‘Burnouts’ cancel Cruz-in parade

MONTAGUE — For nearly 20 years, hundreds of classic car enthusiasts, including several from Oceana County, have participated in the White Lake area’s Cruz-in event, which draws thousands of people each year.

During the last Friday evening in July, classic car owners parade from Whitehall to Montague to show off their dazzling rides. However, it was announced Thursday April 25 that the parade will no longer happen due to too many “burnouts.” The car show will still happen, however.

A burnout is the practice of keeping a vehicle stationary and spinning its wheels, with the friction causing the tires to heat up and smoke.

“This year’s Cruz-In will be a little different from years past as the event is transitioning to a parked car show within downtown Montague,” states an announcement from the Cruz-in Committee posted on Facebook. 

“Unfortunately, the parade has been discontinued for public safety reasons. Over the past several years, the number of complaints Cruz-in has received about burn-outs has steadily increased, and many classic car enthusiasts were no longer willing to risk their investment of a fully-restored car and participate in a parade with reckless drivers. The greatest concern of the Cruz-in Committee and the two participating police departments was the safety of spectators! As uncontrolled burnouts became increasingly prevalent, it was determined that the spectators along the parade route and parade participants were no longer safe. A driver losing control could very quickly turn a community tradition into a community tragedy.”

This year’s event is set for July 26 in downtown Montague.

Cruz-in coincided with the Take it to Hart classic car show in downtown Hart the last Saturday in July. There has not been a Take it to Hart car show since 2019.

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