Runs in the Family

While some teenagers are saving up for their first car, there are some, like senior McClinton Jones, who already have five.

Jones and junior Kaleb Shoemaker have continued their families’ love of cars. They presented their vehicles at the Fairfield Show of Wheels Car Show on September 8. Shoemaker came in second place.

“It’s a really nostalgic time of year to me,” Shoemaker said. “It’s a time to see what styles of cars were like back then, then to see what cars people had a great interest in. But there’s also newer trends being shown.

Jones has entered Show of Wheels the last three years.

“It gives me an opportunity to make people smile,” Jones said. “To show them a little bit of happiness. This is something that makes me happy, and it’s always great to share that feeling by showing off my car.”

One of the Show of Wheels competitions is for the all out “Best Ride” presented.

“It’s got competition,” Shoemaker said, “but most of all, it’s got family. We’re all here for the same purpose, and everyone has their own personal opinion.”

Jones and Shoemaker both started out collecting cars with their families but soon shifted to modifying their cars to improve their power and speed.

“I was born with this obsession with cars,” said Jones, “so I knew that when I got my first Mustang I was going to take care of it. I never thought I’d have more than one car until a long time after college, but after about a year of owning my 2007 I wanted to begin modifying the car.”

The most popular brand between the two students seem to be Ford, specifically their Mustangs.

“I was raised around my family’s Fords,” said Shoemaker. “It’s just become second nature to me. I was raised around my father and grandfather, who taught me everything about them, like how to identify each one and drive them.”