Car clubs ready to shine

This weekend’s Heritage Days boasts a number of events, including the annual car show at the Portales City Park. The event is hosted by the Sun Country and Eastern New Mexico Antique Auto car clubs.

All classes of cars will be lined up at the Portales City Park Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the midst of all the other Heritage Days events.

The majority of entrants come with classic cars from the 1950s or 1960s. Hot rods, modern street racers and modified vehicles are always big entries as well, according to Donald Massey, the manager of the show. Car owners from as far as Lubbock, Amarillo and Roswell come to participate in the event, he said.

“There’s usually a little bit of everything,” Massey said. “Mostly classic cars, but we always get some modified street rods.”

This year organizers are expecting more than 50 cars to register Saturday morning. Last year, there were 43 entries, according to Massey.

Most of the cars come from owners around Portales, Clovis and Tucumcari, but advertisements have gone out to people within 100 miles, he said.

“This year we are going to do things differently,” Massey said. Everyone who enters a car will vote on the best cars in their opinion. At the end, the seven cars with the highest number of votes will win, each receiving an award plaque. In the past, cars were separated into classes, such as the hot rods, the classics or the trucks. A judge would award a first, second and third place to the top cars in each class, according to Massey.

All participants receive a customized plaque with a picture of their car burned on the inlay.

Registration is $20 per vehicle and will be held from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Portales City Park.