By: Brendan Losinski | Troy Times | Published July 13, 2023
TROY — Automotive enthusiasts can start revving their engines for the 15th annual Troy Traffic Jam car show.
The show will take place on Sunday, Aug. 6, at the Columbia Center in Troy, located at the corner of Big Beaver Road and Livernois Road. The event will benefit the Troy Historic Village and will feature classic cars, vehicle and technology demonstrations, and two new additions for 2023: a pedal car race and tech talks by esteemed members of the auto industry.
“It’s a car show that is our biggest fundraiser for the Troy Historic Village. Because the Troy Historic Village is part of the team putting it on, it’s always been a family-friendly event for both car people and kids who want to learn about cars,” explained Jen Peters, the executive director for the Troy Historic Village. “We have music and a DJ, a food tent where you can buy lunch. We’ve got the Troy FIRST Robotics teams doing demonstrations of their robots, the Troy police and fire will bring some of their vehicles down, and we will have a hands-on area with some interactive activities.”
The event also will include a 50/50 raffle, a silent auction and door prize drawings offered by Troy Traffic Jam’s sponsors. There is no cost to attend. Registration for the pedal car race costs $15 per racer. Contact Sharon Snyder at ssnyder@thvmail.org to register. Updates and additional information are available at www.troytrafficjam.com.
Peters thinks that this year will be even better because of what they are adding.
“We’ve got two big additions this year. The pedal car race will be a great activity a parent or grandparent works on with a child. We thought it would be a fun family activity to add. There will be a race at 1:30 p.m. where we will race the pedal cars in three age categories: 3- to 4-year-olds, 5- to 6-year-olds, and 7- to 8-year-olds.”
Mark Lieberman is the Troy Traffic Jam board member organizing the pedal race.
“I’m on the Troy Traffic Jam board, and we were talking about what we could do to add interest and draw attention to the event. I suggested a pedal car race,” he said. “It promotes interaction and projects between the child and their family when they get to prepare a car for the race. The idea is to create an opportunity where you are not sitting behind a screen and create something with your hands and learn about how to prepare something and then put it in the race.”
The pair were both excited about the other significant addition for this year’s event: tech talks with prominent figures from the automotive industry.
“We’re finalizing a schedule for some tech talks at the event too, which is our other big addition,” said Peters. “We’ll have Ralph Gilles, the chief design officer at Stellantis; Harlon Charles, the chief brand manager at Corvette; Kirk Bennion, a lead designer at Corvette; and Joel Piaskowski, the lead designer for the Mustang. They are top designers in the industry. They will bring some brand-new cars out to show off some new and exciting creations, and people will have a Q&A with them. They’re still working on what they can bring out, but we will have special showstoppers that are really impressive.”
“We had some relationships with the automotive community at large. I’ve been in it for 45 years,” added Lieberman. “Combined with that is that those who are speaking believe in the event too. It’s a great venue, a good cause to gather together and celebrate automobiles, and our speakers want to share their experiences.”
Peters said there will be a wonderful variety of vehicles, so those with any automotive interest will find something there to enjoy.
“The cars on display are great,” she said. “We have antiques like Model Ts, classics like your ’57 Chevy, muscle cars like SS Supercharger, and even high performance vehicles like Corvettes and Stingrays. You could have a car from 100 years ago sitting next to a new Corvette. It’s a great mix.”
Cars roll in around 7 a.m., and the event will open to the public at 10 a.m., finishing at 3 p.m.
“We have pedal tracks laid out, with different lengths per age,” said Lieberman. “There’s a LeMans-style start where they run up to the cars and jump in and start. The tracks are going to be right in front of the Columbia Center Building. It will be coned off. It will be a pretty exciting event.”
Both Peters and Lieberman encouraged the public to attend, whether this would be their first Troy Traffic Jam or their 15th.
“The event is constantly growing and evolving. Make sure you’re here this year, because you will see things you haven’t seen if you’ve come previous years,” Lieberman remarked. “This is a car show that brings together vehicles from every era and every category, so you will see something there you haven’t seen before. You have everyone there from hobbyists to those who are hardcore collectors.”
“We’ve got a fantastic free event that has a lot of depth to it,” Peters added. “You can get something to eat, see some cool cars, take part in the pedal car race, and hear the engineers. It will be a full day of fun.”