CAR CLUB ROLL CALL - Thanks for making Vintage Torque Fest amazing!

One of the really cool ideas that the Coronados CC came up with at the show was the MASH pole.
Not sure if anyone remembers the old TV show called MASH...but they had a pole in the middle of the camp.
On that pole were arrows with names of towns and how far away from home they were.
This is exacly what the Coronados CC had at thier table in Building 1 at Torque Fest.
Last year we had quite a bit of response - this year was even better!
Here are the car clubs that were at the show - if yours is not represented - please let us know!!!


Poor Boys Detroit 450 miles
The Delinquents - Twin Cities, MN 298 miles
Bitchin' Beaters CC - Frankfort, IL  150 miles
Outsiders - Cedar Rapids  60 miles
Nostalgic Car Club Milwuakee 180 miles
Early Tin Dusters - Quincy, IL
Chrome Fat Chicks - Eyota, MN 225 miles
Summer Knights - Addison, IL  164 miles
Brewtown Cruisers - Milwaukee  180 miles
The No Club - Milwaukee
Just Us Street Rods - Muskego, WI 197 miles
Mighty Mississippi Mopars - Dubuque, IA 35 miles
Southside Saints - Rockford, IL  90 Miles
Coronados CC - Maquoketa, IA
Midwest Street Rods of Illinois - 167 miles
Hoodlums - Waterford, WI  150 miles
Voodoo Villains - Sioux Falls, SD  413 miles
Hog Ridin' Fools - Chicago
Rat Bastards - Appleton, WI  233 miles
Half Fast Chicago  185 miles
Boulevard Bombers - Long Island NY 1011 miles
Voodoo Kings - Streator, IL
Kropdusters- Cedar Rapids, IA
Oliver Built Group - Des Moines, IA
Hot Rod Hill CC - Otho IA  200 miles
Asphalt Fiends - Bettendorf, IA
Blacktop Barons - Joliet IL 170 miles
Lucky Stiffs - Bolingbrook, IL  160 miles
Martucky Motor Club - Marseilles IL  150 miles
Salvage Saints - Chicago 180 miles
Broken Spoke CC - Asheville, NC  1060 miles
Flashback CC - Farley IA 45 miles
Monticello Mafia - Monticello IA
Corn Creepers- Des Moines, IA
Smokey Hollow Twisted Pistons - Lodi, WI  135 miles
Slackers - Chicago, IL
Norfolk Area Rod & Customs - Norfolk, NE  425 miles
Bombers CC - Peoria, IL 125 miles
Tri County Cruisers - Cascade, IA 35 miles
Metal Melters CC - Plainfield, IL
Choppers CC - Burbank, CA
A Town D Bags - Aurora, IL
Aces CC - Milwaukee
Rollin' Coasters - 100 miles
Wicked Kreations - Waukeek, IA 45 miles
Slo-Pokes - Dubuque, IA 39 miles
Romin' Chariots - Blue Island, IL 250 miles
Misfit CC - Des Moines, IA  180 miles
Hustlers CC - Milwaukee
Tin Militia - Lake Villa, IL
THEM! - Wisconsin
Chrome Czars - Chicago
Bare Bones - Chicago
Los Punk Rods - Kansas City
Cheaters - Milwukee

A special thanks to the couple from London England that planned their USA vacation around Torque Fest! We are humbled and hope you had a good time.
And we can't forget the long haul award.......
this guy DROVE his car all the way from British Columbia!
That is ABOVE the state of Washington!!!
I gotta tell ya - when he emailed me stating he was heading over - I thought - SUUUURRRRE
But he found me on Thursday during the Coronados Pre Party.
Not only did he drive over - he broke down in the middle of Montana and had to wait overnight in some tiny little town to get a part Fed Ex'd in to keep his trip going.
Most people would have stopped and turned around - not this guy - he just kept on coming....
THAT is the dedication and mindset that comes out to the Vintage Torque Fest - they are gonna make it here no matter what and they are driving their cars and having a good time.
We appreciate that.
Let's keep it going in 2013.

Rat Fink Art - Auction to help Hannah Wells Medical Trust

Here are the last of the Rat Fink metal art pieces that will be going up for auction.
If you are not hep to the jive....
we sent out hese BLANK Rat Fink tins to artists all over the world!
They came up with their own unique version of what they thought would be a unique Fink.
In this picture we have Nate Grice, Britt Madding, Trapper Shatney, and Sara Ray.
Please go to the facebook page of John Wells to bid on these over the next few weeks.
Thanks
http://www.facebook.com/#!/john.wells.77

http://www.facebook.com/trapper.shatney

http://www.nategrice.blogspot.com/

http://brittmadding.daportfolio.com/

http://www.sararayart.com/

Motorbilly Radio will be at Iron Invasion!!!!

Many have seen him around for a few years....
this cool cat only hits the gigs that are worth showing up for - and that is why we are so honored to have Del Villarreal come out to the Iron Invasion.
He is a busy guy - and if you wanna check out some of the tunes he spins - go to:
www.live365.com/stations/motorbilly

He will be taking requests on his facebook page at the Iron Invasion! So get those requests ready and he will be ready to rock at the Iron Invasion - October 6, 2012!

http://www.facebook.com/del.villarreal

Vintage Motorcycle Rally Coming Soon to National Motorcycle Museum

http://www.nationalmcmuseum.org/event-calendar/2012-vintage-rally/


National Motorcycle Museum’s second annual Vintage Rally, June 1-3, 2012. Bring your 1986 and earlier vintage bike for the Bike Show, walk the Swap Meet then listen to a Panel Discussion on Drag Racing. For 2012 they have brought back the Cafe racer class and have a new special Bike Show class for Drag Bikes.
The museum is worth the trip - add this event and you can't miss it!!!

The Most Fanstastic Coupe EVER! Showing at Iron Invasion!!!

The current owners of the Chrisman Brothers Coupe have agreed to show this historic cover car at the Iron Invasion.
This will be a rare oppurtunity to see one of the most famous Salt Flat racing cars ever.
This is being shown with agreement from the Dana and Patti Mecum Collection.
We are truly humbled at the generosity of the Mecum family to let us see this historic piece up close.
For those that don't know the significance of the vehicle:

The Chrisman Brothers were hot rod pioneers.
They got their initial fame from setting records on the drag strip. They were the first to hit 140 and 180 in the quarter mile.
Then they turned their eyes toward the salt flats.... They hit 140 MPH in a '34 Ford Coupe.

This was only the beginning.  It was the 1930 radically chopped and heavily modified coupe that would put their stamp on hot rod royalty status.
The aggressive stance of the coupe, as well as the functional aspects of the modifications, made the Chrisman Brothers Coupe a model that is emulated to this day.

The Coupe set records at Bonneville and was a cover car on the Feb. 1954 issue of Hot Rod magazine.

After turning their eye back toward drag racing they sold the car to Barris who made this a prominent TV car with appearances on Dobie Gillis.  These TV appearances were seen by millions of future hot rodders and, like many other TV cars, became an icon in the minds of gearheads from coast to coast.

Later in the Coupe's life, the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance invited the coupe to be shown.

The cultural impact this car has had on the hot rod community can not be understated.

Born at a turning point in the formative years of California’s hotrodding culture; a multiple class record holder and Hot Rod magazine feature car; one of the first “TV cars” and an inaugural Pebble Beach class winner, and in retrospect the very car that established the parameters for an entire automotive design genre, the Chrisman Brothers Coupe is one of the most important automotive icons in 20th century American popular culture.

We are honored to be able to have this car be among the historic motorcycles and cars that will be at the Iron Invasion.

http://www.ironinvasion.com/
Oct. 6, 2013
Woodstock IL
McHenry Couty Fairgrounds

If YOU have anything buried in your garage - or your neighbor has an old show car or historic motorcycle that hasn't seen the light of day since 1971 - please contact us!
This is exactly what we want to see at the Iron Invasion.

Photos a Plenty Vintage Torque Fest 2012

Wisconsin Hot Rod Radio always has their official photographer go with them everywhere....

Richie - you captured a LOT of the show that many people didn't - THANKS!

 

 

Torque Fest Setup and Pre-party – Thurs. 5-3-2012;

 

http://s337.photobucket.com/albums/n395/whrr/12TorqueFestSetup%20-%20Preparty%205-3/

 

Torque Fest Part II - Friday 5-4-2012:

 

http://s337.photobucket.com/albums/n395/whrr/12TorqueFest%20Part%202%20Fri%205-4/

 

 

Torque Fest Part III – Sat. 5-5-2012:

 

http://s337.photobucket.com/albums/n395/whrr/12TorqueFest%20Part3%20Sat%205-5/

We have called and you have answered.

We thought the excitement of the Jalopy Showdown in PA would be a great thing to bring back to Iowa. We didn't have the funds to get it started so we got some seed money from Los Punk Rods out of KC. We got the word out through all the different individuals and car clubs in the midwest. Farley was overrun in 2010.  Maquoketa was perfect in 2011. 2012 saw the grounds at Maquoketa overflowing. This is a good thing!

It means that we have achieved the goal of making the event a regional show, and start on making this a regional must attend.  In order to make this happen - we have to have room to grow. And this inevitably means moving locations again.

Due to the lack of hotels, we have to move this to a bigger area-an area where restaurants are readily available and hotels are not as scarce. (Please note there will be Vintage Torque Fest special rates available at many hotels in Dubuque tomorrow.) The initial response we received from the Dubuque newspaper and 365Ink in 2010 was really favorable and we truly appreciate that. They have continued to support us and we hope they will stay on board as we proceed through the years.

The Dubuque County Fairgrounds has 92 acres which will give us more swap meet space, more room for hot rods, and more spectator parking. The grounds have same amount of indoor space, a dirt track, and two stages so we can keep bringing some of the best music in the country. We hope that everyone that came out in 2012 will continue to support us in 2013.
There are so many people to give thanks to.
Of course I have to thank my wife and kids for putting up with all the hours that are put into this event. For those of you that do not know - the planning for this event takes all year. And this comes at a cost - I dont get to be with the wife and kids as much as I should. So I have to thank them for putting up with all the phone calls, meetings, and road trips. The Tin Militia CC were in charge of the volunteers this year, and even though they had 30 people fail to show up - they STILL managed to get this event to run smoothly! The Bombers CC made sure that the period correct cars were getting into the show and we appreciate all their efforts in maintaining the integrity of the show.
Half Fast Chicago made it clear to the motorcycle crowd that the baggers and V Twin's were for spectator parking and were on the gate from Thursday to the end of Saturday - thanks for making sure only the right bikes got in there.
Tin Butchers have been in charge of the swap for the past 2 year and we hope they will want to continue the same set up next year! People loved the fact that Tin Butchers dont let just any junk in....it has to be vintage auto related.  We will have even more room to get all the old parts out there and we will keep the price affordable for those that unbury those lost treasures.
Coronados CC were the host club and Maquoketa should know that it was their efforts that kept us at the Jackson County Fairgrounds for 2012.
Rocky, Dane, Bruce & Darlene, Theresa, Rachel, Doug, Steve, Ash, Sara, Julie, my Dad, Mick, Justin, Pat, Gene...and a LOT of other people were there giving us coutless hours of help. We truly appreciate all the efforts and know that if you are not named - it is simply because I have forgotten and I will thank you in person at one of the many events coming up.
Sponsors help make the event actually run - so we thank Ol Skool Rodz, Victory Performance Parts, Robies Grading, and Car-N-Art for the amazing graphics.
We have to thank all the artists that gave their time and energy to help the art auction - we raised $12K to help out the Hannah Wells Medical trust. Everyone is obsessed with numbers and I guess I understand it....
ultimately what you have to ask yourself about ANY event - was it worth showing up?
Did you have a fun time?  If yes - we hope you will spread the word and join us for an even bigger year in 2013. The car count was 970. This INCLUDES the Coronados Car Club Classic & Chrome section. They had about 325 cars in their section. This means we had about 650 in the Vintage Torque Fest section of the show. Not all 650 were there both days. We had about 75 cars that made the event on Friday only.
We almost had 100 show bikes there this year. Next year - we will try to reach that goal of 100 motorcycles and 700 traditional hot rod and customs.
The paid admission was around 7,000 which is way up from last year. Again we are so grateful to everyone that made this event so special and we hope that you will want to continue to support it for years to come.
The Lord above has brought us all together in a great hot rod communion. For that I am truly grateful.
I hope you can join us at some of the other events coming up.....
www.independentsyndicate.com for other shows you will enjoy.
Make plans now for season ending Run Whatcha Brung nostalgia drags at Cordova Sept 29.
And the following weekend will be Iron Invasion Oct 6 in Woodstock IL.
www.independentsyndicate.com
www.runwhatchabrung.com
www.ironinvasion.com
Thanks again and seeya soon.
John Wells
Event Coordinator - Vintage Torque Fest / Iron Invasion
Kim Wells
President - Helping Hannahs Heart Foundation
www.helpinghannahsheart.org

Not sure where you are.........
but you need to get to Maquoketa Iowa.........
NOW!