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Ladies' Night at the June Prolong® Twilight Cruise a Hit Celebrity Female Judges Pick Their Favorite Rides
Text & Photos By Dick DeLoach and Bill Groak

Dick Deloach

Dick with George Barris

One of the coolest street rod, hot rod and muscle car gatherings in Southern California is the Prolong® Twilight Cruise, presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum in the L.A. County Fairplex (Pomona, California). Held the first Wednesday of every month from April through December (except September), the Twilight Cruise is run by the Cal-Rods Car Club (www.calrods.com) and coordinated by Vic Cunnyngham, on behalf of the Museum, and they do a super job!

All 1970 and earlier rods, customs, classics, and muscle

cars are invited to attend the free event in the Museum parking lot from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Admission is free, and everyone in attendance may also visit the Museum at no charge. There was also a large 50/50 raffle with all proceeds generated going to support the Museum. Food and beverages are also available. The MC for the event was none other than “The Voice of SEMA,” Dave McClelland.

The June Cruise was “Ladies’ Night,” with six Budweiser celebrity female judges picking their favorite rides. They had their work cut out for them as more than 250 classic rods, muscle cars, collector cars and specialty vehicles that rolled in, despite overcast skies and a threat of rain. One couple (from the Vultures Antwerp) even came from Belgium to see the show.

Leave it to the ladies: Judges Linda Vaughn, “the first lady of motorsports,” and speed shop co-owner/model Melinda Miles didn’t know it, but they both wanted to pick the same cars—badly. Vaughn and Miles were vacillating between a slick ’40s Willys and a clean sea foam green ’40s Ford Sedan. In the end, Vaughn chose the Willys, owned by Lynn Park and Miles tabbed Jim Daleo’s Ford as winner.

In all, there were six female Budweiser judges for the evening. Drag racers Shelley Anderson and Mendy Fry were also on hand, along with Gloria Gibbs (wife of Museum board member Steve Gibbs) and Sarah Allen (late of Hard Shine Reality Show and currently in the NHRA tech department). The ladies had quite an assortment of cars from which to choose, including a rare 1967 Ferrari 330 GT 2 +2 Series 2, owned by, of course, a woman: Linda Lockhart.

In the end the Ferrari didn’t win, but Chuck and Rosemary Ross' ’52 Chevy Bel Air did, courtesy of Fry’s choice. “The three two-barrel carbs had me,” Fry said. Anderson went with Marc Fields’ sweet 1960 Corvette. Gibbs said she loves ’57 Chevrolets and she picked a nice one: Dominic Brucato’s candy “burple”-colored ride. Allen chose Ron Cole’s ’40 Ford coupe as her favorite. All vehicles chosen by the Budweiser celebrity selectors also win the opportunity to parade down the Auto Club Pomona Raceway drag strip on Sunday morning during the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals in November.

 “Ladies’ Night is always fun and this one was great,” said Tony Thacker, executive director of the Parks Museum. “As always, some of the coolest cars in Southern California showed up at the Museum.”

The remaining Twilight Cruise Night schedule is: August 6, August 27 (replacing September’s cruise due to the L.A. County Fair), October 1, November 5 and the annual Charity Toy Drive on December 3. For more information, call (909) 622-2133 or visit www.nhramuseum.com/cruise.

2 Pages

Click on Photos to Enlarge

Linda Vaughn gives Lynn Park a big hug after she picked his '40s Willys as her Budweiser winner

Linda Vaughn gives Lynn Park a big hug after she picked his '40s Willys as her Budweiser winner

Judge model/rod shop co-owner Melinda Miles picked Jim Daleo’s '40 Ford as part of her Ladies' Night choice.

Judge model/rod shop co-owner Melinda Miles picked Jim Daleo’s '40 Ford as part of her Ladies' Night choice.

Nostaligia drag racer Mendy Fry chose a cool '52 Chevy Bel Air owned by Chuck and Rosemary Ross.

Nostaligia drag racer Mendy Fry chose a cool '52 Chevy Bel Air owned by Chuck and Rosemary Ross.

Judge Sarah Allen found Ron Cole's '40 Ford worthy of winning.

Judge Sarah Allen found Ron Cole's '40 Ford worthy of winning.

Drag racer Shelley Anderson's favorite was a sweet '60 Corvette owned by Marc Fields.

Drag racer Shelley Anderson's favorite was a sweet '60 Corvette owned by Marc Fields.

Gloria Gibbs loves ’57 Chevrolets; she picked Dominic Brucato’s classic candy “burple” '57 Chevy.

Gloria Gibbs loves ’57 Chevrolets; she picked Dominic Brucato’s classic candy “burple” '57 Chevy.

Celebrity Judge Melinda Miles: David Hickey Photography

Celebrity Judge Melinda Miles: David Hickey Photography

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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