The third annual “Wings N Wheels,” hosted by Low Standards, was held on Sept. 21 at the Iowa County Airport in Mineral Point, WI, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Low Standards hosts the event as a fundraiser for the UW-Platteville Automotive Enthusiasts Club.

Wings and Wheels is held at the beginning of the academic year to raise funds for AEC, a car club at UW-Platteville. Low Standards, the host of the event, is based in Dubuque, IA, where they specialize in decals and car work.

“Wings N Wheels” was made up of vendors, a car show and a ¼ mile airstrip at Iowa County Airport. With over 300 cars in attendance, the entire taxiway was filled from the top to the bottom, with cars wrapping around the corner.

“The amount of people who showed up was insane. People were saying traffic was backed up before gates were even supposed to open,” Corian Du Plessis, owner of Low Standards, said. “I’m not sure anyone thought it was going to get that big, but our small Wings N Wheels team handled it extremely well.”

Spectators made a $5 donation to attend. Those entering the car show donated $10, and people who registered for the radar run donated $20. A part of the event was an airplane show with take-off and landings by three planes.

Many AEC members volunteered at the event to help with the unexpected turn out. “I would say the best part about working the event was getting to see the variety of different vehicles that people entered in the show,” Lane Breitsprecker, an AEC member said. “From new to old and how unique some of the builds were.”

127 people registered for the radar run down the ¼ mile airstrip, with a $100 gift card from Taco with Runde’s Auto Group to the person that has the fastest time. Results of the run were updated live. Dustin Faulkner with a Suzuki Hayabusa had the fastest time with 155 mph; then Ellen Merfeld with a Kawasaki ZX14R with 153 mph, and in third was Jake Leib with a Ford Mustang GT500 with 151 mph.

The airstrip race gave people the opportunity to drive as fast as possible in a controlled and safe environment. “My favorite part of the event itself was driving my car down the airstrip and getting to watch others drive theirs as well,” Logan Brown, AEC Sponsorship Coordinator said.

Multiple vendors were in attendance at the show including Limitless Photography, Boyes Auto Detailing, BS Auto Staff and Pie Chart Pizza.

The event included awards for the car show portion with 12 different categories such as Best of Show, Best Classic, Best Domestic, Best Import and Dare Devil. “The turnout for this show was truly unexpected, from the number of different cars and age groups, it was unbelievable,” JC Heinrichs, AEC Vice President said.

AEC will be hosting their fall annual car show on Oct. 5 at Millennium Cinema in Platteville, WI from 10 a.m. till 2 p.m.