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:
Top Truck - $2500 Cash Prize
Kevin and Susan Traylor
Greenville, VA
'56 Ford F-100 | Best Interior - $500 Cash Prize
Trent and Trish VanArsdalen
Baltimore, OH
'04 Chevrolet Colorado |
Top Classic Truck - $1500 Cash Prize
Marcia and Chad Gorczyca
Dallas, TX
'50 Chevrolet 5 Window | Best Paint - $500 Cash Prize
Brent Poole
Rockport, IN
'55 Ford F-100 |
Top Sport Truck - $1500 Cash Prize
Bob Hilton
Waterloo, Ontario, CANADA
'01 Chevrolet S10 | Best Engine - $500 Cash Prize
Gary Brigham
Kennesaw, GA
'29 Ford Roadster Pickup |
Best Engine - $500 Cash Prize
Gary Brigham
Kennesaw, GA
'29 Ford Roadster Pickup | Top Truck Builder - $1000 Cash Prize
Chris Smith
Smitty's Custom Automotive
Tiffin, OH |
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.