Rat rods and other roadsters featured at drag strip
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[If you already know the definition of a rat rod, you probably already have this weekend's activities at the Cars for Kids Accelaquarter Raceway on your calendar.
If you don't know what a rat rod is the drag strip just north of Harrisburg on Illinois Route 34 will be the place to see them.
"It looks like we'll have a lot (of them) this year," said Gene Church one of the three organizers of the 13th Annual Cruisin' the Shawnee Car Show this Saturday.
Rat rods are old school hot rods from the style common in the early '50s.
These street-legal autos are custom-built with parts from cars the early to mid 20th Century.
Church said there will be all types of cars on display and not just those type of hot rods. All makes and models are welcome.
"We'll have anything from whatever somebody's proud of to $100,000 cars. They will be from five or six different states," he said. "It's a day of fellowship and enjoying the cars."
He's hesitant to predict numbers "with this economy," but he expects more than 100 and may be closer to 150 cars.
"We're getting a bigger response than what I thought," he added.
Gates open at 8 a.m. with registration from 8 a.m. to noon.
The show offers top choice awards, dash plaques, 50/50 drawing, plus registered cars will be able to make a run down the 1/8 mile track.
At noon Saturday organizers plan a dedication of a memorial for tornado victims both those deceased as well as those severely injured in the Feb. 29 tornado.
Church said he's invited families of the victims in Harrisburg as well as those impacted in Gallatin county.
On Sunday there will be purse racing on the track as well as a possible poker run through the Shawnee National Forest with the different cars.
The track is part of the Cars for Kids, Southern Style network, a non-profit organization that "raises money for God's special children," Church said, that organized some 20 years ago in Tennessee and has spread to three states.
The drag strip first opened in 1963. After being closed for a number of years Church's group bought the strip five years ago and reopened it.
During the summer they offer a variety of races scheduled including super pro, pro (no delay box), street tire (must have D.O.T. numbers on the tire sidewall), junior dragsters and motorcycles.
Their website is http://www.carsforkidsaccelaquarterraceway.com.