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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Neighborhoods Employment Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend June 18, 2006 Keith Schultz, left, of Medford, is shown with his 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air, while his longtime friend Tony Cobb, of Lac du Flambeau, Wis., poses with his 1948 Ford Anglia at Saturday's Show and Shine portion of the Medford Cruise.The two have been friends since they were teenagers. (Mail Tribune / Jim Craven) Cruising in Medford By Paris Achen Mail Tribune Forty years ago, Keith Schultz and Tony Cobb were two of the four eighth-graders who owned cars at McLoughlin Middle School. "We had to park a few blocks away from the school so no one else would know," Schultz said. "That shows our love of cars right there." In high school, Schultz, 64, and Cobb, 65, and a group of other teenagers founded the Centurions car club. "We wanted to compete with other car clubs, but the members were in their 20s, and we were teenagers," Schultz said. The eight remaining members of the club continue to meet each year, reuniting this year at the Medford Cruise Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Hawthorne Park. Other members include Dave McCollum, of Medford; Dick Harvey, of Sacramento, Calif.; Al Morton, of Mustang, Okla., Jim Johnston, of Ashland; Jack Schoemaker of Long Beach, Calif.; and John Milne, of Medford. "We used to go out to a drag strip in White City when cars used to go 110 mph," Schultz said. "Now cars go 300 mph. "We have the same camaraderie we had back then. You don't see that very often." This year, Schultz displayed his restored 1955 turquoise and white Chevy Bel Aire. Cobb, of Lac Du Flambeau, Wis., who won a trophy for traveling the farthest distance to attend the show, brought a 1948 purple Ford Anglia. The pair, who have been friends since the sixth grade, sat in lawn chairs shaded from the hot sun and chatted with friends and family members as onlookers admired the shiny vehicles. "You start a project," Cobb said. "You take time and the money to do it. I've built several cars. It's kind of time- consuming." Nearly 400 cars, restored, constructed or rebuilt, were displayed at the show Saturday. About 600 cars cruised down the streets of Medford Saturday evening. As teenagers, Schultz, Cobb and the rest of the Centurions used to cruise the streets of Jackson County almost every night. In 1957, six of the Centurions piled in a car and traveled to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah to marvel at the race cars that sought to break records for speed. "We slept in the cars we drove," Schultz said. One of their friends, Noel Black, later was killed in 1969 at the Bonneville Speedway in an attempt to break the record land speed for a gear-driven car. Advertisement s Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Men's Clothing GMAT Prep Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Discount Hotel Reservations Send Flowers Casinos Canada Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com