Cruising, burning out, flame-throwers take over Libby

Mineral Avenue's stop signs will take on a new look for an evening, flame-throwers will shoot into the night and more than a dozen set of bleachers will fill up with folks for a burn-out contest.

Yes, it's time for Ignite the Nites, an annual event staged by the Igniters Car Club in Libby.

So, what's the most popular attraction of the two-day event?

“The Friday night cruise, without a doubt,” club president Terry Watson said. “We put plastic signs over the stop signs there at the four-way and you'll literally see 3,000 or 4,000 people down there on the sidewalk just packed in. Last year, we had 192 cars cruising.”

Ignite the Nites begins Friday afternoon with registration running from 3-8 p.m. Cruise the Gut takes over Mineral from 6-9:30 p.m. Other first-day events include the Poker Run from 3-7:30 p.m., and the Neon and Flame Throwing Contest at approximately 10 p.m., following cruising.

Cruising is open only to those vehicles that register. And there are rules, otherwise a driver could end up becoming an onlooker. Car club members keep order.

“We as a group each take an intersection on Mineral starting at Second Street all the way to Timberline,” Watson said. “Each car that cruises Š gets two dots, little stickers on the windshield. If you get out of hand, speed or sit in one spot and tear up the road or whatever, we take one of your stickers off your windshield.

“If you lose them both, you're done; you're shutdown for the night,” Watson added. “The very first time, it was chaos, just crazy Š that's why we started this. By the end of the night, it's so slow that people can't get crazy.”

On the second day, registration runs from 8 a.m.-noon with the car show getting started at 9 a.m., and running to 3 p.m.

“We'll have over 250 cars down there on Mineral Avenue on Saturday for people to look at,” Watson said. “The Igniters, we don't register our cars so we're not voted on. We're big on people who spend money to come here for them to win the trophies. We like to see that because when we go to a show somewhere else, we don't like to go and see the home team win everything.”

Igniters Car Club members also don't cast votes on the People's Choice trophies. Those decisions are based on votes of the participants as well as the general public. The Igniters do vote on the NTS award - an abbreviation that can't be printed in full here (“Neater Than Š.”).

There is also a Poker Walk from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., and an awards ceremony and raffle drawing at 3 p.m. All of those events are scheduled for Mineral Avenue.

Another popular event then follows at 5 p.m., at Motocross Park with the “Burn-Out Contest.” It moved to a new site this year after the drive-in theater in Libby suffered damage.

A dance at the Memorial Center (9 p.m.-1 a.m.) wraps up the activities. “The Reflections,” a band out of Bellingham, Wash., is scheduled to play.

Ignite the Nites

Friday

3-8 p.m. - Registration.

3-7:30 p.m. - Poker Run.

6-9:30 p.m. - Cruise the Gut. The Gut (Mineral Avenue) will be closed to public cruising. Only car show participants will be allowed to cruise.

Approx. 10 p.m. - Neon & Flame-Throwing Contest on the Gut.

SATURday

8 a.m.-noon - Registration.

9 a.m.-3 p.m. - Car Show.

10 a.m.-1 p.m. - Poker Walk.

Approx. 3 p.m. - Awards and Raffle drawing for child's pedal car.

5 p.m. - Burn-Out Contest at Motocross Park (Highway 2 South, turn left approximately 300 feet past Town Pump).

9 p.m.-1 a.m. - Dance to “The Reflections” at Memorial Center (located near corner of Mineral Avenue and E. Lincoln Boulevard).