Ranger – Parker’s Burgers & Sweets was the place to be on May 2 for good food, great conversation and the sound of some real horsepower.
The car show was hosted by the happy eatery and organized by longtime car enthusiast and science teacher John Worden. The works of art on wheels caught the eyes of passerby, and the thundering rumble of horsepower was unmistakable.
Tip Dotson of Murphy and entered his orange and black 1971 Rally Sport Camaro, which packs about 1500 horsepower. He has loved cars and horsepower since he was young. He recalled memories of street racing, and the trouble it brought along with it in the form of red and blue lights in his rearview mirror and an officer’s ticket book.
Dotson’s car isn’t equipped with airbags due to its year, but he does have a parachute in the rear of the vehicle as per the National Hotrod Association for anything capable of going more than 150 mph. His Camaro is capable of reaching 170 mph, just don’t tell the N.C. Highway Patrol.
This is not the car Dotson takes to the grocery store. He built the automobile from the bottom up.
The two back tires are overly wide in order to handle the horsepower
and allow better traction. Ninety-three octane won’t do for his fast and flashy ride, but rather 110 octane, which he acquires from a fuel supplier.
Regarding fear at high speeds, “No, if you’re scared you shouldn’t be in it, because there’s a lot of horsepower going on there. I have a full fire suit, safety harness and everything in the ca. It’s also got a roll cage” Dotson said.
“We take safety seriously, you have to respect the speed and what it can do to you.”
He races on different area quarter-mile race tracks but will be missing an upcoming race due to recent surgery.
“I don’t want to go racing yet because I’m not fully recovered in case something bad happens. I want to be able to get out of the car fast,” said Dotson, owner of his dream car.
Tony Anderson of Martins Creek has been retired since 2018 from classic car restoration work. He has been building and fixing cars for more than 40 years. He’s lucky enough to have his dream car, an aqua 1963 Chevy II Nova, two-door hard top.
Last year, Anderson hit a deer, giving him a reason to further work on the vehicle, bringing it from a state of good to great looking. He has a thing for smaller vehicles and likes a cleaner look under the hood. He also conceals wiring, as he doesn’t like them visible when the hood is up.
A friend took him to a race once at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“I remember the cars coming in at 60 mph and people running out in front of them. I was like – that’s me,” Anderson said.
He went home, packed up the family and moved back to North Carolina going to work for No. 41 – the Larry Hedrick Motorsports Car in Statesville. From there, he tried out and made the pit crew team in 1997 as a tire carrier. He then went on to gas up the race cars on pit row.
Anderson went from the No. 41 to the No. 22 car with Ward Burton. They won four races there, winning the 2002 Daytona 500.
He also knows pain, as he’s been hurt in the pits, breaking a knee cap along with a toe.
Dale Earnhardt came so harrowingly close to him once at the Atlanta Motor Speedway that the breeze knocked Anderson’s shoes off his feet.
“I met a lot of great
people and race fans. I learned a lot, and the pace of it was good for me,” Anderson said.
The Parker’s Pick of the car show for the evening was Dennis Nicholson of Mineral Bluff, Ga., with his 1955 Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria. He won a $25 gift certificate for the restaurant presented by Diane Parker.
Car shows are held from 5-8 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month year-round at 5465 U.S. 64 W.
Details: Call 828-516-5114.