The Corvette Club arrives en masse.
Text and Photos
By Shari Benyousky
Guest Columnist
Column Note: Banter is a new semi-regular column written by Shari Benyousky of Diners and Dives.
WARSAW — Every May, downtown Warsaw, comes alive with the rumble of engines and the gleam of polished chrome as the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club hosts its beloved annual car show.
More than just a display of classic and custom vehicles, the event brings together car enthusiasts, families, and local businesses for a day of nostalgia and camaraderie.
Tom Tearney, one of the race directors, said it this way, “Thank you to everyone in the community for being so helpful, from the Mayor’s Office, our many sponsors, to the business community as well as to the residents who live downtown that graciously move their cars.”
Every Hood Ornament, Vintage Decal, And Handshake Tells A Story
Rick Kerlin with his Model T and calliaphone.
What sets this car show apart isn’t just the rows of meticulously restored Corvettes, Model-Ts, and hot rods; it’s the people behind the metal. Many of the participants have been coming for years, and their cars carrying stories of generations, labor-of-love restorations, and personal milestones.
The Kerlin Can-Can
As the morning begins with volunteers in neon yellow vests directing meticulous parking, catchy music starts up, and gawkers on the sidewalk start dancing. To celebrate Rick Kerlin’s grandfather opening Kerlin Motors in 1927, Kerlin brings out their Model-T with gorgeous open burnished wood sides and revs up the polished whistles of his calliaphone.
The Blushing Roadster
Step across Center Street and you’ll find Roy Hauth in his and JoEllen’s cherry red XK120 Roadster. In 1954, this car was a birthday present to the son of a GM CEO. Unfortunately, GM had its own “America’s Sports Car” and so this British beauty became a bit of a political problem and had to be sold.
The High School Ride
Around the corner on Buffalo Street Ot Schroeder pats his beautifully restored red and white 1949 Chevrolet Pickup. “I used to drive to school in this,” Ot tells me. I asked him if it had any dents from his driving. Ot gave me a look. “Well. Yeah.” He laughed. “But not anymore!”
Ot and his wife Deb restored the vehicle to celebrate the 30-year anniversary of his State Farm office. He patted the hood lovingly. “We used to haul hogs and everything else in her. But not now!”
The Cop Coupe
Manning the sheriff’s tent are George Tubbs, Bob Conley and Shanna Wallen with the 1976 Mercury squad car.
Over in the City Hall Parking lot, the sheriff has a tent up next to a tan 1976 Mercury. Corporal George Tubbs rubs a little dent in her. “I don’t think I’ve ever completed an entire stint in her without some kind of tinkering,” he says with love. “But you can actually work on her, you know. Unlike the new ones.”
We stopped for some pulled pork and ice cream from the vendors and checked out the free race car simulator. I crashed a few times before figuring it out. Then we headed back to the street and the stories.
The GM Executive
East of the Courthouse, we spot a bright yellow 2007 Saturn Sky and meet Nick Deeter and his partner Mary Wetzel. Mary tells me that her dad, Jay Wetzel, was one of six who began the Saturn company from nothing in 1985 and miraculously had cars being produced by 1992. The Sky is one of the last Saturns ever produced. Jay’s other daughter Liz was the first female director of design for GM and became responsible for the Sky’s interior design. Jay won many awards for engineering and was hired by John DeLorean before retiring to Winona Lake in 2001.
The Test Track
Finding a rare moment when the second Optimist Car Show director Ken Shamblen wasn’t doing a dozen things at once, we admired his shiny black BMW in the show. Ken fell in love with the car when he went to Greensboro, S.C., with his college friend John and helped test drive one around the track at the BMW Factory.
This is Ken’s first year helping to run the show. He told me he volunteered with the Breakfast Optimist Club because he loves their mission. “I’m grateful to the 200 owners who chose to share their rides and stories with us. It’s heartwarming to see so many families and children!”
Ken also pointed out the 56 sponsors of the show who helped the club raise money to “serve the youth of Kosciusko County.” And, he gave me the link for the gorgeous show photos and drone footage taken by Noah Hutton of NTH Productions here.
The Bourbon Suburban
Bourbon Suburban owner Fred Watkins.
At this point, volunteer Angie Tom called. “You’ve got to hear this story!”
So, we walked back down in front of The Lab to find an enormous blue and gold 1990 GMC 1500 Suburban and her proud owner, Fred Watkins.
“We used to borrow her from my mom and dad and take the kids on summer vacations,” Fred said. “My dad was a handman in Bourbon, so it was full of oil cans and tools, but everyone fit. I acquired her in 2013 and began to restore her original paint colors.”
He pointed out the purple decals. “Skeeter Jackson put these on,” he said. “The color is called Plum Crazy.” He held up a set of keys with the metal tag Ernie’s Keys. “That was my dad,” he explained. “When Dad died, we used her to carry the casket to the Bourbon cemetery. And then for my mom’s ashes, too. My kids know that when the time comes, we want to go that way too.”
Hood Ornaments To Heartstrings
This is just a tiny sample of the stories from the more than 200 vehicles at the show. Every one of them had a cool story and a passionate owner. Every one of them had a cool story and a passionate owner. If you missed the chance, check us out next year or stop by our Triathlon Event in Winona Lake the morning of June 21st for a different type of competition.
From the smell of pulled pork at the concession stand to the sound of laughter as kids peeked into open engine bays, the car show was a celebration of tradition and connection. Whether you’re a lifelong gearhead or just looking for a slice of Americana, we all felt something special about this gathering.
Do you know of an interesting place, restaurant, nonprofit, or person that you’d like to see featured in Diners and Dives or Banter? Send Shari Benyousky of SB Communications LLC an email at [email protected].
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