TORONTO, ON // FEBRUARY 26, 2018 • One of the most popular characteristics of the Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo Presented by Mothers is the way it showcases so many incredible Canadian built and owned vehicles. Representing the entire spectrum of automotive and racing creations, many of these homegrown cars are crafted with an eye to unveiling them at Motorama.
And while that tradition continues at the 4th annual Toronto Motorama show, Show Car Coordinator Gary Challice has also incorporated eight truly outstanding machines – several of which were featured at the recent SEMA show in Las Vegas – into the 2018 Motorama collection.
The Motorama show takes place March 9, 10 & 11, filling more than 300,000 square feet of Toronto’s International Centre, across from Pearson Airport.
Three of these special vehicles were purpose-built for the unique and world famous Drag Week competition. Included in this list of straight-line racing cars is a 1957 Chevy that comes courtesy of legendary builder Jeff Lutz, from Callery, Pennsylvania.
The multi-time Drag Week champ is also a fixture on ‘the list’ on the popular TV drag racing show Street Outlaws.
Toronto’s David Schroeder will bring be bringing a pair of his Drag Week vehicles to Motorama. His original 1955 Chevy will sit alongside of his stunning 1966 Corvette, which won the Unlimited Class at the 2017 edition of Drag Week.
To give context to the display, Schroeder will also display the small trailer that the Corvette towed from track-to-track, around the US Midwest, en route to earning the prestigious title.
Drag Week regulations specify that all of the vehicles in competition must be street legal and are to be driven on public roads to their racing destinations – with their tools and equipment in tow.
The five other feature vehicles were hand-picked by Challice from a line-up of examples that have appeared at SEMA or at the National Street Rod Association (NSRA) Nationals in Louisville, Kentucky.
“These cars represent the work of the next general of builders,” said Challice. “Each car is unique and we know they’ll be sought out and appreciated by custom car fans.”
In no particular order, here are Challice’s choices for inclusion in the 2018 Motorama show. Ty Hauer, who is the Operations Manager for the renowned Reisinger Custom Car & Hot Rod shop in Evansville, Indiana, will bring two examples of his work to Motorama.
Both cars have appeared on the cover of Street Rodder magazine. ‘Senorita’ is a 1929 Ford roadster, and she will be appearing alongside her compatriot, ‘V-Doce’, a 1931 Ford Coupe with a blown Lincoln V12. The latter is Hauer’s most recent SEMA entry.
Pennsylvania’s Mike Heim will also be represented at the show, sharing the Motorama spotlight with his outrageous 1967 Camaro, branded ‘Stress’. Boasting suicide doors and an eye-grabbing grey and neon green paint job, show visitors will notice that the car has been lowered dramatically. It’s also been stretched in order to accommodate the LS-derived V12 powerplant.
And if you’re looking for something even more outlandish, there’s Anton Lanesky’s B52 Studebaker. Based on a 1950 Studebaker Starlite Coupe, the green colour scheme does little to camouflage the bullet nose, wide hips and hefty rear wing of this street legal, Pro Mod race car.
This car caught Challice’s eye at the 2016 edition of SEMA and it was featured in the Builder’s Showcase at the 2017 NSRA Nationals in Kentucky. This military-themed car will definitely be a showstopper at Motorama.
Last, but not least, is Eddie Pettus’s 1963 Corvette. A part of the Builder’s Build-Off at SEMA, ‘Split Second’ was a top ten finisher in the 2017 show competition. This car will demand a second look to see the refined details of the construction.
“We have so many amazing vehicles on display, it’s very hard to highlight just a few,” concluded Challice. “These cars, I guess, can be described as our guests, but there will be so many unique vehicles, including those in our ‘Barn Finds’ display, that Motorama show visitors will have a tough time deciding on their personal favourite.”
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