Cars were everywhere on the streets of Loris on Saturday, April 18, as the fifth annual Small Town, Big Car Show took center stage with head-turning cruisers everywhere you looked.
Under perfect blue skies, downtown Loris and the Loris Chamber of Commerce welcomed thousands of guests to eat at food trucks, listen to music and take a look at plenty of unique rides.
The fifth annual Small Town, Big Car Show took place in downtown Loris on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
Sherry Whisnant was there proudly showing off her dad’s 2022 Ford Mustang in honor of his tremendous life and military service.
Gary L. French, a U.S. Navy commander, passed in November 2025 shortly after getting his Mustang. French was a military hero, flying off of three aircraft carriers in Vietnam. He was officially credited for three rescues, one being a nighttime rescue. He then went on to serve for many more years, including another stop in Korea, before retiring in the late 1980s.
When he passed last year, Whisnant wanted to make sure he was remembered through the “fast car” he always wanted.
Sherry Whisnant entered her 2022 Ford Mustang in honor of her father, Navy CDR Gary L. French. The fifth annual Small Town, Big Car Show took place in downtown Loris on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
“I took him to doctor’s appointments about six times, but that was about it. He never got to drive it,” Whisnant described.
“When he passed, I kept thinking about this. I said, ‘Let me just do this. Let me just do this for dad’s sake’… I’m not here trying to win any award, I just wanted to put this out here because I obviously thought a lot of my dad.”
Von Doctor, who served for over two decades in the U.S. Army, was also there showing off his perfectly-manicured and show-stopping car.
His 2015 6.2 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat was set up for all to see, featuring several hats commemorating his service and a photo of Doctor in uniform.
The fifth annual Small Town, Big Car Show took place in downtown Loris on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
Doctor served all over the world, he said, including Iraq, Afghanistan and Korea.
But the place he always kept true to his heart?
Well, you guessed it.
“I am Loris,” Doctor said. “Everywhere I go, I represent Loris. When people ask me where I’m from, all I say is Loris. I don’t say Myrtle Beach, I don’t say Conway — I’m Loris, man. I love it.
