There were some major changes to the Draggin’ Main Car and Bike Show this year. The Durant Lions Club, who has co-hosted it in the past took it over after the local car club requested it, feeling the Lions Club was better equipped to run it since they had more members, and also better at targeting how to use the funds afterwards for various community projects. The Choctaw Nation once again agreed to be the primary sponsor.
Lions Club President Layne Heitz wanted to see some changes made.
“The last few shows have been terrific, but we wanted to
Matt Swearengin | Durant Democrat see more involvement from the businesses downtown,” Heitz said. “We felt like this would lead to a larger show and more foot traffic.”
Car show co-chairs Lynn Smith and Shelley Dunnam devised a plan to get them on board by asking them to provide car show specials. In return they would all be listed on a flyer that was passed out to all the participants that showed where the various businesses were located on a map. The restaurants saw a large increase in sales during the show and were very excited about the results.
Curt Walker reported that Corner Crust was so busy they could barely keep up. Salvador’s manager Jose Cano said they were extremely busy all day, and he thanked the Lions Club for hosting it. The Old Ice House reported a 15% increase in sales. Owner and Lions Club member Brian Bond said: “Several new customers were in town for the car show and said they’d be coming back to see us again. We were very pleased to be a sponsor of the event and were impressed with the turnout.” Erica Shelton reported brisk sales for the Integration Station Café which opened on Saturday just for the show.
Stephanie Gardner was brought on board to assist with the marketing.
Smith said: “Event marketing has changed so much in recent years because of the way people now receive their information. Much of it is online or through social media. We needed someone with experience in that area to help guide us.”
If the foot traffic was any indication, it was a success. Crowds were estimated at 45005000, triple over past events and there were 130 cars, trucks, and motorcycles, a new record.
“We had crowds all day, with no lull in participation,” Dunnam said. “The Kids Kruise also saw a record number of entrants and got the crowd really excited as they drove their vehicles down the street.”
I was personally part of the event as a Lions Club member and assisted with parking the vehicles and anything else that was needed. Some of our newer members had encouraged us to start wearing our distinctive gold vests again, and as a 30-year member it made me proud to see so many Lions Club members all up and down the streets. I also attended the burnout for the first time, and was quite impressed by the amount of smoke those hot rods could generate. The preshow activities included a Friday evening street dance with live music, and the band was outstanding. Many of the local restaurants and bars extended their hours to attract those in attendance.
Another change this year was having Kiamichi Technology automotive students handle the judging. They were quite visible in their black Lions Club T-shirts and had a great time helping.
“They were a big help, and we plan to get them even more involved in the future,” Smith said. “A big thank you goes out to all the students, and especially to Automotive Technology Service Instructor Guy Burkhalter for making it happen.”
Best of show winners were as follows: Mayor’s Choice Pickup: Arty Page and his 1970 Chevy K-10, City of Durant’s Choice Automobile: Alton Morris and his 1980 Pontiac Firebird, Best Motorcycle: Crystal Tatum and her custom 2016 Harley CVO Road Glide, Choctaw’s Choice for overall Best in Show: Danny Hankey and his 1999 Shelby Series 1 Roadster. There were 80 trophies awarded to the various participants in numerous categories.
The Durant Lions Club would like to thank the Choctaw Casino and Resort for helping to present this event, as well as all the sponsors and participants. We plan for it to be even bigger next year. If you’d like more information about the Lions Club they meet every Thursday at noon at Roma Italian Restaurant, or you can call President Lynn Smith (903-8140538) or VP Shelley Dunnam (806-260-1099).
