The 30th Annual Wrightwood Classic Car Show took place in Wrightwood on Saturday, August 17, and featured hundreds of cars, bringing together auto enthusiasts from all over Southern California and beyond to view some stellar rides.
The car show is always a local favorite, and many Tri-Community residents were winners at this year’s event, including Wrightwood residents Harold Fliegner, awarded in the 1940s category for his 1947 Mercury Woodie, and John Huyett, who won the Specialty Cars category for his 1929 Ford Model A Flower Sedan Delivery. Residents from Phelan also came out on top, with Scott Ewing accepting the award in the 1970–75 category for his 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda, and Al Gomez winning in the Under Construction category for his Chevy Apache truck.
Nearby Oak Hills resident Harold Davis was given the Betty Forsythe Founders Award of Excellence for his 1941 Americar Model 441, and the coveted Best of Show award went to Tim Hunizenga of Temecula for his 1951 Chevy COE.
Although Tim is from Temecula, Wrightwood has become a special place for him, as his family once owned a cabin here and would visit often during his childhood. Tim also mentioned that he has won a few awards from other car shows, but this is the first award he’s won since his truck got a flashy new paint job. By incorporating more colors and vibrant stripes, the once all-silver Chevy is now bolder and more intricate, even featuring a beautiful work of art on the rear end.
The complete transformation took seven years, and Tim meticulously documented the whole process with a photo album, including notes and dates of every detail, which he proudly showed off in the bed of the truck. Impressive as it looks, the ride isn’t just for show; with a 6.0-liter L96 Vortec Motor engine, Tim said he actually uses the truck to haul his race car! As an annual tradition, the Best in Show car will be featured on next year’s Wrightwood Classic Car Show official T-shirts.
With the 30th Wrightwood Classic Car Show now in the rearview, we asked Leslie Chesebrough Mihalko, car show coordinator and planner of the event for the past 16 years, what makes this event so special.
“Everybody just loves it, whether it’s their love of cars or their first time here. We just hope that they come back because we have a lot to offer in this small community,” said Leslie.
Congratulations to all of the 2024 car show winners!
Wrightwood Classic Car Show 2024 Winners
1920s
Darren Christopher – 1929 Ford Pickup (Hesperia, California)
1930s
Scott Gordon – 1932 Ford Hi-Boy Roadster (Hesperia, California)
1940s
Harold Fliegner – 1947 Mercury Woodie (Wrightwood, California)
1950s
Gerald Goodman – 1955 Chevy 210 Sedan (Acton, California)
1960s
Robert – 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle (Hesperia, California)
1970–75
Scott Ewing – 1970 Plymouth Hemi Cuda (Phelan, California)
Muscle Cars
Dan Etter – 1972 Buick Skylark (Fontana, California)
Trucks
Charlie Jimenez – 1955 Chevy Pickup (Oak Hills, California)
Rat Rod
Levon Arklin – 1952 Ford Rat Rod Pickup (Valyermo, California)
Specialty Cars
John Huyett – 1929 Ford Model A Flower Sedan Delivery (Wrightwood, California)
Specialty Trucks
Ron Dumelle – 1932 Ford Roadster (Fontana, California)
Under Construction
Al Gomez – Chevy Apache (Phelan, California)
Wagons
Dan Yeutter – 1956 Ford Ranch Wagon (Apple Valley, California)
Betty Forsythe Founders Award of Excellence
Harold Davis – 1941 Americar Model 441 (Oak Hills, California)
Best of Show 2024
Tim Hunizenga – 1951 Chevy COE (Temecula, California)
