140 win awards at Run what Cha Brung

With a "thanks for coming" for each contestant, Jack Andersen introduced the 140 award winners at the Run What Cha Brung car show Sunday at Fuji Park. They revved their engines to wow the crowd and drove across the grass to receive their trophies.

There were 75 classes in the Karson Kruzers competition.

"(Carson) Parks and Rec picked Larry Smith's 1987 El Camino," said Andersen, president of the Kruzers.

Car enthusiasts in lawn chairs under colorful umbrellas hooted and clapped as Smith rolled his polished black SS 507 forward. Bikini-clad Brandie Blakely and Jessica Lucas presented him with his award.

The awards were handmade by Andersen and his trophy committee.

The top three awards are people's choice, men's choice and women's choice. The winners have their cars featured on the next year's T-shirts and receive hand-crafted, walnut-wood trophies in the shape of the Silver State.

Car No. 102, a '35 Ford sedan refinished in the last five months, was the people's choice. Owner Bill Coyle of Brake & Alignment Plus on Corbett Street drove it forward.

"Yea, Billy!" a woman hollered.

"God, that is gorgeous!" said another.

Ron Cook of Stockton won the women's choice award with his '34 Ford five-window coupe. Carson City's John Johnson won the men's choice with a bright yellow '57 Chevy delivery sedan, belonging to Bob Stephan.

"There's probably close to 100 modifications," he said of the long, slender car with a 9-inch roof chop. "It only barely resembles anymore a '57 Chevy delivery."

The total number of entries was down this year, said Kruzers events coordinator Jennifer Galentine. Last year, there were 387 vehicles; this year, there were 331. That's partially due to the refurbished grass area in Fuji Park being downsized, she said.

All money raised during Run What Cha Brung goes back to the people of Carson, she said.

"The bottom line is, we raise enough money for putting on the car show, which is roughly $55,000. Anything left over after that goes back to the community -- mostly kids," she said.

The Kruzers donate to the Safe Grad sober celebration for the high school and to a Christmas gift card program for at-risk middle schoolers.

The club also holds street dances throughout the year as fund-raisers. Their next event is a July 19 dance in the Carson Nugget's west parking lot.