Rhody Racing’s car show returned on Saturday for a third year, partnering with Lancer Nation.
The club’s baja car welcomed attendees to the Fine Arts Lot at the University of Rhode Island. This work of engineering, created in 2009, has seen many adventures – placing third in Daytona Beach for the sled pole, along with racing in Montreal and Detroit.
“Unfortunately, it’s got some engine problems, but it’s kind of our showpiece as we work on our new car, the chassis over here is for our Formula [Society of Automotive Engineers], which is what the competition we run in,” Mike Amighi, the club’s vice president, said. “And we will be racing in May at Michigan International Speedway against 120 other teams in all kinds of different events. So we have the next six months to get this car all built up and ready to go.”
Although the baja-car’s racing days are over, Amighi said that they’re hard at work on the next generation. The club meets weekly to build the new car, providing a hands-on experience for students.
”We’re always looking to have new members,” Amighi said. “It’s never too late.”
Rhody Racing didn’t host this event alone. Partnering with the club was Lancer Nation, a Mitsubishi car group providing for children in need through the organization Toys for Tots, according to Jorge Figueroa of the Connecticut Lancer Nation division.
Fees and donations from the event went toward the cause, bringing toys to underprivileged children during the holiday season.
“I’ve had my car full of stuffed animals from the floor to the top,” Figueroa said.
Car fans came together, raised funds and donated many toys, but Lancer Nation isn’t stopping there. New York is their next destination in a continuous effort to collect donations.
Countless other vehicles lined up in the Fine Arts Lot on Saturday morning.
A crowd gathered around a Porsche Speedster as its owner demonstrated the features of the vehicle and explained its origins. The original model was limited in production – this one was a third-party recreation, fit with detachable windows and caged headlights.
Another contestant was a 1979 Lincoln Continental Mark V. This car won its owner, Phil “The Carfather” Hall, the winner of the “Best in Show” award.
