After some rest and a good breakfast at the Hampton Inn, club members returned to their cars early Friday morning for a quick “fluff and buff” and then it was off to I-80 once again on a spirited drive to the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed.  Founded in 1992 by "Speedy" Bill and Joyce Smith, the 150,000 sq. ft. museum offers a continuous chronology of automotive racing engines and speed equipment that is profoundly American, housing an overwhelming variety of priceless artifacts from virtually every automotive luminary going back to the creation of the horseless carriage - a room full of Harry Miller racing engines with one-off, experimental, engine turned finishes, radical induction systems and exhaust headers; Ed Iskendarian’s original cam grinding equipment (with accompanying metal filings surrounding the base) and personal street rod, Dick Landy’s 1965 Dodge Hemi Coronet A/FX altered wheelbase “Funny Car”, and a 10’ x 100’ ft wall display of every Ford Flathead intake manifold known to exist.  Club members also had a chance to view an entire 50,000 sq. ft. floor housing the world's largest pedal car collection.  The tour guides were absolutely spectacular and did a fantastic job sharing their encyclopedic knowledge of virtually every display and aspect of the museum.  One of the truly fantastic experiences during our visit was the opportunity for us to enjoy a catered lunch including Valentino's pizza, homemade brownies, and beverages in “Bill’s Garage” right in the middle of the museum and amongst million dollar street rods including a bespoke, Ferrari-powered roadster built by coachbuilder Steve Moal of Oakland, CA and Hedy Lamarr’s 1958 Cadillac.

Friday night was special for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was a unique opportunity for club members to share their vehicles with the general public at the “Evening With The Stars” Car Show at Victory Lane.  The weather was once again beautiful and the cars looked great as the evening sun dimmed and golden hour light descended upon a wonderful collection of Chrysler’s finest.  We enjoyed each other's company and helped the general public appreciate the unique features that make Chrysler Letter Cars unique and exceptional.  Period music provided the backdrop and lifted everyone’s spirits as did a wonderful variety of BBQ sandwiches and specialty dishes offered by the Pulled BBQ Omaha Food Truck.  A special aspect of the evening was the participation of the Creighton Preparatory School Car club members who helped organize and run the show.  Club members and show attendees generously donated $1000.00 to the Prep Car club with special mention and recognition of Mike Burke for his friendship and contributions to the Chrysler 300 Club over the years (including meet hosts Kurt and Sally Brueske).  Thanks to Chrysler 300 club members for your generosity and support!

A special thanks goes out to Mike Welniak and Victory Lane for helping us host the event!

After a busy two days, Saturday’s agenda offered club members an opportunity to sleep in or spend a little more time relaxing over breakfast and enjoying each other’s company before heading out to Danny and Connie Peters’ (members of the Omaha Region Walter P. Chrysler Club) for a wonderful late morning picnic at their beautiful home in Honey Creek, IA.  Danny and Connie provided a great lunch including fried chicken, roast beef, cheesy potatoes, veggies and fruit, along with another homemade bar cookie dessert.  We enjoyed their meal and each other’s company seated at checked cloth-covered picnic tables amongst a beautiful array of petroliana including a wide variety of curated petroliana signs, banners, mechanical accessories, and literature that made everyone feel special.  We had a chance to park our cars on grassy slopes with a beautiful view of the Missouri Valley from an elevated vantage point nestled within the Loess Hills.  A quick walk up the hill also made for a special treat - a comprehensive and eclectic collection of breweriana rarely seen, in terms of amount and quality, outside of a museum.

All good things must come to an end but not until we had a chance to celebrate the conclusion of the fall meet with the awards banquet at Cascio’s Steakhouse.  We were able to secure a pleasant downstairs room with a dedicated cash bar, linen cloth-covered tables and even a flat screen TV that afforded those gathered an opportunity to watch none other than Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, and Fabian in the 1966 classic “Fireball 500” while enjoying a cocktail and then a wonderful dinner including steak, chicken, salmon, salad and coffee service including a “Chrysler 300 Club” cake specially prepared by Chris Janecek and  Cupcake Omaha.  After dinner, with the assistance of Henry Brueske choosing tickets from a jar, club President John Begian presented gifts followed by awards and concluding remarks.  It was a truly special night capping off what was a wonderful week with friends and family.

In conclusion, many thanks to all who made the Fall 2024 Meet in Omaha possible - please enjoy the many photographs kindly provided by Jamie and Dawn Hyde, Randy and Virginia Thorne, the Mishler Family, and Noel Hastalis.
We look forward to the spring 2025 meet in Lafayette, LA April 30-May 4 hosted by Mark Artall & Kelly LeBlanc!
Sincerely,
Sally and Kurt Brueske

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Chrysler 300 Letter Cars Present Jeff Bailey & Kathy Hill OK 1965 300-L Coupe John Begian MI 1957 300-C Convertible Jim & Karen Birr MO 1958 300-D Convertible Kurt & Sally Brueske NE 1962 300-H Coupe Steve & Trudi Frisell NE 1961 300-G Coupe (71 original miles) Lindsey Fuller CN 1960 300-F Coupe Noel Hastalis IL 1960 300-F Coupe Jamie & Dawn Hyde NY 1964 300-K Coupe Joe Jordan WI 1960 300-G Coupe (Stick) Rob Kern OK 1957 300-C Coupe Marshall Larson MN 1959 300-E Coupe Andy & Carole Mikonis IL 1961 300-G Coupe Mark Obermann IL 1956 300-B Coupe Mike Paipal MN 1963 300-J Coupe Dave Schwandt IA 1960 300-F Coupe (Polar Blue) Galen & Ryan Wollbrink IL 1965 300-L Coupe Non-300 Letter Cars Present Bill & Marilyn Allen NM 2000 Plymouth Prowler Randy & Sue Edison WY 1954 Cadillac Convertible Mike & Misty Meier MN 1968 Chrysler 300 Convertible Ralph Rhees IN 1970 Chrysler 300 Coupe Russ Thill WI 1960 Chrysler Saratoga Coupe

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