Car enthusiasts defended the purpose of their Saturday night meets.

Residents living near the WinCo on Panama Ln. expressed their concerns about burnouts and noise coming from the WinCo parking lot every weekend.

A Facebook group called ‘Saturday Night Meets’ designates where the meetups happen and posts videos and pictures. Danny Rhynes says they come out to the WinCo parking lot to share in their mutual interest.

“We took years to build the cars that we have,  the trucks that we have,” he said. “And we come out here to show support to the people that are car enthusiasts like us.”

He says it’s a small group of drivers that are giving the greater car community a bad wrap.

“We are not all out here to burn out or to destroy parking lots or put our lives in danger. Most of us that are out here are here to support each other on each other’s builds,” said Rhynes.

Chris Abbott and his kids come out to the meets. He says they come to WinCo because they have been run out of other parking lots.

“There’s got to be a place where these kids can go to be able to do what they want to do,” says Abbott.

“There’s very little for them to do in town. It’s expensive for them to do anything. That’s why most of them just sit. They can’t afford to go about and drive all day.”