year. "It's just lucky that I still have the car, I guess."

Another fun award to be given on Saturday afternoon is for the person who drives the longest distance to get to the show. Two years ago, the award went to Barry Bergos from Calgary who raveled 400-ish miles to get to the event and earn the trophy and last year DJ Kuszmaul made a nearly 1,500 mile trip from Abilene, Tex., to take the honor.