How did Rolling into Roanoke get started?
I’m on the Roanoke Beautification Foundation board. I had the idea of having the town host a car show and use it to help generate resources for the foundation. But the show had to be top-notch. Roanoke has a lot of great things going on – great restaurants, great shops and boutiques. The car show had to be an event that people would want to come to and participate in. I pitched the idea to the board and they liked it. And I have an automotive background – I started out in the automotive restoration world and shifted into decorative painting of residential, commercial and historical restoration. A lot of my clients have beautiful collections, garages and man caves that I’ve worked in. So it gave me the contacts and I knew great people in the industry who would get involved.
Tell us about this year’s theme.
This year’s theme is Across the Pond, featuring European sports cars, old and new. We’ll have a German area, an Italian area, a British area and even a French area. We plan on marking off these areas with flags of those countries. We’ll mix in American cars, too. We’re even featuring European motorcycles – vintage classics to modern day super bikes – and we’ll have an area just for them
What’s unique at this year’s event?
We have cars coming that are very unique. We have a 2018 red Ford GT-40 that is one of only 250 made for 2018. It’s a commemorative edition paying tribute to racing in Le Mans. There will only be 1,000 total produced. We also have a red 2005 GT-40 and a red 1966 GT-40 replica that was built to race at Le Mans. That will show where it started in ’66 and where we are today with the 2018 model. We have a 2019 Corvette ZR1 coming. That is also one of just under 2,000.
What’s new this year?
We’re having a poker run cruise and garage tour the Friday night before the car show from 2 to 7 p.m. You have to be pre-registered for the car show in order to register for Friday’s cruise. The first 100 cars registered for Friday night will pay a fee per person. Registration will be available at rollingintoroanoke.com. We have the Joseph Decuis farm, Drummond’s Motorama City, Ultra Motorsports and a few private collectors involved to be stopping points on the cruise. Participants would get a map with the locations and have the ability to check these places out. The cruise will finish at 7 p.m. at the Joseph Decuis farm for light hors d’oeuvres and door prizes.
Where do the proceeds for this event go?
The resources we generate go back into the community through the Roanoke Beautification Foundation. It’s a nonprofit 501c3 and the ultimate goal has always been to maintain and build up the character of Roanoke and add to the ambiance and experience of visiting Roanoke. One project we want to work on is a complete sound system in the downtown and park that would be used for events and for background music while you’re shopping, especially through the holidays. We also give money to the ACD Museum and the National Auto & Truck Museum in Auburn.
Tell us about the DYNO machine.
A DYNO measures the horsepower and torque, the performance of the vehicle. With the DYNO machine, you get three pulls and each pull gives you variations. We take the highest horsepower and torque combination for your vehicle, and the highest number wins $1,000 cash. We’ll do one prize for gasoline engines and one for diesel engines. It’s available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the park, and it’s $75 to register. Pre-registration isn’t mandatory but it does guarantee your spot on the DYNO.
What can attendees look forward to next year?
Next year’s theme will be That 70s Rolling Into Roanoke which is a play off of That 70s Show. We’re not necessarily focusing on the cars from the 70s, but the vibe of the disco era. We’re going to feature cars from famous movies and TV shows, not just from the 70s. We have the American Graffitti cars, the Scooby Doo mystery machine, the Batmobile, the KITT car, just to name a few of many to come.
I am looking forward to this year’s event. It should be a lot of fun seeing and admiring these cars and the town of Roanoke.
