World of Wheels spins into Huntington

The 38th annual World of Wheels ended the three-day event Sunday at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena.

Sponsored by O’Reilly’s Auto Parts, World of Wheels is the largest indoor car show in West Virginia.

More than 100 cars, bikes, hotrods, customs, trucks and antiques were shown, all competing for the Best Model Car prize.

Ray Fraley of Barboursville said he has been building cars as a hobby with a friend for 20 years.

“We build mustangs, hot rods and lots of other types of cars,” Fraley said. “It’s bonding.”

Fraley said he has shown cars for the last 15 years at this particular show, all of which he has built and worked on.

“It’s fun to show my cars,” Fraley said. “I like showing off my work and being able to educate others about my hobby. I’ve shown Corvettes, a 34 Ford, Mustangs and many more.”

This is the first time Fraley showed his Ford F750. It took five cars to build, is 21 feet long and is estimated at $150,000.

“Nobody has one like mine,” Fraley said. “There’s a similar one in Georgia but it’s not exactly the same.”

First time car show attendees Bob and Kathy Mullins of Cross Lanes were there to support their son, who was showing his 2012 Camaro.

“There are a lot of really pretty cars here,” Bob Mullins said. “There are some really wild looking cars. The way people have fixed them up and added details is really interesting to see.”

“I like cars too,” Kathy Mullins said. “I like the ones from my era, the 60s and 70s, from when I was growing up.”

“We don’t come to Huntington much,” Bob Mullins said. “This is a great way to attract people from surrounding areas. I’m sure it helps the local economy as well.”

Sofie Wachtmeister can be contacted at [email protected].