By Kenn Peters
Right Coast Association

Albany, N.Y., resident Richard Jack, has always been partial to old Packards. And he has proudly shown a 1934 Packard Victoria Coupe, at the annual Syracuse Nationals since the show’s inception in 2000.
For Jack, the 2012 show might be different. He may bring his Packard, but he’s definitely bringing his newest car, a 1933 Ford street rod. And, the car will assume a place of prominence in front of the Center of Progress building on the east end of the New York State Fairgrounds, because the hot rod is the 2011 annual give-away car and Jack is the happy winner.
Jack joins a long line of winners who have driven away from the annual car extravaganza with a dream car. And the thing is each winner has taken home a car that made its debut at the Syracuse Nationals. The first custom-built car given away was during the 2001 show and it was a 1932 Ford street rod. That was followed by a 1932 Ford roadster in 2003; 1937 Ford custom pickup in 2004; 1932 Ford coupe street rod in 2005; 1953 Chevy custom pickup in 2006; 1932 Ford coupe street rod in 2007; 1937 Ford Cabriolet in 2008; a Track-T roadster in 2009, and a 1970 Chevy Nova coupe in 2010. The 2002 vehicle was a 2002 Chevrolet S-10 pickup, the only vehicle in the group not custom built.
Jack said he was taken by surprise when his name was called to be one of the people who might have a shot at winning the car.
“I’ve never won anything in my life so I was just flabbergasted to be called up to the stage,” he said.
But once he got on the Chevrolet Court stage the pressure was really on. (Continued on pg.11)
( “When you get up there, so much is going on it’s hard to concentrate.
Then it got down to three of us, and then two of us. I turned to the guy next to me and said ‘good luck,’” he said.
Then in an instant Jack was the last man standing and his name was announced as the winner of the new red street rod.
A whirlwind of activity quickly followed the actual award. Hours later the car was taken back to Morrisville State College, where a couple of final details have to be handled. “Everything moved so quickly that I didn’t really get a good look at it, so I’m going to go to the college to take pictures,” he added.
Plans call for the hot rod to make a national debut at the annual SEMA (Specialty Equipment Marketing Association) show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, in November. Jack said he hopes to get to that event, too, to accompany his new car.
Jack said he and his wife, Carmel, have always enjoyed the old-car hobby and plan to continue doing so, only now they will have a new car to drive. Carmel doesn’t drive a standard shift, he said, so that leaves him to drive it or perhaps one of their children, Richard Jr., Kenneth or Deborah.
The beauty of the new car is at once obvious and will manifest itself in more than one way; it’s an unexpected pleasure in the life of Richard and Carmel Jack, but they get a new car while Jack is building a car, another 1934 Packard, this one a Victoria convertible.
Jack said he’s always driven his cars as opposed to taking them to destinations on a trailer. So it’s a safe bet the new hot rod will be driven to the many shows he and Carmel attend every year. And he has a full year to bask in the glow of the award before another winner steps onto the stage in 2012.