MOHAVE COUNTY – About 31 world-class rat rods and custom cars, along with 75 people from around the world made a pitstop Friday in Kingman.
Their stopover in Kingman was hosted Journey Church on Bank Street where they showed off their “rides,” swap stories with other participants and local car enthusiasts.
Twelve of the 14 teams competing in the 2019 RATical Rod Build-off/Drive-off competition arrived in Kingman will be participating in the judging of their vehicles at the beginning of the four-day Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show being held Nov. 5 – 8, 2019, in Las Vegas.
While at Journey Church, they were treated to lunch prior to them heading out on the last leg of their 1,400-mile journey.
Their six-day trek began in the cornfields of Nebraska last Tuesday, with stopovers in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Flagstaff, Kingman and they ended Friday in Las Vegas at the SEMA Show being held at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
The teams include three from Canada, one from New Zealand, one from Australia, one from United Kingdom, several from across the U.S., and a special one from Golden Valley, and they all had from Jan. 1 to the end of October to complete their builds.
After attending the SEMA Show in 2015, Bryan Dagel, the owner of Dagel’s Refinishing & Fabrication in Sturgeon Lake, Minn., realized rat rods had gained attention at the SEMA show, but for whatever reason, were not really taken seriously
Fellow builders Jason Groulx, Patrick Wilson, and Sam Hard brainstormed with Dagel to create an event to highlight the business end of building, driving and showing a serious rat rod class. Thus, the Radical Rod Build-off/Drive-off competition rose from the ashes like a mighty Phoenix and rapidly gained notoriety in the automotive industry since 2016.
According to Dagel, who is also the president and owner of Ratical Drive-off LLC, three teams stepped forward during 2016. Team Canada, Jason Groulx of Gasoline Alley Rat Rods, Team UK/Mexico – Sam Hard and Michael Lightborn, and Team USA, Kyle Lauman. Groulx’s Gasoline Alley, took the first ever title of number one, world-class RATical Rod.
Rangel emphasizes they are not actually affiliated with the SEMA Show, but are able to conduct their judging competition at the beginning of the show in Las Vegas and then their rat rods that made the journey remain on display there until the end of the four-day SEMA Show.
“I pretty much knew what our entry would be, but I kept the plans secret,” Earl said. “That way, the other competitors didn’t know what I consider the winning rat rod would look like until we arrived in Nebraska. All I can say is it is much different than what they have ever seen in the past.”
The high school students from Kingman and the surrounding area began designing and building their entry, “Project X,” with Earl during January for the RATical Rod Build-off/Drive-off competition. Their entry is built from a modified 1957 British Ford Anglia body with 1956 Ford taillights, powered by a 1965 Dodge 318 Poly engine that has two carburetors. It also sports dual steering wheels and pedals so either the driver or front passenger can control the vehicle.
For information about his youth program Keeping Hot Rodding Alive, visit his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Keeping Hot Rodding Alive or call Earl at 928-530-1251.
“We are in constant need to have sponsors donate cars and parts to the students, and to make donations so the program can continue,” Earls said. Keeping Hot Rodding Alive is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization and all donations are a tax-deductible contribution.
For information about the future RATical Rod Build-off/Drive-off competitions and entry requirements, contact Bryan Dagel at (218) 372-3835, email him at ellybry@mchsi.com or visit his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pg/Dagels-Auto-Fab-Restoration-103560572470/reviews/?ref=page_internal.
- Butch Meriwether
