Big Papa celebrates 80th birthday with private car show

What better way for a car guy to celebrate his birthday than with his own private car show? That’s what Davey Moore’s grandsons, Ritchie Goforth and Danny Stain, thought when they started “Big Papa’s Rod Run” three years ago.

It’s held on a beautifully manicured field just south of Moore’s home outside of Sedgwick and it is a “must attend” event for those fortunate enough to be invited.

Lucky early arrivals lay claim to the shade provided by a windbreak of trees along the south edge of the field, while others park in neat rows out in the sunshine. There’s a little bit of everything automotive to be seen, from hot rods, vintage classics, street rods and pickups to race cars and even a muscle car or two.

The day is spent meeting and greeting friends, catching up on projects and swapping stories, some tall, some not so tall. And enjoying a great meal under the shade near Moore’s shop.

We’ve been fortunate enough to be invited all three years and felt it was time to share a bit of the fun with photos and videos.

What a great 80th birthday gift Davey Moore’s family has given him and all of his car buddies in the form of Big Papa’s Rod Run.

▪  ▪  ▪ 

Speaking of neat gifts, we recently received a fresh batch of Wichita On Wheels Featured Car stickers from Apple Graphix, who designed and printed the original order a few years ago.

We had been giving one to each car owner we featured on the Wheels page as a small “thank you” for sharing their vehicle’s story with readers. We were finally down to just a few and Mark Johansen whipped us up another batch.

We’ll see how long these last. But since the stickers came along well after the Wheels page began 15 years ago, there are a lot of folks who never got one. We’ll make a limited number available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

If your car was featured on the Wheels page and you didn’t receive a Wheels sticker, drop me a note at mberry@wichitaeagle.com and I will drop one in the mail to you, your choice: white or silver. Be sure and include your mailing address.

This story was originally published August 25, 2017 at 2:36 PM with the headline "Big Papa celebrates 80th birthday with private car show."