Title: Car Lovers Show Off Beauties in Jackson
Date: April 23, 2006
Author: Tyrone Tony Reed Jr from The Jackson Sun

A person's love for cars and need for speed often can be summed up by one word. Roadrunner. Viper. Charger. Fury. Prowler.

Those were just a few of the models of cars on display and raced Saturday during the seventh annual Mopar Weekend. The event was held at the Jackson Dragway by the Mopar Muscle Club of Tennessee - a professional, not-for-profit car club dedicated to the restoration, preservation and enjoyment of vehicles produced by the Daimler-Chrysler Corporation. It is an offspring of Mopar Muscle Club International out of Paris. But, even though the international club went under, this branch of the club continued to thrive.

John Garner, president of the club and owner of a 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner, was impressed with the turnout at Saturday's event and expects even more people to attend next year. He didn't have an estimate Saturday of how many tickets were sold.

"It has been growing each year," Garner said. "It's real good fellowship. The fascination with automobiles in this country is just ridiculous. Most of (the people who come to these shows) will own (one of these) cars sooner or later, if they don't already."

Dick Sigafoose, a member of the club who owns a 1999 Plymouth Prowler, said getting together with other car lovers is like a family reunion.

"It's about cars and the people, seeing cars and talking about them," Sigafoose said. "It's interesting to see what people have done to their cars. The races are good, too."

One of the highlights of the show was Rusty Robinson's 1969 Charger, which has been repainted as "The General Lee" from the hit television show "The Dukes of Hazzard." The car features the famous "01" insignia on the doors, the Confederate flag on the top with the words "General Lee" on both sides of it, and also the famous "Dixie" horn.

Children and adults took turns taking pictures next to and inside of the car. Among those fans were Jim Johnson, of Henderson, and his 8-year-old son, Nathan.

"We're a Mopar family," Jim Johnson said. "We like them. We grew up with them."

Jim Johnson said that he is restoring his 1969 Roadrunner, his favorite car. Nathan, however, loves the 1969 Charger and eagerly jumped inside "The General Lee" to take a picture.

"I like 'The Dukes of Hazzard,'" Nathan Johnson said. "I love Mopars, and I love the show."

Robinson, 33, of Jackson, called around looking for a 1969 Charger to change into a "General Lee" less than a year ago. A Trenton man, whose name was - coincidentally - J.L. Duke, had one (that only he had owned) and sold it to Robinson. Robinson joked that he doesn't know if the man's name was Uncle Jesse.

He said he doesn't slide through the door the way cousins Bo and Luke Duke did, but people are always asking to ride with him.

Even though the youngest generation wasn't around to see the show when it originally aired from 1979 to 1985, "Kids just go crazy ... they just lose their minds over that car," Robinson said. "I go to birthday parties, and the kids are scared. I have to talk them into taking a ride. They're scared that I'm going to jump something." Robinson owns about 30 cars, including a "Back to the Future" DeLorean, and is building a Batmobile based on one from 1989's "Batman" movie.

Down the track, Casey Allred, 23, of Birmingham, Ala., who brought his 2001 GTS/ATR Viper, helped another Viper owner work on his vehicle. Allred said he enjoyed racing his car during the event and loved the fellowship, but there was one thing missing.

"I don't see enough girls out here," Allred said. "I'd like to see more women out here."

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- Tyrone Tony Reed Jr.,

425-9758

Originally published April 23, 2006