BRANTFORD’S PISTON PUSHERS WILL BE THE FEATURED CAR CLUB AT THIS YEAR’S TORONTO MOTORAMA SHOW
BRANTFORD'S PISTON PUSHERS WILL BE THE FEATURED
CAR CLUB AT THIS YEAR'S TORONTO MOTORAMA SHOW
March 13, 14 & 15, 2020 at Toronto's International Centre
TORONTO, ON // FEBRUARY 18, 2020 • In the lead-up to the Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo, each year, car show co-ordinator Gary Challice and the Motorama team discuss and determine which car club will be recognized as the 'Featured Club' at the show.
"We consider all of the established clubs; the ones that have a reputation for supporting the car club culture," explained Challice. "We also look at special anniversaries, the ages of the clubs and their contributions to their communities. And based on all the factors, we decide which one will be the Featured Club at Motorama."
For this year's show, which takes place March 13, 14 & 15 at Toronto's International Centre, the Brantford, Ontario-based Brantford Piston Pushers will enjoy the designation of being the 2020 Featured Club at Motorama.
Reacting to the news, the Brantford Piston Pushers spokesman Gary Graham said, "The Brantford Piston Pushers brag that we are the oldest, fastest and biggest car club in Canada. We were registered in 1954 and have been based out of Brantford ever since. Present-day, we are primarily a social club with 125 members."
Founded in 1954, the Piston Pushers have had a profound effect on the Southern Ontario drag racing scene, playing an instrumental role in the opening and running of the first drag strip in Canada, Kohler Dragway, now known as Cayuga Dragway at Toronto Motorsports Park.
Additionally, the club's founding president, Don Douglas (who remains a member to this day) and founding member Larry Rook, purchased the first timing tree in Canada. The club's members were also among the first to build and race with flathead Ford power. Over the years, club members held numerous records at Kohler Dragway.
"This year, we're celebrating the second decade of our annual 'Remember When' cruise, a mobile car show we hold in Brantford every June."
At Motorama, the Piston Pushers will have 16 vehicles on display in their unique, interactive, U-shaped display, including cars from past members like Ron Lush's 1940 Plymouth Coupe, Tim Turvey's Hemi-powered 1929 Model A and Charlie Haviland's 1923 Bucket T Altered.
Additionally, the club will have its 1949 panel truck and custom trailer in the centre display, which features a 3/4-scale version of the club's old clubhouse sign. Adjacent will be a pair of Chevys (a 1955 and a 1957), lined up 'side-by-side' in front of the original Kohler Dragway 'Christmas Tree.' The booth will also feature a 1957 GMC pickup truck sporting in excess of $120,000 worth of modifications.
"The theme of our display is 'Memory Lane.' We're quietly celebrating our 65th anniversary; our display will be dedicated to past members who have come and gone," continued Graham.
The Brantford Piston Pushers have built a strong reputation for supporting the local community, working with Brantford-area charities like the Lansdowne Children's Charity and the Brantford Food Bank. The club also puts on an annual Christmas basket program for local people in need.
"The more money we have, the more we give," added Graham.
Although the Brantford Piston Pushers will be feted as this year's featured car club, they will not be alone at the show as nearly a dozen other clubs will be represented throughout the show.
Among the other car clubs expected to be on hand in Hall 2 are (in alphabetical order): the Brampton Street Rods, Corvette Club of Durham, Durham Region Mustang Club, Highway 11 Cruisers, Ontario Camaro Club, Ontario Vintage Mopar and the Turbo Buicks of Southern Ontario in Hall 2. In the Hall 4 Mayhem room, The Infidels, The Lead Kings, The SOBs, The Hellions and The Don River River Rats will have vehicles in club displays.
"We're very happy to welcome the Brantford Piston Pushers as the Featured Car Club at the 2020 Toronto Motorama show," said Gary Challice. "We're also very excited about the other clubs that are coming to the show. Showgoers can expect to see great variety and amazing equipment. We're also looking forward to seeing some neat club displays."
ABOUT THE PISTON PUSHERS: Founded in 1954, the Brantford Piston Pushers are celebrating their 65th anniversary during the 2019-2020 calendar year. The club was a founding member of the first full-time drag strip in Canada, Kohler Dragway, which remains open to this day under the name Toronto Motorsports Park. Over the years, club members have held numerous drag racing records at Kohler Dragway and remain an important part of their local community through charitable efforts and the club's annual 'Remember When' cruise around Brantford each June.
ABOUT THE MOTORAMA CUSTOM CAR & MOTORSPORTS EXPO: The fifth annual Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo takes place March 13, 14 & 15, 2020 at The International Centre, across from Toronto's Pearson International Airport. The show features more than 330,000 square feet of custom cars, hot rods, racing vehicles of all kinds, tuners, displays and exhibitors. Motorama is Canada's biggest late-winter celebration of automobiles and motorsports. For information about the show, including tickets, sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities, and more, call (416) 962-7223, email info@MotoramaShow.com or visit www.MotoramaShow.com.
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