A Brand New Show on a Weekend You Know!
March 13, 14 & 15, 2015 at Toronto’s International Centre
TORONTO, ON // SEPTEMBER 2, 2014 • While much about the inaugural Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo will be all-new, there are several aspects of the show that will be very familiar to custom car and racing enthusiasts.
The International Centre, across from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, has been the traditional home of the region’s biggest and most successful custom car and hot rod show for almost four decades. The popular venue will play host to Motorama on March 13, 14 & 15, 2015.
And for many of those years, Gary Challice (right) played a leading role in putting together the Performance World Custom Car Show at the International Centre. Challice, who hails from Oshawa (ON), is spearheading the custom car and hot rod components of Motorama. Some of his duties with the new show include: procuring and approving show cars, working with the car clubs, selecting the judging team, securing participants for the seminars and forums, and being an ambassador for the show within the auto enthusiast community.
“When we confirmed that we were taking over the traditional mid-March custom car show date at the International Centre, one of our first calls was to Gary Challice to see if he’d be willing to work with us,” said Motorama co-promoter Greg MacPherson. “We had the pleasure of working with Gary during last year’s Canadian Motorsports Expo and we’re very excited that he’s taking a prominent role with Motorama. We’ve been to several car shows in the past few months, and everywhere we go, people love and respect Gary Challice. Gary’s reputation, knowledge and experience are all major assets and we’re honoured to have him on the team.”
A founding member of several successful car clubs – including the Motor City Car Club – Challice has a strong background in show car judging. He was the Director of Show Cars and Features at Performance World for 18 years, during the show’s heyday, and was inducted into the Canadian Street Rodder Hall of Fame in 1997. He received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013. Also in 2013, he was the project coordinator for a major hot rod feature at the Canadian International Auto Show, in Toronto.
Challice is enthusiastic about being part of the Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo as it gives him an opportunity to be part of creating an all-new, re-invigorated show. A key component of his plan is to fill the International Centre with stunning ‘new’ vehicles.
“The number one thing about Motorama is that the cars will be the stars,” said Challice. “The majority of the vehicles will be ‘first time shown,’ so that people will come to the show and see a variety of machines that they’ve never seen before. From karts, to custom cars, hot rods, racing cars, trucks and more, the people are going to see rooms full of incredible new machines.
“No matter what peoples’ interests are, they’re going to see what they came to see, as well as a bunch of other types of vehicles that will make them glad they came. Combining the custom car show with the motorsports expo is also really exciting as it will expose a lot of people who love hot rods and racing, to something new. I already have a line on several cars that will blow people away, and we’re getting a fantastic reaction from everyone as they learn about Motorama.”
In terms of awards, a $5,000 cash prize will go to the Motorama Grand Champion; a ‘first time shown’ Canadian car. The American ‘Stars & Stripes’award will see a $2,500 cash prize go to the top vehicle from the US on display at Motorama. Many more awards and prizes will be confirmed prior to show time.
For information about displaying your car or having your club participate at the Motorama Custom Car & Motorsports Expo, go to MotoramaShow.com and click on the Exhibitor Info tab at the top of the page. You can also email info@motoramashow.com or call (416) 962-7223to inquire about exhibitor space or show sponsorship opportunities. To contact Gary Challice directly, call (905) 723-7828 during the day or on his cell at (905) 404-7860.
ABOUT THE MOTORAMA CUSTOM CAR & MOTORSPORTS EXPO: The inaugural MOTORAMA show takes place March 13, 14 & 15, 2015 at Toronto’s International Centre, adjacent to Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. With a footprint of almost a quarter-million square feet, the show will be Canada’s biggest late-winter celebration of automobiles and motorsports. For information about the show, including sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities, schedules and more, call (416) 962-7223, or email info@MotoramaShow.com. The show’s website is located at www.MotoramaShow.com.
