HUNTINGTON – Like a red robin returning to sing the praises of spring, you can always count on the March migration of car enthusiasts from all over the Mid-Atlantic coming to Huntington to kickoff car show season at World of Wheels.
Sponsored by O’Reilly Auto Parts and Cooper’s Trucks and Accessories, and put on by one of the founders Jo Wheeler and her family and friends, World of Wheels turns the Mountain Health Network Arena into the Tri-State’s coolest garage Friday, March 6 through Sunday, March 8.
Recognized as the largest indoor car show in West Virginia, World of Wheels gives folks a chance to get an up-close, hoods-and-trunks-up and doors-open look at the artistry and showmanship of more than 150 hot rods, custom cars, street machines, originals, trucks, race cars and motorcycles. The owners of those hot wheels vie for more than 30 awards including the Earl Davis Memorial Award and the Mountaineer Award, which is the Best in Show and is the car that makes the show poster cover for next year.
This year’s World of Wheels runs noon to 9 p.m. Friday, March 6; noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, March 7, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 8. Admission is $10, $5 for kids ages 3 to 12 and free for infants. The show also features a car corral where you can buy used cars to fix up for yourself, a model car contest, and more than 30 mostly motorsports vendors such as S&S Finishes, BBs Car Club, East End Body, Kustom Koatings, Killer Designs, Tri-State Street Rods, Smith Customs, Veteran Trikes, West Virginia Jax Wax and many more.
For the third year, World of Wheels will give out The Richard Wheeler Award, named in honor World of Wheels founder Richard Wheeler, who died March 13, 2017, less than two weeks after he attended his last World of Wheels.
“It was about a week and a half after the show,” said his widow, Jo Wheeler. “He came down to tell everybody goodbye. It was hard for him to leave the house, but he was determined he was going to go and so he got to. Richard’s award will be our choice of what we think he would have liked. It could be a car or a truck or a Jeepster.”
World of Wheels was started by the Wheelers and their car-loving buddies, the late Earl Davis and his wife Jerry Davis-Taylor.
One of the not-to-miss booths is always that of nationally known Kentucky-based artist Darin Allen, who travels about 50,000 miles a year with his business, Killer Designs by Darin Allen. His work has been featured in dozens of magazines; he’s painted cars for everyone from Jay Leno to KISS’s Gene Simmons, and his bikes have won national awards from EasyRider.
For more information, award details or to register, call Jo Wheeler at 304-522-4140, Jon Wheeler at 304-691-0524 or 304-654-2989 or email [email protected] with questions.
On Deck @ The Arena
Other upcoming events at the Mountain Health Arena (formerly the Big Sandy Superstore Arena) include: March 10, Casting Crowns tour; March 13-15, The WSAZ Home and Garden Show; March 17, Trolls Live; March 26, Gary Allan and May 5, Alison Krauss. Go online at www.bigsandyarena.com for more information.
