By Charlie Daehne
The Courier-Herald
The 10th Annual Classy Chassis Classic Car, Rod and Truck Show is just over the horizon.
The event, hosted by the Sumner Downtown Association, will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 23 in Sumner’s Main Street Business District. People can enjoy food and music while looking at classic cars and hot rods. There will be live entertainment as well as a raffle drawing for gift certificates and other prizes.
“We are expecting a record number of people to attend the event this year,” Executive Director Shelly Schlumpf said. She estimates more than 2,500 will be in attendance on Sunday as long as weather permits.
The scale of the show is like nothing else in Sumner, running from the railroad tracks at the end of Main Street to Wood Avenue.
On the committee of the Tacoma Demonos Car Club judging the entries is Gary Scheibel. A member of the Demonos since 1958, Scheibel said the group began judging car shows for Sumner about three years ago when they were asked to help by the Chamber of Commerce.
“We are doing this as a favor for Sumner,” said Scheibel, who resided in Sumner for 15 years.
He said the judging was originally conducted by “non-car people,” which prompted the club to help.
“They are a different kind of people,” Schlumpf said of the car clubbers. “They are generous and just have a good time.”
There are 26 categories in the show including custom, stock, muscle, best of show and best models from 1920s to the 1970s.
Scheibel expects at least 200 cars to be present this year.
“We are all hot rodders and enjoy looking at the cars,” said Joe Shanks, another Demonos member and judge for the show.
Shanks has been with various auto groups for 10 years and with the Demonos for the past three years. He said the cars are judged based on the personal experience of the members.
The Tacoma-based Demonos Car Club was started in 1957 by uniting existing clubs the Hywinders and the Dragons. It now consists of more than 55 members who love every kind of automobile. The name Demonos translates as “Road Devils.” The club participates in some races and judges for several local shows.
