TRAACA Club News and Events

July 19, 2024 - TRAACA Visit to Dwight & Jane Schaubach's - More than 80 members of the Tidewater Region and the local Studebaker Driver's Club descended on Dwight and Jane Shaubach's restoration facility in Carrolton for an open house to admire his extensive collection of fine antique and collectible cars, plus see the amazing work his shops are doing to restore vehicles. With 9 of the very rare Mercedes-Benz 600s and eight 1928 Auburn Speedsters just to whet the appetite, his shop also had two Duesenburgs, some amazing Stutz roadsters, as well as dozens of other great vehicles on display. And speaking of whetted appetites, Dwight had the event elegantly catered, providing a lunch buffet for everyone. Members of the Schaubach group were on hand to explain different processes involved in restoring antique vehicles, and even provided valuable insights into specific systems for members who needed the information. After lunch, the group went into Smithfield and toured another Schaubach building, a storage area/museum that featured dozens more great cars. Despite dire predictions of a rainy day, the weather cooperated and gave us sunshine and dry skies. Among the participants who decided to drive antiques were Tony Miller in his 1924 Model T Ford, Dave and Faye Curl in their 1931 Ford Model A Sport Coupe, Jim Villers with his 1967 Mercedes-Benz 230SL, Sue and Terry Bond in their 1974 MGB-GT, Riley Best with his 1971 Plymouth Satellite, Dewey Milligan's 1985 Ford Crown Victoria, Bob Stein with his 1986 Buick Electra, Joe Amos in his 1987 Chrysler New Yorker, Nick Smith's 1988 Oldsmobile wagon, James and Becky Woodall with their 1988 Ford Bronco II, and Ken and Barbara Talley in their 1992 Buick Roadmaster. Special thanks to gracious and generous hosts Dwight and Jane Schaubach for a terrific day!

June 9-13, 2024 - The 2024 AACA Eastern Divisional Tour was June 9-13, and was based in Fredericksburg, VA. Hosted by the Buzzard's Breath Touring Region, the tour visited local and regional historic sites and attractions. Region members Terry and Sue Bond took part in their 1974 MGB-GT, along with Tony and Leslie Scarpelli in their 1965 Pontiac LeMans GTO convertible. (Photos by Leslie Scarpelli)

June 13-15, 2024 - American Motors Owners Club National Meet - Petersburg - The 2024 national meet for the American Motors Owner's Club was held at the Keystone Tractor Museum in Petersburg, with a flea market, shows and tours as part of the activities. TRAACA members Tom and Tammy Cox and Joe Gentile were on hand in the flea market, with Bob Stein and Dan Ciccone coming up for a look. Wednesday's activity was a visit to TRAACA members Reggie and Cindy Nash's car collection in Richmond. Show cars included Tom's 1979 AMX factory prototype, and Joe's 1970 AMX. (Pictures by Tom Cox and Andy Fuhrman)

May 17-18, 2024 - Old Dominion Meet - There were lots of familiar faces around at the 71st Old Dominion Meet Association show held in Roanoke on Friday and Saturday, May 17th and 18th. Dire predictions of rain kept attendance down, but though we had some showers during the Friday night event (indoors) at the Virginia Transportation Museum, Saturday dawned sunny and only partly cloudy, with no rain until late that night! Friday night featured an open house at the Virginia Transportation Museum, with live music, various photo ops, and even free temporary tattoos. There were vehicles and equipment on display, with the '611' engine, the largest and heaviest train locomotive ever built! The actual show was Saturday, with TRAACA entries including Reggie and Cindy Nash with their 1918 Nash touring, Ken and Barbara Talley in their 1929 Buick, Tony Scarpelli in his 1965 Pontiac LeMans GTO, Jim Stansberry with his 1967 Mustang coupe, Jim and Becky Woodall and their 1967 Mercury Cyclone convertible, Bob and Dot Parrish bringing out their 1969 Chevelle SS convertible for the first time, Harry and Tammy Park with their 1972 Chevelle SS convertible, Bob Stein in his 1986 Buick Electra, and Sam Kern and Judy Harding in their 1994 Honda LX. Judging had TRAACA support from Bill Treadwell, Dan Ciccone, Bill Coburn, Sam Kern, Bob Stein, Tony Scarpelli, Bob and Dot Parrish, Sandy Hall, and Jim Woodall. Other TRAACA folks on hand included Chris Ciccone, Tim Hund, and Richard Hall. All of the TRAACA folks earned their ODMA Junior, Senior, or Preservation awards they went for, and Best of Show went to Reggie and Cindy Nash's 1918 Nash! Some side activities included Dan Ciccone getting his 'new' 1949 MG TC delivered to the hotel for transport back by Tim Hund, and Ken Talley being presented with a painting of his 1955 Buick by his granddaughter Elena! Many thanks to the Roanoke Valley Region for hosting the event.

May 11, 2024 - TRAACA Tour to Currytuck - Harry and Tammy Park put together a terrific driving tour from Chesapeake through Virginia Beach, and North Carolina followed by a ferry ride to Currituck, NC, before driving back to Chesapeake for a late lunch. We started from the Kroger parking lot at Centerville Turnpike and Mount Pleasant Road and rolled almost stoplight free for most of the 56-mile tour. Though quite a few members took part, there was room on the ferry for all plus the few non-club members taking advantage of the free 45-minute ride across Currituck Sound. Cool, sunny weather was perfect for the day both on land and sea (or sound). Rad and Marge Tillett stayed with us up to Coinjock, then headed back to NC in their 1956 Thunderbird. Mickey and Toni McChesney and Linda Treadwell joined us for lunch at Little Italy. Tour participants included Ken and Barbara Talley in their 1939 Mercury, Bob Stein and Linda Pellerin in Bob's 1949 Nash, Harry and Tammy Park and granddaughter Aubry Austin in their 1953 Ford, the Tillett's in their 1956 Thunderbird, Bob Ward in his 1963 Impala SS, Bill Treadwell in his 1969 Camaro convertible, Alan and Laurel Swenson in their 1974 MG Midget, Joe and Charline Geib in their 1986 Chevrolet El Camino, Nick Smith in his 1987 Cadillac Seville, Mike and Darlene Brown driving their 1998 Mustang convertible, Keith Colonna in his 1998 Lincoln Mark VIII, Dan and Chris Ciccone with Charlie and Barbara Edwards in modern iron, Richard and Sandy Hall in Sandy's 'modern' Thunderbird, Alfonso and Patrizia Ludovici in modern iron, Bill Wilcox and Robyn Burnham in Robyn's almost old enough BMW convertible, and James and Becky Woodall in modern iron. Thanks to Harry and Tammy for putting together a great activity, and to all who participated!

April 4-6, 2024 - Charlotte Auto Fair and AACA Meets - The Charlotte Auto Fair featured three different shows for AACA in 2024: the Zenith Awards on Thursday, the Annual Grand National on Friday, and the Eastern Division Spring Meet on Saturday, with the Tidewater Region well represented across the board. Harry Park was one of the few invited to participate in the 2024 Zenith Awards with his immaculate 1969 Chevelle convertible. Although his car was not selected for the top honor (that went to a 1908 Mitchell), he received a crystal Zenith trophy for being chosen to participate in AACA's top honor. On Friday, Rick Overbaugh was awarded a Senior Grand National for his 1966 Pontiac GTO, Reggie Nash received a Senior Grand National for his 1918 Nash 683, Sonny Butler earned a First Grand National for his 1990 Lincoln Mark VII, Joe Gentile received a First Grand National for his 1970 AMX, Richard and and Linda Cooper were presented with a Senior Grand National for their 1990 Buick Reatta, Bill Treadwell was awarded a Senior Grand National for his 1969 Camaro convertible, Jim Elliott received a Senior Grand National award for his 1991 Camaro convertible, Harry Park earned a Senior Grand National for his 1970 Chevelle SS convertible, and Bob Stein was awarded a Repeat Senior Grand National for his 1966 Solex moped. Adam Dotson, grandson of past Larry Wickham a past member, received his First Grand National for a 1935 Ford Pickup. On Saturday, TRAACA members scored high in the Divisional Meet. Mark Strang was awarded a Junior award for his 1948 MG TC, Bob Stein got a Senior Award for his 1995 EV Warrior moped, Reggie Nash received a Repeat Preservation for his 1918 Nash, Bill Treadwell earned a Repeat Preservation for his 1969 Camaro, Jim Elliott received a Repeat Preservation for his 1991 Camaro, Dalton Williford earned a First Junior for his 1967 Pontiac GTO, Joe Gentile got a Repeat Preservation for his 1970 AMX, and Richard and Linda Cooper received a Repeat Preservation for their 1990 Buick Reatta. TRAACA members participating over the weekend included Richard and Linda Cooper, Reggie and Cindy Nash, Jim and Donna Elliott, Joe Gentile, Bob Stein, Chip Woolford, Dan and Chris Ciccone, Bob and Dot Parrish, Terry and Sue Bond, David and Valarie Dillahhunt and Elle Rose, Harry and Tammy Parks, Bill Coburn, Bill Treadwell, Dalton Williford, Rick Overbaugh, and Rick Seaman (new member 2 weeks ago). (Other attendees will be listed when known). Thanks to all who judged or brought a vehicle! (Photos by Harry Park, Cindy Nash, and Bob Stein)

March 9, 2024 - TRAACA Annual Swap Meet - For the first time in many years, the threat of rain turned into a promise and we had very wet weather for the last part of the Annual Swap Meet. Meet Chairperson Bill Treadwell and Registration Chairperson Jerry Adams did an amazing job as always, getting spaces organized inside and out, and dealing with the huge lineup of participants who were waiting to get in at 7 AM. Many vendors stayed away because of the cloudy skies and predictions of showers, however there was still a good turnout. The wet weather was a plus to inside vendors, who were able to take advantage of potential buyers who came in to get dry. And though it was damp, we enjoyed 60 degrees most of the day, which made the March rain a lot more bearable. Other volunteers included Barry Basnight, Jack Pavlidis, Bob Kinker, Bob Stein (Who drove his 1949 Nash to help set up), Tammy Park, Toni McChesney, Sandy Hall, Chris Ciccone, and Barbara Edwards. And a lot of TRAACA folks set up at the swap meet: Tim Hund, Tom Norris, Linda Pellerin, Riley Best, Tony Scarpelli, Mickey McChesney, Terry Bond, Sam Kern, Judy Harding, , Marty Sugermeyer and others. Members buying things they didn't need included Dan Ciccone, Charlie Edwards, Reggie Nash (all the way from Richmond!), Jim and Becky Woodall, Richard Hall, Tyler Gimbert, Jim Villers, Rad and Marge Tillet (Driving up from Kitty Hawk!), Ken Talley, Doug and Bill Grosz, Hilary Pavlidis, Wes Neal, Wayne Milligan, Tony Miller, Alfonso and Patrizia Ludovici, Paul Fuqua, David Curl, and Mark Davidoski. Considering this is the first time we have had weather trouble and the group still managed a good show speaks highly of Bill and Jerry's efforts.

February 17, 2024 - TRAACA Garage Tour and Blacksmith Demonstration - Mostly sunny skies graced our garage tour to see Tim Hund's amazing collection of vehicles, as well as a blacksmith demonstration at his warehouse location. More than 60 members showed up for the activity which gave most of us our first view of some of Tim's treasures, which started with a 1905 Cadillac and went all the way up to a 2018 Morgan 3-wheeler. Scott Davies had his 1936 Cord Westchester sedan out of its first real run, and Bob Stein drove his 1941 Packard 110. Harry and Tammy Park arrived in their recently purchased 1953 Ford sedan, Bruce Sedel and Jere Avenson arrived in Bruce's 1953 Package Club Sedan, Alfonso and Patrizia Ludovici drove their 1956 DeSoto Fireflight, Chip Woolford and sister Jennifer brought Chip's 1973 MGB-GT, Terry Bond had his 1974 MGB-GT, Bob and Dot Parrish drove their 1978 Corvette Anniversary Edition, Mike and Denise Haag came in their 1979 MGB roadster, Mickey McChesney had his 1984 Oldsmobiles Delta 88, Nick Smith drove his 1987 Cadillac Sedan DeVille, and James and Becky Woodall had their 1997 Mustang convertible. Tim's cars had signs in each to identify what they were, with a 1921 Simplex and a 1949 Chevrolet Hearse having the additional plus of being former movie and TV cars. Member Joe Gentile left his 1970 AMX at home to provide a great demonstration of blacksmith skills outside, with some pre-made examples and on-the-spot work. Afterwards, the group went to Fudrucker's Hamburgers off Tidewater Drive for lunch. Many thanks to Tim and Barry Basnight for making this great even possible.

February 8-10, 2024 - AACA National Membership Meeting - The AACA National Membership Meeting was held in Chantilly VA this year, marking a further departure from the former Philadelphia site. Activities included a tour of the Udvar-Hazy Center and Aviation Museum and a Casino Night sponsored by J.C. Taylor Insurance. TRAACA was well represented on multiple fronts. Two of the program seminars were presented by members Terry Bond and Bob Stein. Bob Parrish received the Thomas Wells Award which is for the AACA Field Judge whose continued performance has contributed to the success of the judging program. Bob Stein received the Historical Preservation Of Original Features National Award for 2/3-Wheeled Vehicles for his 1973 Solex 3800. Members attending the weekend event included Bob and Dot Parrish, Harry and Tammy Park, Bill and Linda Treadwell, Sam Kern and Judy Harding, Tom and Tammy Cox, Reggie and Cindi Nash, Tony and Leslie Scarpelli, Terry and Sue Bond, David Dillahunt, Bill Coburn, and Jim and Donna Elliott. (Pictures by Harry Park, Tammy Park, Dan Ciccone, Leslie Scarpelli, and Bob Stein)

January 20, 2024 - TRAACA Installation and Awards Banquet - This year's Installation and Awards banquet was held Holiday Inn Convention Center, and as always, was well attended. President Tim Hund started off with introductions, and had Nick Smith provide the benediction. Following the buffet dinner, Tim shared the podium with incoming President Bill Treadwell for the presentation of awards. First off was recognition of 50-year member Bob Ward. The Duryea Award for most contributions to AACA overall was presented to Holly Forrester for her efforts with the Veterans Program. The Century Awards for vehicles more than 100 years old went to Allen Thomas, Brian Capps, Andy Ott, Rad Tillett, Dwight Schaubach, Tyler Gimbert, and Paul Atkinson for owning vehicles made in 1923. The Century Participation Award went to Reggie Nash. The Bill Holmes - Overland Award for a pre-1927 vehicle most active in AACA events went to Tony Miller for his 1924 Model T Ford. The 2023 TRAACA President's Award for greatest contribution to the club went to Barry Basnight. Tony Scarpelli and Paul Fuqua received the Restoration Award, and Terry Bond received the Mud Flap Award for his contributions to the newsletter. The Bartlett Bowl for the most points scored in AACA events went to Jim Elliott, and the Merritt Horne Participation Award went to Rad and Marge Tillett. The Ivie Lister Award for the highest-scoring British Car went to Tim Hund. The LaLique Award for long-term contributions and leadership for the club was given to Skip Patnode, and the Beaulieu Cup for the most points scored with a single vehicle went to Harry Park. That left the Hard Luck trophy, which went to Jim and Donna Elliott for damaging the show car, trailer, and tow vehicle all on the same trip. Bob Parrish then took over for the installation of 2024 TRAACA officers. Before that, however, he took time to present a small trophy to Scott Davies for 'winning' a competition between him and Scott on who could get a specific collector car around the block first. Although he gave Scott credit for winning, Scott then turned around and had a bigger trophy for Bob, saying that Bob's car was actually ready to go first. Bob then continued with the installation, giving a description of why TRAACA is one of the top ten regions in all of AACA. He talked about board members Herbert Mumford, Hilary Pavlidis, Doug Grosz, and Paul Fuqua and board officers President Bill Treadwell, Vice-President Harry Park, Treasurer Charles O'Dea, and Secretary Nick Smith, and welcomed them all. New President Bill Treadwell closed the evening.

January 13, 2024 - TRAACA Great Bridge Battlefield Museum Tour - Temperatures were surprisingly mild for a mid-January event as more than 40 TRAACA members took part in a tour to the Great Bridge Battlefield and Waterways Museum. Meeting in the museum parking lot at 10 AM, the group had four docents who divided attendees into 4 different groups to speed things along. The Great Bridge Battlefield & Waterways History Foundation protects, preserves, and promotes the history of the Battle of Great Bridge, December 9, 1775, and the region's Revolutionary War and canal history to educate the public about the importance of these events in the creation and growth of America. We also had more than a dozen antique vehicles in the parking lot, ranging from Bob Stein's 1949 Nash Ambassador to Mike and Darlene Brown's 1998 Mustang Convertible. After the tour, the group went to lunch at Little Italy on Mt. Pleasant Road. (Pictures by Harry Park and Bob Stein)

December 11, 2023 - TRAACA Holiday Party - More than 90 members showed up for our annual Holiday Brunch at the Princess Anne Country Club in Virginia Beach. While rain kept a lot of antique vehicles home we still had a few show up to park in front of the Country Club. Tony Miller drove his 1924 Model T Ford all the way form Portsmouth, Riley Best brought his 1964 Plymouth Valiant wagon, Hilary Pavlidis drove her 1967 Mercury Cougar, Joe Formato brought his 1969 Jaguar XKE, Bill and Linda Treadwell came in their 1973 Oldsmobile 442, Mickey and Toni McChesney drove their 1974 Oldsmobile Delta 88, Bob Stein had his 1986 Buick Electra, Fred Cole drove his 1989 Buick Reatta, and Bill Wilcox and Robyn Burnham had their 1999 Porsche 911 (Less than a month before it turns antique). In addition, Bob and Linda Pellerin provided their 1950s Austin Pedal Car as a lobby display, even if they could not make the event themselves. President Tim Hund started off the event with some announcements, followed by the presentation of a First Place trophy left from the 2023 Annual Meet by Meet Chairperson Barry Basnight to to Larry Goughan. Nick Smith provided the blessing, and then it was time to eat! The country club always puts on a spread, and today's bunch included huge shrimp, a roast beef carving stations, and omelet stations, as well as breakfast fare such as bacon, cheese grits, and spinach quiche. Following the meal, Terry Bond gave his annual commentary on the year's activities, highlighting the TRAACA member involvement. It poured rain for a while during the activity, and a couple of jet aircraft passed by close enough that some were wondering if it was thunder. It is important to note that the activity was heavily subsidized by the club, so that members only paid $10 per person! Many thanks to all for a great event!

November 11, 2023 - TRAACA Square Car Tour - Cool and cloudy weather made it a great day to be rolling around in vintage iron for the TRAACA Square Car Tour. Eighteen vehicles and 35 people showed up for the activity, which provided an easy=paced tour of back roads throughout Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, and North Carolina. We left from the Kroger parking lot at Centerville Turnpike and Mount Pleasant Road just after 11 AM. Tour leaders Richard and Sandy Hall and their 1988 GMC pickup let Tony Miller set the pace in his 1925 Model T roadster. The next oldest was Ken Talley in his 1928 Buick with a jump of just over 20 years to Bob Stein's 1949 Nash Ambassador, which included passengers Tracy Daly and Jennifer Beach. Jere and Carol Avenson drove their 1954 Packard Patrician, and Keith Colonna had his 1956 Lincoln Mark II out for the drive. Bob Ward drove his 1963 Chevrolet Impala SS, Tony and Leslie Scarpelli were driving their freshly-restored 1965 Pontiac GTO convertible, Hilary and Jack Pavlidis were in Hilary's 1967 Mercury Cougar, and Bill Treadwell traveled top-down in his 1969 Camaro convertible. There were three MGB-GTs on the tour: Linnie and Marie Pearce from Tidewater MG Classics in their immaculate 1967, Chip Woolford and Cheri Di Munno in Chip's 1973, and Terry Bond in his 1974. Tim Hund and passenger Ben Woolford made the trek in Tim's 1980 Triumph TR-8. with Bill Coburn making the tour in his 1985 Chevrolet Camaro. Additional participants in modern iron included Dan and Chris Ciccone, Charlie and Barbara Edwards, Alfonso and Patrizia Ludovici, and Tyler Gimbert (driving a rare Holden-based 2015 police vehicle). The tour went approximately 55 miles, with a rest stop at Northwest River Park, and ended back at the same shopping center. Then it was time for lunch at Los Primos Mexican Grill, located next to Kroger, where Tammy Park and Dot Parrish joined the group. Many thanks to Richard Hall for laying out the tour and all the folks who participated!

October 14, 2023 - TRAACA Garage Tour - More than 50 members showed up for the Garage Tour to Bruce Sedel's Cottonwood Farm. Although the weather was wet and cool, a number of antique vehicles made the trek to Chesapeake, including Tony Miller's 1925 Model T Ford roadster. Bruce had a great display of antique tractors, porcelain signs, and even an all-original 1949 Nash among other interesting vehicles. Lunch was catered by Southland, our favorite provider for special activities, with the tables and chairs provided by the Milligan clan. In addition to fried chicken, bar-b-que (rumored to have been made form Bruce's ex-wife's pet pig), coleslaw, potato salad, and greens, club members brought a wide variety of desserts to be shared. The catering cost of the event was covered by the club, and Bruce went all out making sure this was a garage tour to remember. Many thanks for a great event!