10th Annual "Smoker" set for June 24 & 25 in Boise

The Smoker Sale at Brasher's Idaho Auto Auction marks its 10th anniversary this summer, and the auction is making preparations for the event which is set for June 24th and 25th in Boise . General Manager Doug Brasher reports that the 10th Annual Smoker will feature 3,000 cars over two days of auction selling. An estimated 4,500 fight fans will converge on the Qwest Arena in downtown Boise to cheer their favorites in eight amateur grudge matches and to visit with boxing legend, Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini. 

The Smoker Sale is a summer tradition at the Idaho Auto Auction, begun in 2000 by the auction’s original owner, Steve Marlow. Over the past ten years, it attracting the attention of car dealers and auto remarketers from coast to coast, and has grown into one of the biggest auction promotional events in the nation.

The “Smoker” gets its moniker from the informal name given to unregulated boxing shows of the early to mid-1900s.  Though promoted as “amateur” bouts, they were, for all intents and purposes, professional prize-fights conducted in private clubs.  The term “smoker” originates from the clouds of tobacco smoke which swirled above the ring during these shows. Idaho Auto Auction’s “Smoker” has featured both professional and semi-professional boxers over the years, in addition to colleagues from the auction industry who have shed their shirts along with their pride to take their turns in the ring. 

"This year's Smoker promises to be bigger and better than ever," notes Doug Brasher, who took his turn in the ring in 2004. "We're expecting a tremendous selection of vehicles, and we'll have huge crowds here ready to buy them. And we're all looking forward to the Smoker's main event, when our own Matt Brasher will enter the ring to prove his boxing prowess!" 

In addition to a GM Factory sale, the auction will feature a number of national consignors including GMAC, US Bank, Wachovia, AmeriCredit, Capital One, Prestige Financial, Zion 's Bank, Wheels, Drive, Suzuki, Enterprise and Avis. The Smoker will also include a Horsepower Sale (new car dealer trades), as well as an RV and Powersports sale. 

"To commemorate the Smoker's 10th year, we're starting a new tradition, which we're calling the 'last man standing' contest," said Brasher. "It's a way to work together to raise money for charity, and we'll give everyone who attends the opportunity to 'stand' for as much money as they'd like to donate to help members of our community."

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