AkzoNobel’s Wanda brand will again be the title sponsor of the 12th Annual “Blue Suede Cruise” event for the third straight year. The event is scheduled for July 19-21, 2013, at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio.
As the largest Midwest street rod event of the year, thousands of car enthusiasts will gather to view gleaming hot rods, customs, classics, muscle cars and trick trucks from 1972 and older, along with select concept and show cars painted in custom Wanda colors and finishes.
Set to a fun and upbeat 1950s retro theme, this year’s Blue Suede Cruise promises to be bigger and better than ever. The event will feature a general car show, car care clinics hosted by Wanda Automotive Finishes, quarter-mile fun runs, the Wanda Challenge Run, exhibitor booths, Wanda’s Coloring Land for kids, a fireworks display and the Neon of Lights Parade with “Wanda” as grand marshall.
New events for this year include:
- Nitro dragsters and jet cars
- Live concert with Jay & The Americans (“This Magic Moment”)
- Major door prizes all weekend long
- Nostalgia drag racing show
- Flame-throwing
“Blue Suede Cruise is a one-of-a-kind event that we are very proud to sponsor,” said Mark Rapson, AkzoNobel’s manager of trade brands North America. “Car lovers and families alike enjoy the wide variety of races and activities, and it provides us with the perfect opportunity to expand awareness for Wanda brand products at the same time.”
Another Blue Suede Cruise “first” includes the Cruisin’ Times Hot Rod Build-Off, in which two amateur builders selected by the magazine will drive their custom Model A cars painted in a Wanda “blue suede” finish to face off for the title.
Show-goers are also encouraged to stop by the Wanda booth, where the spotlight will shine on the Curing Kids’ Cancer organization and the classic 1932 Ford 3-window coupe on display. Legendary performance car builder Ken Lingenfelter of Lingenfelter Performance Engineering (LPE) recently purchased the charity car at the Mecum Spring Auction in Indianapolis to support the organization. Together, LPE and Wanda will promote the Curing Kids’ Cancer cause at the event and invite representatives from the organization to share their life-saving work with booth visitors and receive donations.
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