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Centennial High School hosts So-Cal Throwdown Auto Super Show

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Some of the finest old school cars, trucks, and motorcycles were on display this Saturday at Centennial High School in Compton, as the inaugural So-Cal Throwdown Auto Super Show brought together a community that has seen its fair share of classic vehicles.

Centennial alumnus Wayne Ware, class of 1975, wanted to recreate the glory days of the car scene in Compton.

“Back in the day, in the ‘70s, we used to meet at Zorbas Burgers,” Ware said. “All the street racers and all the motorcycle club members—we used to congregate in a friendly environment. We would sit around and showoff our cars, the new paint jobs, the new interior, the new engines. We would talk about the improvements that we would make on the cars.”

The recent show, which had more than 90 vehicles and two speed boats, featured competitions for the best muscle car, drag car, classic truck, and motorcycle.

The event also brought together people who had lost touch with old friends.

“Some people haven’t seen each other in 15 or 20 years,” Ware said. “A lot of people are getting older and passing away, so we want to make this an annual thing. That way it won’t be 15 or 20 years before you see somebody.”

As much as this event was to showcase the car culture in Compton, it was also about education. Centennial’s alumni association partnered with the school’s student body to host the show, with the proceeds going to scholarships for the students.

Along with scholarships, this show educated the high school students about the automotive industry.

“This event was also designed to highlight our Career Technical Educational program, where we have an auto shop class.” Centennial Principal Douglas Brown said, “The goal was to show our students that with the appropriate training in automotive mechanics and/or automotive design, they can become a mechanic, or they can go into sales, or they can design cars.”

Executives from Toyota/Lexus were alson on hand. They brought two concept cars, and met with the students.

“They talked to our kids about how the opportunities that STEM education—that’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—can lead to designing cars,” Brown said.

For more information about So-Cal Throwdown Auto Super Show, visit http://www.socalthrowdown.com.

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