Motor Madness brings car enthusiasts together despite night cruise cancellation

ROANOKE, VA – John Strange’s car is older than he is – in fact, it’s older than most people.

“It’s a 1933 Chevrolet Master,” Strange said.

Tens of thousands of dollars later, it’s his pride and joy.

“I’ve always loved cars, mostly hot rods, stuff and muscle cars, and then I decided to get into a hot rod and do it myself,” Strange said.

He told 10 News he wanted a community to connect with when it came to cars – and Roanoke was that community for him.

“I’m from Detroit, and when you’re born in Detroit, you’re born into cars. And I worked in car companies for years, and then I retired and moved here,” he said.

Ten years to rebuild – and that’s exactly how many years Strange showed his car to the automotive madness.

Even with Cruise Night officially canceled, hundreds of car enthusiasts and more than 300 cars lined the streets of downtown Roanoke Saturday.

Car enthusiasts love David Hollandsworth and his 1967 Beetle, nicknamed ‘The Lemon Drop’ – arguably one of the weekend’s fan favourites.

“When he pulled up to my house in the back of the truck, that’s the first thing I thought of,” Hollandsworth said.

For Hollandsworth, Motor Madness is a way to bond with his friends.

“A friend of mine also owns a ’67, so we got together,” Hollandsworth said.

But it’s also a way to bond with people he doesn’t even know through a lifelong love.

“Seeing the people, seeing them come up to me and asking me questions, seeing their faces, seeing the kids,” he said.