Troy Traffic Jam brings out auto enthusiasts

TROY — Community members enjoyed a wealth of rides at the Troy Traffic Jam car show Aug. 3, held at the corner of Big Beaver and Livernois roads.

This was the event’s 17th year. More than 200 eye-catching cars were featured.

While admission to the event was free, proceeds from sponsors benefitted programming at Troy Historic Village. The main sponsor this year was KIRCO.

“The support we have from the automotive community makes the Traffic Jam a special show for me,” said Alan Kiriluk, planning team co-chair and KIRCO chairman, in a statement. “Each year, some of the best cars (and car owners) come together to showcase their prized vehicles. We are delighted to support the Troy Historic Village because we know we’re helping to provide hands-on learning experiences for thousands of students.”

One of the vehicles present during the show was a classic Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 owned by Brandon Cloutier. He bought the car from the Jack Frost Auto Museum in Washington and has owned it for about a year. Cloutier and his car won the “Best Engine” and “Best Pro Street” awards during another show, Rockin Rods n’ Rochester, in 2024.

“This is my second show of the year,” Cloutier said, noting he also plans to attend the next Rockin Rods n’ Rochester, as well as Utica Gasoline Alley. 

Jim Ristich’s 2014 Chevrolet Corvette was also at the Troy Traffic Jam. He has already attended nearly 30 shows this year.

“If they’re putting on a show and there’s nice weather, I’m going,” Ristich said.

The theme for this year’s Troy Traffic Jam was “SPEED,” with more than 50 racecars available for viewing, including classics and cutting-edge muscle cars. 

This included a restored 1935 Buick Open Wheel Race Car, a 1962 Ford Galaxy Drag Race Car that once belonged to John Vermeersch, a 1988 Fabcar IMSA GTP Prototype raced at Lemans and Daytona, and Team Penske’s 2015 Dallara Indy 500 winning car, among others. 

The event also celebrated 70 years of the Ford Thunderbird, with a lineup of 15 classics from local clubs.

“Tech Talks,” sponsored by Gallagher Global Brokerage and Hagerty, provided a look at race-to-road engineering. Corvette Chief Engineer Josh Holder and GM Vehicle Performance Engineer Drew Cattell spoke about how record-setting engineering impacts the ZR1X, while Ford GTD Chief Program Engineer Greg Goodall and Design Manager Anthony Colard provided insight on Ford’s race engineering for the new Mustang GTD. 

Attendees could enjoy the kids’ Pedal Power 200 race, along with a scavenger hunt, drivable robots from Troy’s award-winning middle school and high school teams, and other family-friendly activities. INDYNXT series driver Nolan Allaer was also there, signing autographs at the Faygo tent.

For more information, visit troytafficjam.com.