SILVERHILL, Alabama — More than 200 cars, both old and new, packed the town of Silverhill on Saturday, May 29 for the annual Silverhill Car Show, hosted by the Silverhill Veterans Memorial Organization.
“We had one of the best turnouts we’ve ever had,” said event organizer Frankie Kucera. A total of 212 cars registered for the event, which was set up at town hall, Gazebo Park and in front of United Bank (historic Peoples Supply, corner of Alabama 104 and County Road 55, downtown.
A total of 50 judges “Best Of” Awards were handed out including Best of Show Vintage, Best of Show Late Model, GM, Ford, Mopar, Independent, Import, Truck, Antique, Paint, Engine, Interior, British, Best of Decades, first, second and third; and Rat Rod. Door prizes were awarded during the show.
The custom-made plaques given out to the winners were dedicated to veterans and friends of the car show who died between January of 2020 and March of 2021, Kucera said. Special plaques were also given to the families of those memorialized during the event.
The names of veterans were also called out during the organization’s Memorial Day Remembrance program held Monday, May 31 at the Silverhill War Memorial.
Those remembered were: Ron Harris, U.S. Navy, died Jan. 20, 2020; Terry Martin, U.S. Navy, died July 13, 2020; Ted Presley, U.S. Navy, died March 20, 2020; Lew Rice, U.S. Army, died July 20, 2020; Linda Rice, died May 6, 2020; Phillip Tipp, U.S. Navy, died April 29, 2020; Ernie Baker, U.S. Air Force, died April 6, 2020; Big David Middleton, died Dec. 21, 2020; Jerry Rowley, died Nov. 1, 2020; Dan Inlow, U.S. Air Force, died Dec. 12, 2020; Bill Patterson, died Dec. 25, 2020; Sally Patterson, died Jan. 2, 2021; Tommy Boone, died Jan. 7, 2021; Raymond R. Orr Jr., died Feb. 29, 2021; and Ray Leonard Morton, U.S. Navy, died March 9, 2021.
Proceeds from the event will be used to add names to the War Memorial, Kucera said. An additional stone with 240 names is in the process of being made and will hopefully be installed before Veterans Day, Nov. 11. The organization is already collecting names for another stone to be added.
Best of Show awards handed out during Saturday’s car show included:
Best of Show Vintage: Al Hampton, 1940 Ford Coupe.
Best of Show Late Model: Tom Jordan, 2007 Ford Mustang.
Best of 2010s: Butch Putt, 2010 Chevy Corvette.
Best of 2000s: Gene Looney, 2006 Ford Mustang.
Best of 1990s: Jeremiah Johnson, 1995 Nissan Pickup.
Best of 1980s: Cody Youngblood, 1989 Chevy Corvette.
Best of 1970s: Fred Pempel, 1970 Chevy Corvette.
Best of 1960s: Paul Banfi, 1960 Chevy Impala.
Best of 1950s: Chip Kooser, 1954 Ford Custom Line.
Best of 1940s: John Addison, 1949 Chevy Styleline Coupe.
Best of 1930s: Ernest Sikes, 1937 Ford Sedan.
Best of 1920s and older: Jeff Schroeder, 1916 Ford Model T.
Most Unique: Sam McCullogh, 1987 Pulse (airplane car).
Best GM: Thomas Rorex, 1970 Chevy Monte Carlo.
Best Ford: Tom and Cathy Schultz, 1955 Lincoln Capri convertible.
Best Mopar: Steve Long, 1967 Plymouth Satellite.
Best Muscle Car: Paul Thrash, 1979 Chevy Camaro.
Best Independent: Warren Thompson, 2007 Avanti convertible.
Best Antique: Don DeJarlais, 1971 Chevy Monte Carlo.
Best Truck: Cole Boyington, 1988 Chevy C10 Pickup.
Best Interior: Lenny Leigh,1994 Chevy Camero.
Best Paint: Margaret Hickson, 1955 Chevy Convertible.
Best Engine: Bob Schoolcraft, 1958 Chevy Impala.
Best Rat Rod: John Gardner, 1949 Studebaker.
Best British: Thomas O’Neil, 1965 Cobra.
