Inaugural Hot Rod Trucks Show - The First Time Was Charming

We dwellers on the left coast of the U.S. sometimes forget there are any bodies of water other than the majestic Pacific Ocean. At the inaugural HotRod Trucks Show, held at the Owensboro Executive Inn Rivermont in Owensboro, Kentucky, July 1-3, 2005, we West Coast cats pleasantly learned otherwise. With the sleepy current of the Ohio River providing an idyllic, rolling backdrop for pristine custom vintage pickups, show participants and spectators had plenty of scenery to drink in. All enjoyed the gentle breeze that blew off the river, as the southeast summer sun shined most of each day. On Friday and Saturday night, live music entertained us. Some celebrants danced in the streets at night; great rock 'n' roll and country music has that sort of effect on folks.

Air Ride Technologies and Army Armstrong, the show's promoters, made sure that some of the tastiest hot rod haulers in the U.S. were on display. Saturday night, the Dirty Dozen awards were presented-how the event's judges were able to select 12 top trucks from the pool of over 200 worthy haulers, we'll never know. Deliberations for the Top 7 awards, totaling $8,000 in prize money, continued until Sunday at high noon. At the appointed hour, master of ceremonies extraordinaire Army Armstrong commanded the microphone and entertained the audience with his southern charm and wit. Shortly thereafter, Air Ride Technologies founder Brett Voelkel announced the seven winners. They were:

Thanks to all who attended, the hard work by Air Ride Technologies and Army Armstrong Promotions, the show vendors, as well as the Owensboro Executive Inn Rivermont staff, the inaugural show was a huge success. Rest assured, CCT will be back to cover the event next year. After what we saw this year, there's a good chance we'll see you in Owensboro in '06! For information about next year's show, visit www.hotrod trucks-owensboro.com, www.ridetech .com, or call (812) 481-4799.

Vicki and Ray Sivis of Lancaster,...        read full caption Vicki and Ray Sivis of Lancaster, KY, found the premier parking spot for their pristine pickup, a '71 Chevy C10.