Trans Ams make local stop
By BRETT DUNLAP, bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com
POSTED: May 14, 2008
PARKERSBURG — The Bandit Run 2008 stopped in Parkersburg Tuesday.
Fifty Trans Ams from across the country, inspired by the 1977 hit movie “Smokey and the Bandit,” stopped at Astorg’s on Seventh Street for a couple of hours to allow people to come by and see them.
A lot of people were on hand and food was prepared for the drivers.
‘‘It was great for the town to come out and throw us a picnic,’’ said Dave Jaenke of St. Louis, Mo. Jaenke was traveling in his 1976 Trans Am with his buddy Jack Campbell. The car only has around 25,000 miles on it.
‘‘This is something that you never thought you would do so you go out and just do it,’’ Jaenke said.
Everyone who came out to see them has been great, Campbell said.
The local stop was sponsored by Astorg’s and McLaughlin’s Museum.
The second annual Bandit Run began in Columbus Tuesday morning. They will be traveling for about five days before reaching Atlanta, Ga.
Organizers said the route changes a little each year. It is modeled after the route taken in “Smokey and the Bandit.”
The movie starred Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jerry Reed and Jackie Gleason. It helped make the Trans Am a popular car in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.
Rick McLaughlin, owner of McLaughlin’s Museum who helped organize the event, said police in Belpre and Parkersburg gave the drivers an escort in.
Many people from around the community came out to see the cars, including some with Trans Ams who lined them up with the other cars to show them off.
They had T-shirts printed up for the event, McLaughlin with enough for each driver and a few left over.
‘‘We had people waiting in line for them,’’ he said. ‘‘We could have printed up 100 more easily.’’
Everyone seemed to have a good time.
‘‘We had a tremendous response,’’ McLaughlin said. ‘‘We were happy to have the Bandit Run come through Parkersburg.
‘‘We hope to have them back again.’’
The drivers headed to Charleston where they were going to have a block party through the evening Tuesday.
