Draggin' Main hits 10 years

White smoke filled the Curry County Events Center's parking lot as various hot rods burned their tires into the pale cement. The occasion on Saturday was for Draggin' Main's 10th year anniversary kickoff burn-out competition called "Hairbands and Hot Rods."

From the bleachers to the sidelines, the crowd cheered for their favorite hot rod burning rubber. Some owners of the cars go as far as to blow out an engine for a chance to win first place.

Draggin' Main is a mostly free week-long event that brings together car enthusiasts with the community for some classic rock 'n' roll fun, said co-founder of Draggin' Main, Gene Porter.

"Draggin' Main was a really big thing when I was growing up and I like reminiscing about going back to that time," said Gina Connally, who attended the event with her daughter Evie Connally.

It all began as a conversation between two friends in 2014. Porter and co-founder Bryan Boone wanted to create an event that highlighted the diverse car culture within Clovis.

Porter said there was already an annual car show for the community to enjoy, but he felt the selection was rather limited. So Porter and Boone took it upon themselves to change the outlook of what car shows should look like for the town.

"You know it doesn't matter if you drive a Honda or if you drive a diesel pickup, our roots are all the same," Porter said. "And so we were like 'We need to have something for everybody ... We need something that everybody can come together with all the little different genres of the car scene and do that.'"

After that conversation, Porter said he created a Facebook page to get the ball rolling. He said they only expected about 100 cars to show up for their first event, but there were nearly 400 cars and 1,500 attendees raring to go.

Porter said the event has grown every year since then, pulling in people not only from Clovis but all over the country – from Illinois, Florida, Louisiana and more.

Guests ranged from kids experiencing their first car show to hot rod experts, who have been a part of the hot rod scene all their lives. Between revving engines and the laughter shared amongst the crowd, guest like Loyd "Bandit" Rolan said he was excited to see the love the community had for the car industry.

"People love cars, it's a part of the American heritage of open roading independence," Rolan said.

"Teenagers get their first real independence behind the wheel of a vehicle. So that love affair has gone on for 150 years."

Painted in jet black with a golden eagle on the hood, Rolan drives a 1981 Pontiac Trans Am, also known as the Pontiac Firebird. He said he had always had a strong passion for the car world since he was a child, helping his dad fix up cars and farm equipment.

"It's not just the cars, it's the camaraderie of all the people," Rolan said. "All the people you know in the car genre, all come together and we all know each other and we always have fun. It's a big friendship."

Participants of the burn-out competition had a chance to win $500 worth of in-store credit at Clovis Tire and be known as the "Burnout King." After the competition guests were invited to partake in the concert held inside the center.

With tickets costing $12 at the entrance, attendees could see live performances from All About Alice, Hooligans Holiday, Breaking the Law and Cryptic Writings.