Mike Newkirk lights up the slicks on R.C. Williams' legendary twin-hemi AA/GD at the Friday night `Run What Ya Brung' drag races at the Leadsled Spectacular car show. Participants got a chance to run their hot rods at the drag strip set up at the East Crawford Recreation Area, formerly the old Salina airport.
Link to image
Courtesy / Royboy Productions
Participants in the 2012 Leadsled Spectacular cruise down Santa Fe in Salina Thursday evening as part of the opening of the KKOA show, which drew more than 1,600 entries to town.
Link to image
Courtesy / Royboy Productions
It appears Bill Maack's 1927 Ford roadster from Ashland, Neb., actually began its life as a coupe, with the top removed and the windshield pillars smoothed off for open air cruising.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Dan Tallant's early '60s Chevy II came to the show ready to race as a high-nosed gasser. The car is garaged in Liberty, Mo.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The classic chopped, full-fendered '32 Ford coupe is more often seen in basic black, sometimes bright red. But we liked Jerry Gann's choice of blinding blue for his car, which cruises the streets of Springfield, Mo.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Dropping a '49 Chevy Fleetline to the pavement, giving it a toothy grille and painting it metallic root beer brought Buck Heath's Gainesville, Texas, custom some well-deserved Leadsled attention.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
This beautifully executed nose graces the front end of Jeff and Verna Sharer's black '36 Plymouth street rod from Van Alsyne, Texas. Note the red highlights on the multitude of horizontal grille bars.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Gary and Mary Joe McClanahan traveled down I-70 from WaKeeney for their first outing with their prism-painted post-war Plymouth convertible.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Don Wallin's 1949 Mercury from Cary, Ill., captures the essence of a modern lead sled, smooth and low, but clad in eye-catching orange.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Another local entry, Jim Korinek's yellow '37 Ford pickup is native to Salina's streets and byways. Note the nifty nerf bar up front.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Artillery wheels up front, an open chopped top, black primer and tall carb stacks all combine to make Rick Salyer's '31 Model A coupe an eye-catcher. He brought the car to the show from Broken Bow, Okla.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
The mottled shade makes it hard to see, but the front end of Mike Connelly's '51 Merc custom is covered with a subtle flame job; the Grandview, Mo., car isn't green farther back, it's just so shiny that it mirrors the greenery surrounding it.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Bubba Andrews of Magnolia, Texas, apparently decided to wrap a '57 Metro's sheet metal around a big, honking supercharged V-8 race engine. We'd say he accomplished the mission.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Ford didn't build that many 1946 pickups and it's a safe bet this one, owned by Paul Glendening of Pawhuska, Okla., probably didn't begin its life with a set of dual rear wheels. The old school hot rod probably needs that much rubber, judging by the stout engine tucked between its frame rails.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
This bit of hood artwork captures one of the latest trends, the return of gasser-style coupes and sedans, now showing up more as show cars than real drag machines. Nice tip of the hat to Ed `Big Daddy' Roth with the Rat Fink logo, too.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Proving there's absolutely nothing wrong with keeping a car pretty much stock was Gordon and Deloris Hal's 1950 Oldsmobile Deluxe Holiday hardtop from Tecumseh, Kan. Of course, it helps if it is a great design to begin with.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Few folks would be brave enough to take on restyling a 1955 Ford Crown Victoria. Kent and Karen Friant of Pleasant Grove, Utah, figured this one would make a good starting point for a full custom with scallops, lakes pipes, a padded half-top and radically sculpted tail lights.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Also hailing from Lincoln, Nebr., was this Mercury counterpart to the Ford Victoria, Larry and Carol Hillis' 1954 Mercury Monterey hardtop in two-tone green.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
As hot as the 2012 Leadsled Spectacular was, there were still cool scenes like this one, highlighting Harve and Teresa Evans red 1940 Ford pickup surrounded by lush Oakdale Park greenery. They attended the show from their hometown of Greenwood, Neb.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Doug Stewart's beautiful 1946 Dodge pickup hails from Burlington, Kan., but looked perfectly at home under the cloud-flecked blue skies of the Leadsled Spectacular in Salina's Oakdale Park.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Al and Betty Young got a lot of attention with their beautifully rendered 1950 Pontiac Catalina hardtop. The Kearney, Neb., car features a cream white roof and sun visor over a dusky rose body.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
This white-over-black beauty belongs to Bennie and Bev Defreece of Lincoln, Nebr. It's a mildly customized 1954 Ford Victoria hardtop, the first year for Ford's overhead valve V-8 engine.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Howard Hall, left, visits with a fellow show-goer about his beautiful 1931 Ford Victoria. The Arvada, Colo., car has custom horizontal hood vents, Halibrand wheels and a glowing House of Kolor orange paint job.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Not many people covered more miles than Goran Lassell, whose low-profile 1948 Mercury coupe calls Sacramento, Calif., home.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Nick Houston's jet black '58 Chevy convertible from Beatrice, Neb., features an impeccable red leather bucket seat interior.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Big Buick station wagons from the 1950s make a strong statement, showing their owners aren't afraid to try something different. Rich Suchy's Great Bend-based Buford wagon is a two-tone with plenty of class.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Marshall Adams of Grand Island, Neb., made good use of a wall full of old license plates, using them as a firewall in his 1949 Chevy pickup.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Dennis Heindel's '65 Falcon hardtop has gone the gasser route, with eight big injector tubes sticking up through the teardrop hood blister. Deep red metalflake paint contrasts nicely with the white fenderwell headers on the machine from Milford, Kan.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
A lot of car guys think they own a rare vehicle. Pat and Gary Robbins of Ozark, Mo., need have no doubts about this survivor-style Plymouth pickup, a rarely seen 1941 model.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Those who looked a bit closer at Bill Weickaert's '58 Edsel from Beatrice, Neb., discovered this clever Edsel `horse collar' grille serving as an air cleaner atop the V-8.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
How low can you go? J.R. Dinges of Lane, Kan., gets down on the ground with his camera to capture the essence of a line of lead sleds, led by Steve and Deb Hoffman's brilliant green '51Pontiac from Sartell, Minn.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
A perfect example of a vintage shop truck, Sid Drapal's '47 Ford pickup from Guthrie, Okla., had all the right touches, from the door graphics to the understated green paint, orange rims and wide whites.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Jerry Stanley's ride of choice is a '51 Ford `twin spinner' Victoria hardtop from Red Oak, Iowa. A few mild custom touches, including a white interior, lakes pipes and four-bar hub caps, set off the bluish-purple paint scheme.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Customizers love louvers -- it's as simple as that. But we lost count at how much the owner of this coupe loves 'em. And each one was carefully highlighted with a thin red pin stripe, to boot.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Baby moon hubcaps and a rose colored paint job took some spectators back to 1965, when Daryl Brackman's Comet 2-door sedan first hit the road. Brackman lives and drives in Atlantic, Ind., when he's not showing off his car on the road.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Steve Henry of Princeton, Ky., took the '54 Ford Starliner glass top concept one step further, installing a glass panel in the hood of his stunning blue hardtop to show off the impressively detailed engine.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
John Ludes didn't have far to go to take part in Leadsled activities with his slick 1965 Mustang 2+2 coupe -- he lives in Salina, the show's hometown.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Rick Hauger of Prairie Grove, Ark., took the low-key route on his 1935 Ford coupe, painting it an unusual shade of satin blue with a bright yellow firewall, into which he tucked a nicely detailed late model Ford V-8 engine.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
With its slammed stance, nice blue and white patina and door graphics, Chris Stewart's Woodward, Okla.-based 1957 Ford pickup looked like it might be on its way to a service call.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
We couldn't find Dean and Kay Owens during our one day at Leadsled to verify whether their '68 Camaro drag car is the real deal or just a nicely done tribute to the late, great Bill `Grumpy' Jenkins. The couple call Olathe home.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Chad Kolman's metallic lime green 1947 Buick features flawless metal work, chrome and beautiful pin-striped accents. He brought the car to Salina from Kansas City, Kan. to participate in Leadsled events.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Members of the Beatniks do some metal shaping and roof pillar modifications as they put on a demonstration of how to chop a top on an early Merc custom. Their venue was a popular stop for show-goers who took a break in bleachers set up for their comfort.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Around every corner, there were new beauties to behold, including hot rods, trucks and the show's namesake lead sleds.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
This striking 1950 Buick Sedanette in royal purple paint is owned by Dale and Elvis Grau of Rice, Minn., and was a crowd-pleaser at the gathering of custom car lovers with its brawny grille work.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
If you were in need of a new front end for your truck project, this swap meet vendor probably had what you needed, Ford, Chevy or GM.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Gary Thompson of Emporia brought this high-gloss black '37 Chevy coupe, accented with multi-colored fender flames, to the festivities.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Extremely deep purple paint flows over the curvaceous body of Larry Harris' 1937 Ford coupe from Paola. The fit and finish were absolutely flawless.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Kraig Koerner brought his chopped, pale yellow `40 Ford pickup to the gathering from his shop in Wellington hoodless, to better show off the twin-carbed flathead V-8.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Gorgeous green paint, a chrome blower, firewall and headlights set off Doug Thomas's immaculate 1923 T-bucket roadster from Kansas City, Mo. The level of craftsmanship on show cars was outstanding.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Travis Snyder rolled into the Leadsled show grounds from Ness City in this indigo-hued '58 Chevy hardtop accented by real wire wheels and wide whitewall tires.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
If there had been a `head-swiveler' award, Chuck and Lorna Hohbein's seriously stretched 1937 Buick coupe would have been a top contender. Also out of Beatrice, Neb., the car had people scratching their heads all weekend.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Suicide doors, pancaked hood and wild copper-orange paint covering the highly stylized front end highlight Dennis Wellbrock's '36 Ford roadster from Lakewood, Colo.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Derick Samson's full-custom 1951 Chevy coupe has an engine compartment every bit as stylish as its interior. The 355 cubic inch small block Chevy V-8 breathes through a pair of air cleaners artfully molded to fill the space.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
A closer look at LeRoy Meints' outstanding 1955 Ford 4-door wagon in brilliant orange livery. Note the shaved door handles, which accentuate the car's length. Another Lincoln, Neb., entrant -- must be something in the water up that way.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Custom paint work remains a hallmark of the custom car scene. John Tretten's '59 El Camino from Edina, Minn., demonstrates how color, metalflake and a blending of flames and geometric patterns can accent a car's already pleasing lines.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Churning up great memories of the `Gasser Wars' of the 1960s, Kevin Jordan's 1951 Henry J with tilt front end, fender well headers and nose-high stance plays the role to perfection. Jordan lives in Lenexa.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Not every car on display was a heavily customized machine. Russ Guthrie of Salina chose to show off his talents with this classic bright yellow 1929 Ford Model A Speedster, which looked ready for competition.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
A '23 T-bucket roadster in ultra-bright blue, with steamroller rear tires, was Ed Day's choice for Leadsled transportation. The car lives in not-too-distant Osborne.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Who knows how many hours went into transforming Bill and Linda Daniel's 1950 Ford into a `ute?' The clean body lines and wheel treatment add elegance to the transformation into a light duty pickup, which the Carthage, Mo. couple call a `Ranchette.'
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Kerry Goertzen of Inman took no chances with not having enough power in his red-primered '31 Pontiac coupe, opting for a Chrysler Hemi topped by a great big supercharger and a pair of 4-barrel carbs.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Rolling in from Kansas City, Mo., was Ed Libby and his 1950 Ford coupe, featuring plum-colored paint, four-bar flipper caps and a period-correct sun visor.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Lou Hageman of Osborne equipped his old-school hot rod with a big block Chevy `W' engine topped by three deuces and accented the black paint with bright orange wheels and flames. Orange continues to be a popular color, as indicated by LeRoy Meints' gorgeous '55 Ford wagon from Lincoln, Neb., in the background.
Link to image
| Buy this photo
Mike Berry / The Wichita Eagle
Manage Delivery
