Lakers Car Club opened 2026 Season with show at Collinsville Culver’s

By Editor | April 22, 2026 |

By Charles Bolinger

Editor • Being a classic car club member takes dedication, especially these days, when a rise in electric vehicles and a general decline in youths getting their driver’s license when they turn 16 clouds the future of the classic automobile.

Ernie Huffman and Brad Wellen are both Lakers members and both estimate they’ve been involved with the club for at least the past 20 years. Huffman owns three classic vehicles that have been restomoded – a 1933 Chevrolet Master Sedan dressed in purple; a 1951 five-window 3100 series pickup truck that is white and a 1939 Chevrolet Master sedan that’s finished in a black cherry hue. All three have options that didn’t exist when they were new – air-conditioning, V-8 engines, automatic transmissions, power steering and power brakes.

Huffman admits he is not as active as he used to be and these days, he likes looking at the various cars that come to the events and talking to the attendees.

To date, the Collinsville Area Vocational Center has received $7,500 from the club since 2023. The CAVC’s Director, Joe McGinnis, said they gave $1,500 in 2023, and $3,000 each over the past two years. A larger donation is possible this year. The Lakers donated the funds, hoping the center would use the funds toward buying the students tools and parts etc. to help ensure that wrenching on cars has a future that doesn’t involve just batteries and electric motors.

Laker Brad Wellen only owns one classic car but it is well-known among classic auto enthusiasts, a 1969 Buick Skylark Gran Sport 400. It is dressed in Teal Blue with a white interior.

Wellen said one year, three or four years ago, the club discovered it had a surprise surplus of funds in its account. As various members pitched ideas on what to do with it, one man spoke up that their hobby, classic and custom vehicles, was going to be extinct soon if they didn’t take steps to encourage younger people to follow in their tire tracks. To prevent that, they should donate the extra funds to area vocational schools, such as Belleville and Collinsville.

Half of the 50/50 funds and some money from club T-shirt sales goes to the vocational schools, he said.

After the Culver’s show on April 18, the Lakers Car Club’s 2026 calendar is lengthy. Times are from 5-8 p.m. unless otherwise noted:

Car Club Cruise Calendar

May 9 at Brick Street Parlor in Lebanon

May 13 in O’Fallon at Gateway Classic Cars

May 16 at Culver’s in Collinsville

June 6 at Moon Penguin Emporium in Lebanon

June 10 in O’Fallon at Gateway Classic Cars

June 20 at Culver’s

July 4 at First Federal Savings Bank in Lebanon

July 18 at Culver’s

Aug. 1 at Lebanon Auto Parks in Lebanon