Salem Super Cruise guests share their love of cars

The Salem Super Cruise organizers expect a crowd exceeding 40,000 attendees this weekend.

It's one of the most popular car shows in the state that brings in thousands of vehicles each year. 21 News spoke with car enthusiasts about what their cars mean to them.

Everywhere you look in the heart of Salem from June 6-9, you'll see more than 2,000 cars showcased at the Salem Super Cruise.

"We've always gone cruising," said Brenda May of Lisbon. "We'll drive up to Geneva in one of the cars and we'll play the cat and mouse game. I'll follow behind him and cruise the strips and go to different car shows."

Brian and Brenda May have shared a passion for cars for decades, with Brenda eventually getting her own Mustang a few years back.

"She rode shotgun with me for 23 years and I told her if we ever found something that she liked, we'd get it," Brian said at Friday's Super Cruise.

The couple loves showcasing their 'his' and 'hers' Mustangs, which always catch people's eye.

"And they for some reason assume they're both mine and then they see 'his' and 'hers' and then they take a step back," Brian said. "I would love to see this set up in the entire parking lot. Nothing is saying a girl can't have a fast car."

Brian encourages women to get involved with cars, saying they have better reaction time and better attention to detail. He is fortunate he found Brenda, who also shares his passion with him. 

A gold 1967 Cougar sat just next to the May's mustangs. It belongs to Karen Griggy of Leetonia. She's dreamed of owning a Cougar since she was a teenager, but her husband was brand loyal to GM and refused to buy her her dream car.

"I miss him not being at the shows," Griggy said. "We've done car shows since 1990."

After her husband's passing in 2022, she knew she had to continue car shows in his legacy but only if she had her long-awaited 1967 Cougar.

"My son told me, 'Mom, we'll find you your Cougar," Griggy explained. "And we got our Cougar and I go to cruises all over."

Griggy knows her husband would be proud she still enjoys car shows in her free time, something the two of them enjoyed doing together, just like Brian and Brenda.

"I love carrying the tradition on for my husband and love being out with people," Griggy concluded. "I just love it."

The Salem Super Cruise is free of charge and features a variety of food stands and activities for children. The event runs until Sunday, June 9.