Model T drivers hit the road this week

 Thirty-five Model T drivers are headed to Northwest Montana for the Montana 500 today through Thursday.

The Venture Inn at Libby will host the 54th running of this 500-mile endurance run, according to Mike Cuffe, president of the Montana Model T Cross Country Touring Association.  

Check-in and safety inspections begin at noon on Sunday and spectators are welcome to attend.  

All entrants must drive an authentic Model T Ford. Cars are spaced out a minute or more apart at the start, and drivers follow highway laws with safety in mind.       

Daily runs begin with a 200-mile loop west of Libby into Idaho on Monday starting at 8:30 a.m.

The route Tuesday leads southeast on U.S. 2 to Kalispell, then north to Eureka before heading down Montana 37 to Libby.

The Model T Fords go to the Yaak for a shorter run on Wednesday. The last leg will start on Pipe Creek Road. On Thursday, the group will tour local points of interest.  

Those traveling to Libby include a Montana father-son team with roots from the beginning of the 500 in 1960.  

Brandon Langel of Whitefish has become a popular entrant in recent years, while his father, Doug, a retired Rudyard farmer, helps put on the event.

Doug Langel drove in the first Montana 500 in 1960 and placed first in 2003 at Bozeman. He has driven in many Montana 500 endurance runs and serves as his son’s chief mechanic.

 The three top cars are subject to a tear-down inspection at the end to ensures they are truly stock Model T Fords. Timberline Ford in downtown Libby has offered space for the final inspection Wednesday afternoon.   

An awards picnic will be held at Riverfront Park in late afternoon.  

This marks the first time Libby has been the host city although the event has come through the Lincoln County seat in the past. “Libby has stepped up big to make us feel welcome, and this will bring more tours to Libby,” Cuffe said.  

Ford Motor Company built 15 million of Model T’s between 1908 and 1927.  

They are powered by a four-cylinder engine that sends 20 horsepower to a two-speed planetary transmission.