‘Gearheads’ cruising Whidbey for ramen

If you hear the sound of sports cars cruising downtown Langley, there’s a good chance it’s [REDLINE].

By Kira Erickson • March 29, 2024 1:30 am

If you hear the sound of multiple sports cars cruising down the streets of downtown Langley this Saturday, there’s a good chance the drivers are part of [REDLINE], a recently formed Whidbey Island car club.

Founder Taylor Register, an Oak Harbor resident, has been bringing fellow gearheads together for the past year. His efforts resulted in last August’s SHAKE N’ BAKE show at the Whidbey Island Fairgrounds, which was the club’s first foray onto South Whidbey.

And now, they’re doing it again. Members plan to meet at 9 a.m. at Blue Fox Drive-in on March 30 and roll out at 9:30 a.m., taking the scenic route down the island and arriving in the Village by the Sea around 11 a.m. just in time to grab some ramen from Ultra House. Register encouraged anyone with an interest in cars to be part of the cruise.

“The more people that come join us, the more people will come to Langley and support the local community,” he said.

[REDLINE] has experienced growth in leadership. Besides Register, the club is now run by Trevis Jeter, Gracin Bryan, Katelyn McFarlin and Jake McKinney. The core team is a mix of active duty, veterans and civilians who all love cars.

Since the opening of the 2024 season earlier this month, [REDLINE] has been hosting regular meets every Friday at 8 p.m. in the parking lot of Harbor Freight Tools in Oak Harbor. Burnouts, excessive revving, drugs and alcohol are all prohibited; leaders of the club are cognizant that the car community has not always had the best reputation, and they’re striving to change that with clean behavior. Sponsors of the meets include Auto Peak Detailing, Artisan Stitchworks and Chammorican PNW.

Although the club has primarily met in Oak Harbor, that could be changing soon. Register said [REDLINE] has a number of themed events planned for the second Saturday of every month. The first, called Tokyo Nights, is scheduled for April 13 in Oak Harbor. Date and location of the others are to be determined, but Register said at least one will be held on a Whidbey beach, and another, titled Jeepers ‘N Creepers, will happen around Halloween.

Saturday events in 2023 averaged 125 to 200 cars. Register said the community consists of “stellar individuals with beautiful cars.” People from beyond Whidbey, such as Bellingham and Seattle, have been known to drive out to the meets.

He’s looking forward to this weekend’s cruise, which is expected to be a much smaller group.

“The way that the car community stands with the rest of this world, it’s pretty rough,” Register said. “But seeing people come out for some traditional meets, cruising scenery and supporting some local businesses, we’re able to get out there and have some fun.”

For more information about [REDLINE], visit redlineonlinestore.shop/search.