How did you spend your time during the pandemic? Big Kenny, of Big & Rich, spent some of his time developing a new television show. Big Kenny's Crank It Up Garage premiere's tonight (July 8) at 8:30 on Circle TV. The show, the brainchild of Big Kenny and Charlie Pennachio, grew from Big Kenny's love for "anything that rides, glides, floats and flies" and a mutual fascination with "crazy rides". Episode one take viewers to Millersburg, Ohio, a short drive from our WNCO studios, to see The Amish Thunder Buggy. As you might guess it's a not-so-street-legal jet powered Amish buggy created by Chad Clark.
Episode 2 of Big Kenny's Crank It Up Garage travels to Northeast Ohio to the town of Thompson which sits east of Mentor, just south of I-90. There they'll spotlight The Overkill Rat Rod and Rat Bike (not pictured). We'll see a unique Peterbilt and heavy duty bikes that includes water skis, a faucet and knife switches by creator Josh Krager.
Episode 5 the boys return to Northeast Ohio to see The Rocketship Car. This jewel was constructed from one of the units on a carnival ride at what was once known as Euclid Beach Park. Joe Tomaro and John Frato, aka The Euclid Beach Boys, converted this silver rocket ship, which at the time was suspended by cables and travelled in circle though the air, into a road ready, tourist attracting, nostalgia machine. I had a chance to see it up close and personal a couple years ago.
Photo: Matt Appleby
Photo: Matt Appleby
Photo: Matt Appleby
Other vehicles to be featured include the Hippy Trippy Van, The Short Cut High Bus, The Limo Jet and The Hover Golf Cart among others. The 10 weekly episode season one of Big Kenny's Crank it Up Garage begins tonight at 8:30pm on Circle TV.