Story and Photos by Samuel J. Rob
Americans have always loved their cars.
By way of illustration, in 2021, there were approximately 232.8 million licensed drivers in the United States and 282 million registered vehicles – more than one vehicle per driver.
Southcentral Pennsylvania is a mecca for car enthusiasts, with more than its share of car shows, museums and racetracks. And it isn’t just the quantity of area car-related events and facilities, it is also the quality, with the Carlisle Events car shows the biggest on the East Coast and the Williams Grove Speedway a nationally prominent sprint car track.
Carlisle Events sponsors, on average, eight car shows a year on the 82-acre Carlisle Fairgrounds, with certain shows tailored to specific manufacturers (Ford Nationals, Chevrolet Nationals, Chrysler Nationals) or to specific car models (the ever-popular Corvette Week).
How big is big?
The major manufacturer events involve 3,000 or more cars on display, and Corvette Week is the largest Corvette event in the world. The series of shows starts in April with an auction/flea market (recognized as one of the top five flea markets devoted to cars in the world) and runs through October. For a current schedule, go to https://carlisleevents.com.
While the Carlisle Events car shows are major events drawing thousands, a multitude of small car shows are held throughout the summer months that are part of a larger festival or fair.
Examples include the Williams Grove Historical Steam Engine Association spring (May) and fall (October) annual shows on the association’s grounds located at 1 Steam Engine Hill, Mechanicsburg; the annual Carlisle Harvest of the Arts festival in September; the annual Dillsburg Farmers Fair in October (with the main street and several side streets lined with cars, both modern and classics); and the National Apple Harvest Festival in October at the South Mountain Fairgrounds (615 Narrows Road, Biglerville).
One of the great things about the smaller shows is that, as part of a larger fair or festival, there is something of interest for the non-car enthusiast, as well.
For those who want to look at cars in an air-conditioned setting, there are several local museums devoted to cars. The Antique Automobile Club of America (ACCA), located in Hershey, is a Smithsonian Affiliate Museum. Its numerous antique car collections include the world’s largest collection of Tucker automobiles and memorabilia.
Off Route 15 near York Springs (100 Baltimore Road, York Springs) is the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing (EMMR), which is primarily devoted to sprint car racing. Not only does the museum have a wealth of cars and racing artifacts, but admission is free.
In addition to a tour of the museum, as part of the museum’s annual convention of EMMR members (usually held in August), visitors can watch vintage race cars circle the dirt track at the Latimore Fairgrounds located beside the museum. The museum’s hours vary, so check the EMMR website, emmr.org, for hours of operation.
For those who not only want to see cars but want to see them in action, visit a local racetrack.
Williams Grove Speedway is a nationally famous sprint car track. The half-mile dirt track has been around since 1939 and has hosted countless major races, including annual races that feature the well-known World of Outlaws racing circuit. The speedway’s racing schedule runs from March to October and can be found at https://www.williamsgrove.com.
Other area tracks include the 60-year-old Lincoln Speedway, a 3/8th-mile dirt track located in Abbottstown, and the 50-year-old South Mountain Raceway, a 1/8th-mile drag strip located in the countryside near Boiling Springs. The South Mountain Raceway features racing most Sundays from April through October, call (717) 323-0210 before heading out.
A different type of enjoyment for the car enthusiast is the old-time movie drive-in theater. Once widely popular in the 1950s and 1960s, only 375 drive-in theaters exist in America today.
We are lucky to have two of them in our area: Haar’s Drive-In at 185 Logan Road, Dillsburg; and the Cumberland Drive-In Theatre at 3290 Ritner Highway, Newville. Both drive-ins are family-owned and have been in operation since the early 1950s.
Southcentral Pennsylvania is indeed the place to be for those who love cars.