By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Vehicles of all types were in downtown Warsaw on Friday, Aug. 6.

And droids.

Warsaw’s First Friday featured a car show, with more than 100 cars, trucks and motorcycles being shown. It raised about $12,000 for Baker Youth Club of Warsaw from show entry fees and a silent auction.

The organization provides before-school, after-school and summer programs to area children. BYC has benefitted from an annual car show in the area for years, but more recently it has been in conjunction with First Friday.

Also roaming the downtown were “Star Wars” droid R2-D2 and another droid, to the delight of attendees.

At the end, numerous awards were given out to entrants. A full list may be found below.

New this year was the Roy Hauth Memorial Trophy award. Paul and Marilyn Campbell won it for their 1966 Jaguar.

As BYC Executive Director Tracy Furnivall explained, Hauth, who passed away in 2020, was involved with the Cruisin’ Hoosiers Car Club, which put on the original show which BYC benefitted from. He also supported BYC.

Hauth’s son Tim Hauth presented the award to the Campbells.

Coming out on top for Best of Show was Kayla Henderson’s 1940 Chevy pickup.

The truck did double-duty Friday as both a show entrant and a vendor. Henderson of Fort Wayne uses the vehicle for her business Gypsy Blue Flower Truck.

People can make their own bouquets from the fresh-cut flowers she sells from the back of the truck.

Car Stories

Also winning an award was Cheryl Lacheta’s 1960 Nash Metropolitan convertible. It won for the category top 25 cars older than 1992.

The pink and white car included reference to breast cancer awareness. Cheryl Lacheta is a survivor of the disease, her husband, John Lacheta, told InkFreeNews.

The Warsaw couple purchased the vehicle from the widow of a man who had cancer. Learning that Cheryl Lacheta had also battled the disease, the woman was happy to sell the vehicle to them, said John Lacheta.

On the other hand, the vehicle Joel Peckham of Atwood showed was part of a family legacy.

His late mother, Lucille Peckham, purchased the Chevelle Malibu El Camino from a Chevrolet dealership in Bourbon. It was his first car in the 1970s before it passed to his late father Bill Peckham.

Joel Peckham got the car back in the mid-1990s. It meant so much to the family that it transported his father’s casket to the cemetery when he passed away.

On the back of the car, Joel Peckham had a quilt made by his father’s girlfriend out of memorabilia from various automobile events, including from the Brickyard 400 where his father helped handle tickets as a Bourbon Lions Club member.

Marta Dunwell-Klotz of Warsaw also showed her first car at the show, a 1966 Pontiac Bonneville convertible.

However, the vehicle left her ownership for awhile. She sold the vehicle in 1984 to a man from Silver Lake. It then passed to two other owners.

Dunwell-Klotz learned in 2007 that the latter of the two was selling a car. She discovered it was her original car and purchased it back.

Her husband Devon Klotz helped restore the vehicle to its original look.

“Since I’ve had her back, she has taken first place at the Pontiac Nationals twice,” she said.

The vehicle placed in the top 25 cars older than 1992 category Friday.

Awards

Top 25 Pre-1992 Cars

• 1957 Chevy Bel-Air – John and Cheryl Lacheta
• 1970 Dodge Dart – Jeff Clay
• 1968 Chevy Camaro – Ron Sparkman
• 1969 Chevy Camaro – Kenny Elder
• 1936 Ford – Breck Walls
• 1955 Buick Special – Brandon Gagnon
• 1967 Chevy Camaro – Brandon and Tina Keaffaber
• 1970 Ford Mustang – Bill Wagoner
• 1960 Nash Metropolitan – John and Cheryl Lacheta
• 1970 Plymouth – Greg Steffe
• 1972 Chevy – Dan Zumbrun
• 1970 Dodge Charger – Jaxson Walters
• 1970 Chevy – Larry Harman
• 1966 Chevy Nova – Robert Barth
• 1955 Chevy Nova – Mike Machala
• 1969 Chevy Camaro – Jay Jacobs
• 1991 Chevy – Steve Wilhite
• 1966 Chevy – Larry and Linda Riley
• 1930 Ford A – Frank and Karna Earl
• 1966 Pontiac Bonneville – Devon Klotz and Marta Dunwell-Klotz
• 1951 Chevy – Howie Boardman
• 1965 VW – Dan Bradley
• 1960 Ford T-Bird – Bob Tucker
• 1970 Chevy Nova – Bob Kauffman
• 1969 Pontiac – Rob Zink

 

Top 25 1992-Present Cars

• 2021 Dodge – Gene Klingman
• 2021 Corvette – Bob and Diana Bowers
• 2007 Shelby – Bob O’Hara
• 2014 Dodge – Scott Shireman
• 2019 Chevy – Andy Green
• 2002 Chevy Camaro – Brian and Karen Burgan
• 2017 Jaguar F Type – Bruce Woodward
• 2013 Chevy Corvette – Amy Klinger
• 2010 Chevy Camaro – Rick Julian
• 2018 Chevy Corvette – Randy Kirby
• 2015 Ford Mustang 50th Anniversary Edition – Nancee Ward
• 2000 Chevy Camaro Z-28 – John Lorenz
• 2005 Ford Mustang GT – Rob Chaltant
• 2000 Chevy – Larry and Kay Bechler
• 2006 Chevy Silverado – Jason McFeters
• 2010 Chevy Camaro RS – Terry Foster
• 2006 Ford Mustang Convertible GT – Bill Sherman
• 2000 Ford Mustang GT – John Swanson
• 2011 Dodge – Marla La Rue
• 2021 Dodge Charger – Tammy Yates
• 2005 Ford T-Bird – Rhonda Helser
• 2000 Chevy Camaro Z-28 – Steve Biller
• 1993 Chevy Corvette – Larry Rosenberry
• 2016 Dodge Challenger – Matt Yates
• 2003 Chevy Silverado SS – Glenna McFeters

 

Top Motorcycles

• 1962 Honda 150 Baby Dream – Tabitha Snyder
• 2009 Harley – Thomas Hains
• 2019 Harley – Jay and Vickie Boggs
• 2012 Harley – RJ Frye
• 2006 Harley – Devery and Kim Winterrowd
• 1995 Harley Softail – David Davis
• 2008 Honda Goldwing Trike – Chris and Winona Drake
• 1965 Honda – Vert Troyer
• 1996 Yamaha Royal Star – Jay Smith
• 2007 Harley Street Glide – Matthew Bower
• 1969 Honda CB750 – Duane Wilson

 

Best of Show

• 1940 Chevy Pickup – Kayla Henderson

 

Roy Hauth Memorial Trophy

• 1966 Jaguar – Paul and Marilyn Campbell