The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.


Hundreds Turn Out To Admire Hotrods

Mitch Worley, Quill Reporter

10th Annual Fred Gibb Memorial Celebration

The La Moine Valley Golf Course in La Harpe was the place to be over the past weekend, as the 10th Annual Fred Gibb Memorial Car Show rolled into town with a massive caravan of automobiles.

Cars made as early as the 1920s until the current model year were on display throughout the vast majority of the golf course, ranging from the smallest of cars to most massive of trucks.

The 1929 Essex, customized Ford F-250 Powerstroke Diesel with Lamborghini doors, tricked out semi-trucks, and a bevy of attractively painted hotrods with engines that contained more than four and five hundred horsepower were the most gawked at, boasting the true diversity of this 44 class show.

One car aficionado hailing from Iowa was truly impressed with everything that was available to see.

"I've been to quite a few car shows, but this really is something. Some places it's easy to place and win awards because there aren't many cars like yours or in your class, but there really was a lot of competition in all the classes."

Even the semi-class was tough to judge between the limited entries, as they were in amazing shape, even the 2004 Peterbilt that won the class, as it is actually driven out on the road everyday to move loads from one location in this country to others.

Several of the entries within the other classes pointed out the still pristine condition of their cars, although they are put through the rigors of daily driving as their mode of transportation to get them from Point A to Point B.

Even though the cars were the main attraction, there was much more to the car show than the automobiles themselves.

The smiles of Helen Gibb, Mayor Ken Brown, Bob Lionberger, Herb Fox, all of the people volunteering their help, those who brought their cars, and everyone that was in attendance to admire the cars were contagious and irremovable; an obvious sign that this car show was a major success.

Bob Lionberger remarked in a conversation prior to the car show that, "It's a place where people come to get together, meet up with people they haven't seen in a while, and just have a good time."

During the car show, Mayor Brown reverberated that sentiment, speaking about how the car show helped serve as a get together with his sister and the members of her family, as she traveled all the way from Florida to share in this special event.

It was also about celebrating what Fred Gibb meant not only to La Harpe, but the world of motorsports.

Along with that, Herb Fox was honored for his contributions on the racetrack in the Gibb cars alongside Fred Gibb's wife, Helen, and the head of the Monmouth Fred Gibb Car Show, Steve Albert, during a presentation prior to the drawing for the RC car, 50/50, auction, and awards ceremony.

Jamal Finley was the lucky winner of the very large Fred Gibb RC Car, and several items including clocks, a framed copy of this year's t-shirt design, a set of ten shirts (one from each of the year of the car show to date), and an original Fred Gibb jacket that was donated by Ken Brown were all auctioned off to support the Fred Gibb Memorial Scholarship Fund.

It was a momentous way to celebrate this milestone anniversary of the car show and it most certainly left everyone that attended eagerly anticipating next year's event:

This might be one of the biggest engines spectators at the car show had ever seen as it pumps out 1145 horses!

BLAST FROM THE PAST: This Dick Harrell hotrod blasted the eardrums of onlookers as it was fired up twice during the show.

OLD SCHOOL CAR:This blast from the past was a car that brought back memories for many of those in attendance.

Sweet Truck: This truck caught the eye of many spectators, paying special attention to the customized interior, and hand painted ducks flying off a pond on the front quarter panel just above the middle of the tire.

Truck with Lambo Doors: This customized Ford F-250 Powerstroke Diesel wowed the crowd with it's Lamborghini doors and lift kit."

This rootbeer colored GTO got Ted Sharpe's engine revved up with it's big engine and light flames within the paint.

Putting the fame Fred Gibb ZL1 #1 Camaro to bed:as it returns to its new owner, who was unable to come due to a racing accident, the ZL1 restored by Bill Porterfield, was bought at auction, it was told, for much more than the entire original fleet of cars cost Gibb.

From left Steve Albert (former Pres. Monmouth Street Machines), Mrs. Fred (Helen) Gibb, Mayor Kenny Brown (M.C./co-founder), and Herb Fox at the 10th Fred's Gibb Memorial Awards Ceremony as Brown honors them for their help 10 years ago, and many others for their yearly support.