Pictured is Oscar Koveleski at Daytona in 1966 in his Cobra 427. Koveleski is slated to appear at the “Cruisin’ at the Downs” event planned for Sept. 19, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Tioga Downs in Nichols, N.Y. (Provided Photo)
Pictured, from left, is Oscar Koveleski, who is noted for his world famous “Auto World” slot car and model car business he opened back in 1958; along with Greg Zyla, syndicated auto and racing columnist. Koveleski is slated to appear at the “Cruisin’ at the Downs” event planned for Sept. 19, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Tioga Downs in Nichols, N.Y. Koveleski is a noted champion racer, businessman and auto racing ambassador, along with his “Kid Racer” free rides for the kids. (Provided Photo)
Pictured are members from the Watkins Glen International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC). From left, are Allan Davis, Brenda Moody and Kip Zeiter. The IMRRC will be at the “Cruisin’ at the Downs” event planned for Sept. 19, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will have on hand its official 2015 Raffle Car, where everyone can purchase a ticket to win a brand new 2015 Toyota Camry XSE. (Provide Photo)
Pictured is a 1971 Oscar Koveleski ad. (Provided)
Greg Zyla will have his championship “Lucas Oil/Vegas Fuel Energy Drink” sponsored 1970 Camaro Pro/Modified on hand at the 6th Annual
“Cruisin’ at the Downs” planned for Sept. 19, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Tioga Downs located in Nichols, N.Y. (Greg Zyla Photo)
The Saturday, Sept. 19, Tioga Downs “Cruisin’ at the Downs” cruise and car show is shaping up to be its best ever. A rally called “Get Your Kicks On Route 96” will offer an escorted drive up Route 96 to the Tioga Downs show taking place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The “Get Your Kicks On Route 96” cruise will gather at 8:30 a.m. at the Route 96 Diner located at 65 State Route 96 in Owego, N.Y. There will be free coffee, and the approximate 25-mile cruise will conclude at the “Cruisin’ at the Downs” event.
Slated to appear at the “Cruisin’ at the Downs” event is nationally famous Oscar Koveleski, noted champion racer, businessman and auto racing ambassador, along with his “Kid Racer” free rides for the kids.
Koveleski is noted for his world famous “Auto World” slot car and model car business he opened back in 1958 along with his wife, Elaine. It grew from his father’s model car shop in Scranton, and steadily grew from Oscar’s home base near Scranton, Pa.
Following the success of Auto World, Koveleski formed the Polish Racing Drivers of America (PRDA), and then drove in high-stakes SCCA and Can-Am competitions numerous times in ultra fast sports cars throughout America. He won several championships and made a big name when he competed against the best drivers in the world in the world renowned Can Am Circuit with his Auto World Chaparral No. 54 injected Chevy.
Oscar is actively involved in his current Kid Racer project, introducing youngsters to racing on electric powered mini racecars. You can find Oscar at Tioga Downs on Sept. 19, and then at just about every major race event in the United States. He has recently been invited to bring his Kid Racers for kids to Monaco in 2017.
In Addition to Koveleski’s appearance, the Watkins Glen, N.Y. based International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC) will be on-hand to welcome all “Cruisin’ at the Downs” fans and participants. The IMRRC is one of the world-class leaders in the collection of materials representing the documentary heritage of amateur and professional motor racing, highlighting Sports Car, Formula 1, NASCAR, Vintage and Historic racing.
The Research Center, located in downtown Watkins Glen, maintains archives for the personal papers of drivers, journalists and authors; rare books, serial publications, and reference books pertaining to drivers, cars, races and the history of motor racing; the historical records and newsletters of clubs and motor racing teams and corporations; and historical photographs, movie films, videos, oral histories, and memorabilia.
The IMRRC will have on hand its official 2015 Raffle Car, where everyone can purchase a ticket to win a brand new 2015 Toyota Camry XSE. The IMRRC is a 501c3 charitable organization, and the organization will surely expand its reach of support following the big Tioga Downs Car Show.
Rounding out the extra features will be an Auto Round-up Publications display, including one of the magazine’s regular columnists along with free magazine samples and “Cruisin’ at the Downs” special subscription offers.
Since 1974, Auto Round-Up Publications’ has been and still is a nationally recognized collector car source for Classic Cars, Muscle Cars, Street Rods, Customs, Old Trucks, and Hard-To-Find Auto Parts for Sale.
Auto Round-Up publishes three print magazines: Auto Round-Up Magazine, Classic Car Round-up and Truck Round-Up. They are sold via print subscriptions and are available in over 25,000 convenience and grocery stores. You may find your dream car in one of the West Virginia-based Auto Round-Up magazines, or its classifieds online. Best of all, it is absolutely free to advertise in the magazine for private sellers.
Although known as a “local car guy” who lives in Sayre, Pa., noted syndicated auto and racing columnist Greg Zyla will be on hand at the Auto Round-up display as he is one of the regular columnists for the magazine, dating all the way back to the 1980s.
“I’m really excited to be at the Sept. 19 Tioga Downs Car Show and a part of the “Cruisin’ at the Downs” cruise; and Oscar, me and all the folks at IMRRC will be close by to meet and greet all the fans and show participants,” said Zyla.
Zyla will have two of his own cars on display, including one of his collector cars and his championship “Lucas Oil/Vegas Fuel Energy Drink” sponsored 1970 Camaro Pro/Modified, the car that dominated the competition at nearby Skyview Drags in 2011 and 2012.
In addition to Auto Round-Up, Zyla’s columns, “Test Drive”, “Collector Car Corner”, and “Cars We Remember” appear in over 400 GateHouse Media publications and also in the Scranton-based Times-Shamrock Communications family of newspapers.
Tioga Downs’ “Cruisin’ at the Downs” show will run from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., with registration taking place until noon. The show, which will feature the aforementioned guests, as well as Rhonda’s Rockabilly Pinup Girls, whom will offer a photo with your car and take you a step back in time, will all be on hand.
Tioga Downs will also have two sets of tires, valued at $500, which will be given away as a ‘hot seat drawing’. To win the Tireland U.S.A. tires, anyone with a “Cruisin’ at the Downs” registration wristband that is playing on the gaming floor at 4:30 p.m. will have a chance to win the tires. They will also receive $250 in cash.
For those who want to cruise on down to Tioga Downs, the “Get Your Kicks On Route 96” rally will take place with a meet time of 8:30 a.m. at the Route 96 Diner located at 65 State Route 96 in Owego, N.Y. (just look for the old Texaco Station). There will be free coffee for those who arrive, and plenty of parking with a group of volunteers lining up the vehicles for the cruise.
At approximately 9:15 a.m., a certified escort will lead the vehicles arriving approximately 25 miles, departing north on Route 96. Local volunteer fire departments and fire police will be at intersections to ensure that the cruise is uninterrupted.
There is no fee for the cruise to the car show, but there will be a registration fee of $15 at Tioga Downs upon arrival to the “Cruisin’ at the Downs” show.
At the show, the first 150 registrants will receive a free t-shirt; the first 400 cars arriving will receive a dash plaque. There will also be awards for the Top 35 vehicles, as well as a “Best In Show” award. Live music and entertainment will be taking place; and don’t forget to look for Rhonda’s Rockabilly Pinup Girls.
Participant judging will take place from noon to 2 p.m., with trophy presentations taking place at 3:30 p.m.
For more information about the “Cruisin’ at the Tioga Downs Car Show”, contact Tioga Downs Casino, P.O. Box 509, 2384 West River Rd., Nichols, N.Y. 13812. You can also find them on the web at www.tiogadowns.com.
