Start your engines

Classics abound at JSC's RI Cowboy Cruisers car show

Posted

Johnston residents Ken and Pam Botelho were like kids in a candy store on Saturday afternoon.

They drove down to the Rhode Island Cowboy Cruisers car show at the Johnston Senior Center with their 2014 Mustang Roush RS on a sun-soaked day filled with hot dogs, music and vehicles spanning the mid-20th century to the present day. Ken took an occasional break to wipe his vehicle down, but he couldn’t ignore the scores of cars around him.

Ken said he really enjoys attending car shows, and he couldn’t resist when he found out this particular display was happening around the corner. Not to mention, he’ll take any excuse to start the engine.

“Hearing the roar,” Ken said when discussing his favorite part of driving the Roush. “That’s what it’s all about. The badder it sounds, the better it is.”

The two have owned the car for over a year now, and they both love to hop behind the wheel. Ken, who got his license in 1973, said that looking over the sea of cars reminded him of what his high school parking lot used to look like.

Coincidentally, one of his high school friends owned a similar version of a show favorite – a 1967 Chevrolet Nova – that happened to be parked right next to the Botelhos. There were even some fuzzy blue dice hanging on the mirror.

“So it’s kind of funny for me right now to look at that,” Botelho said. “What are the odds? Now I don’t have the exact same car that I had in high school, but it’s pretty [darn] close, I tell you.”

Pam was a fan of a Rolls Royce that pulled up shortly before their interview with the Sun Rise. The steering wheel was situated on the right side of the car, and Ken noted that “they aren’t all that expensive if you went and bought an old one like that.”

Al and Cindy Korsak operate R.I. Cowboy Cruisers, burning rubber across the state as they head from show to show. Al told the Sun Rise that there is a super show once a month in Smithfield at the Portuguese-American club, calling it “the biggest show around.”

Cars come from across New England, and even owners from New York and Florida trek to the events. The Korsaks have been going for six years, and Al said that supporting the local food banks is their primary motivation.

“Whatever food we take in, we give to the food pantries,” Al Korsak said. “We bankroll it. Every month, we buy the food pantries food with all the proceeds. Thanksgiving, we buy turkeys, hams, we put baskets together for these food pantries and we give it out.”

Al said he has two Corvettes at home, but joked that he can’t bring them to the shows because of a conflict of interest. He said he’s made thousands of friends through this venture with Cindy, and it’s the people that keep them coming back.

“The people that need the food,” Al said on what drives their commitment to the cause. “We found people living in their cars. They don’t meet the criteria of different organizations, so we’ve got a couple here now that we give food to. They don’t have any money, so we feed them. Come to the show, we won’t charge you.”

As long as the Korsaks keep motoring, there will be attendees just like the Botelhos who keep coming back for more. Ken said he enjoys revving up his Mustang, but he knows the level of dedication it takes to keep his prized possession in shape.

“You know what, it’s more of a labor of love,” Ken said. “If you really love the car you have, you’re just constantly cleaning it, and then the problem is though that you clean it so much, then you don’t want to take it out and get it dirty. I like driving it, too. So it’s something you have to weigh. Have fun with it, but if I want to go to car shows, it’s got to look good.”

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here