Ravenna – Hey Ravenna, when does a Wednesday feel like a Saturday? When you attend Mongoose Motorsports and Portage Trim’s Octane Nights! It’s coming up soon, Wednesday August 3, so be sure to plan for it.
For those readers who are in the Gear Head community, this event is a well-known tradition, started by Gary and Tricia (Trish) Krause, and is maintained by Tricia. It has been voted by Cruise-In Magazine as #1 Downtown event numerous times. Octane Nights 2022 is in its eighth year, with a year off because, well, 2020. Tricia Krause feels very grateful to have an amazing support system of friends and employees, and together they made the event grow.
It started as a Weekly Wednesday Car Show, when Trish and Gary were approached by Celebrate Portage, to work with them and expand. This allowed the car show to grow from the A & W to Mongoose Motorsports. The mayor at the time, Joe Bica, inadvertently made history by welcoming the crowd to the ‘First annual Octane Night.’ It is an unregistered event, meaning they don’t know who is coming or what kind of cars will be showing. This made Gary nervous. Well, 700 cars showed up that first year. For comparison, the 2021 car count was 3,363 cars, and an estimated 15,000 spectators.
For those of you intending to show, don’t wait until the event starts to show up! There are two ways into the area, from the east at Route 14, or the West from Freedom Road. Cars lining up to get a parking spot looks like a motor parade. It is unregistered, and first come-first serve, so use your best judgement.
For spectators, please know that this is a rain or shine event. We all know that August weather can be temperamental, so you may want to check the weather report and pack those umbrellas accordingly. Although, with the current heat wave, a nice downpour would be pleasant.
There are a few great changes planned. The hours have been extended; it is now 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Octane Nights will take up a half mile, from the Get Go Station to Wood-Kortright-Borkowski Funeral Home, twice as long as years past. Roads close at 2:00pm, so make sure to plan on this as you drive through town. Spectator parking will be free at Robinson Memorial Hospital (UHHS), and PARTA will be making laps every 20 minutes.
Since the space has doubled, there will be food trucks at the east end. Of course, sponsoring restaurants A & W, Burger King and Siciliano’s Pizzeria (reopening following a fire!) Wendy’s and other area restaurants will be open and serving. Have you had Barbecue from Rosie and Kennedy? Then you know you won’t want to miss it! Curt’s Concessions will also be there. Along with regular fair food (did someone say Fair Fries?), Curt will also have his ice cream truck; his peach cobbler is legendary. Metropolis Popcorn will be sending the wonderful scent of popcorn, kettle corn and flavored popcorn through the air. Dr. Hibachi will be there with choice of chicken and steak stir-fry. Mmmm-mmm!
In the past, there have been a number of DJs, making announcements and such difficult to hear from one to another. Problem solved- Dove Audio-Visual will be setting up a wireless sound system, so the music and announcements will be handled by one DJ, Ravenna’s own claim to Rock and Roll fame, Bobby Seplivita. Since this will be wireless, spectators will be able to access it through their own device, too.
Scott Caraboolad of Ride 4 Life has three scheduled shows. Scott is an addict in recovery, who along with amazing motorcycle stunts, shares his story of overcoming addiction. Along with shows such as this, he also speaks at area schools, and even prisons. He will be performing on Grove, the stretch of road between Burger King and Giant Eagle. Congratulations on your sobriety, Scott!
Gary Krause started a tradition, and it will be carried out in his honor. At 7:0pm, participants will all start up and rev their engines in the famous Ravenna Rumble. Hmmm, over 3000 hotrods all revving simultaneously, Gary will be sure to hear it!
There will be a 50/50 drawing held at 8:00pm. Volunteers will be selling tickets from their golf carts. With a crowd this size, that could be quite a pot! Fireworks will commence roughly at dusk. Sunset in Ravenna that day should be at 8:39, so plan accordingly.
Along with her cadre of friends and volunteers from Celebrate Portage and United Way, Trish wishes to thank her sponsors for their support. Please consider them when you can.
• A & W Drive-In Restaurant
• Burger King
• Siciliano’s Pizzaria
• Wendy’s
• Portage Community Bank
• United Way
• Carats and Calibers
• Giant Eagle
• Wood-Kortright-Borkowski Funeral Home
• Shorts-Spicer-Crislip Funeral Home
• Kuhnle Motorsports Park, also providing the fireworks!
• Ravenna Marine, providing a safe area to set off the fireworks!
• Coia Sales
• Hometown Bank
• Don Sitts Auto Sales
• Jack Kohl Realty and Insurance Agency
Trish says her social media accounts are down, so she hasn’t been able to advertise as much she usually does. You can still visit their web site, www.mongoosemotorsports.com or Instagram page for updates.
Don’t forget, this is Wednesday, not Saturday! But this reporter thinks it will be a wonderful break to the work week. See ya there!
