Elder on a hot streak

Eight years ago, Rob Elder decided to invite a few folks to visit his Hot Rod Café in Post Falls for the first annual River City Rod Run.

That little gathering of cars that once fit in the restaurant’s parking lot is now pushing 800 entries and may draw upward of 20,000 people to the space Elder rents at the former Greyhound Park.

The Rod Run is nirvana for just about any motorhead. Not only are there acres of classy customs and street rods for gawking, but the event also lets one get interactive with burnout contests and a demo derby.

“The idea was to do a little car show. A cruise on Friday and a show Saturday,” Elder recalled when the idea was hatched. The rod run doubled in size from the first to second year, Elder said, and since, “We have had steady growth.”

The inaugural 1998 Rod Run drew 9,000 spectators and 250 street rods. Last year some 22,000 people passed through the gates to ogle 830 street rods.

That growth has come as result of adding a wide variety of entries. “We did some different stuff,” Elder said, noting they added wheel-standers and drag cars. And, of course, there is the non-motorized element such as bands. This year’s headliners are Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, along with Poison.

Planning the Rod Run has become a year-long process Elder said. “It’s not just two weeks like before.” After all he said, “We still have a business to run.”

While producing the Rod Run takes a significant amount of time, it’s worth it in Elder’s estimation, and not just to his restaurant that is devoted to remembering the past with a collection of hundreds of old signs and nostalgic items.

The Rod Run provides a significant economic boost to the area’s economy, Elder said. “Sixty to 70 percent of the people who attend are from out of town.”

They travel from as far away as Alaska and Florida, according to Elder.

“Try to book a hotel room,” Elder said.

Show cars compete for such awards as Best Corvette, Best Mustang, People’s Choice, Longest Road Trip and even an honor for procrastinators who will be bestowed on an outstanding “unfinished” entry.

Elder will play a part in the awards. “I pick three Hot Rod Café winners. Kind of a best of show,” Elder said. Those three winners – a motorcycle, street rod and pick-up – end up on the following year’s event T-shirt.

Those who are looking for alternative entertainment will have their share of that, too.

There’s a Miss and Mr. Hot Rod contest, tricycle and go-kart races too.

Gates open at 5 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are available through Tickets West and the Hot Rod Café.

What a long strange trip it’s been

Bing Metz picked up The Spokesman-Review sports page last week, and being a motorsports nut, he read about area racing activities.

He had just finished watching Stateline’s Wednesday Night Fever program. Having a night off he called to ask if there was any kind of racing in the area on Thursday night.

Detecting a distinct East Coast accent, I inquired where Metz was from. “Tatamy, Pennsylvania,” he responded.

So what brought Metz and friend Paul Weisel to Spokane? It was the start of a holiday weekend motorsports odyssey that would see the race nuts log thousands of miles on their rental car.

From Spokane it was on to Bozeman, Mont., last Friday and Cheyenne, Wyo., the next night, Their travels would take them to two races on Sunday – the afternoon at Colorado Springs’ Pikes Peak Raceway and evening at Colorado National north of Denver.

Bright and early Monday morning, it was off on the long trek to Salt Lake City where Metz and Weisel had tickets for a July 4 race at Rocky Mountain Raceway. Tuesday it was catch a plane back home.

“We’ve never been to the Northwest before,” Metz said. Both are listed on racerchaser.com, a Web site that tracks race track visits of members. Weisel has visited 372 tracks in 45 states so far.

Pit stops

Spokane Raceway Park has a high school drag racing event set for Friday and follows that on Saturday with Bracket Drags. The oval track features the Northwest Late Model Superstocks. Gates open Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday at 3.

•Stateline Speedway will host the Inland Northwest Superstocks, where Kevin Richards has put together a three-race winning streak. Richards holds a 40-point lead over Dan Garber and is 48 up on Dave Garber. Time trials begin at 6 p.m. in a program that also features Early Stocks and Hobby Cars.

Streaks and stats

Joe Kopp made his first podium appearance two weeks ago at Lima, Ohio, but last Saturday Kopp fell off his perch finishing 17th in Lake Geneva, Wis., in an AMA Flat Track motorcycle race. … The streak is six main event wins and counting at Stateline Speedway for Road Runner racer Rich Hatton. … The score is Rain 6, NW Modifieds 2, as a passing afternoon shower found its way to Stateline Speedway last Saturday night and postponed yet another series race.