York car show benefits veterans and families

YORK, Pa. — Car enthusiasts know it takes a lot of care and hard work to keep their machines running smoothly.

A car show in York County is fulfilling the mission of keeping things ‘running smoothly’ for south central Pennsylvania’s veterans.

Quick actions and attention to detail are two traits that former NHRA drag racer Mike Dunn shared with America’s veterans.

Dunn continues to give back to those who have served the U.S. as Co-chair of the annual Benefit Car and Bike Show happening Saturday, May 24, in East York.

His career in racing started in South Carolina, and after working for his dad, who was also a racer, he eventually turned into a pro himself.

“I was lucky enough to get that that opportunity in 1980 and I raced for 22 seasons racing both fuel funny cars and top fuel dragsters,” Dunn said. “I got an opportunity to drive for a team here in Pennsylvania.”

“I picked up a deal to drive for Darryl Gwynn, and he’s a legendary racer out of South Florida. He actually wanted me to move down there, and I said no, I like Pennsylvania. I’m staying here,” he continued.

The inspiration for the car show, now in its eighth year, came after a friend needed help with a medical emergency.

“Lonnie Gordon who had a custom car or building shop, East Coast Muscle Cars, he ended up having a stroke in 2018, or actually 2017, and the bills were just piling up, so we thought, well, let’s do a car show and to help with those costs,” Dunn said.

As the event grew, Dunn and other organizers decided to turn it into a fundraiser for local veterans.

“You start realizing when you start talking to these people how important the veterans are to this country and what it’s done, so we picked that up with the York County Veteran’s Outreach,” Dunn said.

This year’s Grand Marshal is WWII veteran Howard “Bud” Pressel Jr., who served as a tail gunner on a B-24 liberator. He was a POW after his plane was shot down and was liberated by General George Patto’s forces, but he kept a positive attitude in the face of those harsh conditions.”

“I don’t know, I just had the idea I was going to make it,” Pressel Jr. said. “Got to stay positive, got to keep moving and stay loose.”

Bud has a big milestone coming up, as he will receive his high school diploma with the class of 2025, since the war prevented it the first time around.

Other York County veterans will get to experience their own milestones with the money raised from this year’s car show.

According to the York County Veterans Affairs, the event brings in more than $100,000 each year and has helped local veterans’ families with mortgage payments during tough times and gets veterans themselves enrolled in medical benefits and find adequate housing.

In addition to funds raised, it is a family-friendly event for anyone who wants to help give back to the community.

“For admission, if you, or the people that want to come and see the show, it’s free, just come on in and go around and we have things set up like you know, we have Bob’s barbecues, serving food and we have a free snow cone truck that for the kids,” Dunn said. “No pay just but we have donation buckets, and we put the donation buckets all the way around.”

Dunn knows it takes a lot of courage to get behind the wheel of a dragster but still gives the edge to the men and women who serve our county.

“It was amazing. The courage these guys had and to think, and I think, boy, would I have been able to do that, I don’t know, that’s pretty tough, but yet I could get in an 11,000 horsepower race car and go down there and have it blow up in my face and crash off the end of the race track and get back in it again,” Dunn said.

The car show is Saturday, May 24, at the Church of the Open Door in East York from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and as Dunn said, admission is free, but donations are encouraged.

For more information on the event, head to the car show website.