The Goodguys' Lone Star Nationals is now held each year at the Texas Motor Speedway off Interstate 35W, north of Fort Worth. This world-class racing facility is a banked NASCAR oval racetrack, complete with air-conditioned luxury boxes and a huge grandstand--it's also a pretty amazing place to gather hot rods and vintage custom trucks. Oh yeah, the trucks come in bunches, up to '72, to compete for the Goodguys Truck of the Year, both Early and Late--the classes are divided as up-to-'53 (Early) and '54-and-later (Late).
The Goodguys Association made a few changes to the TOTY competition for 2005 by expanding the opportunities to win this once-a-year award nationwide. Representative trucks were selected at various Goodguys events throughout the entire 2005 season for a final showdown. And instead of announcing the 2005 Truck of the Year-Late in Fort Worth, one last area representative was selected, and it will have been announced on the Goodguy's website (www.good-guys.com) by the time you're reading this.
We heard the last week of September 2005 that Gary Brigham's Ice Blue '29 Ford roadster pickup (coincidentally featured in CCT's Oct. '05 "All Star A") was announced as the 2005 Goodguys Truck of the Year-Early. Gary qualified for the award May 2005 in Jacksonville, Florida, at the Goodguys' 7th Spring Nationals. Congratulations again to Gary for this well-deserved award.
The 2005 Lone Star Nationals was a kaleidoscope of constantly moving colorful rides throughout the three-day event. The CCT staff selected our Top Ten trucks of the event picks (can be seen on www.custom classictrucks.com) and shot feature photos of more than half of them. Nostalgic music was heard over the PA system, as well as the musical group Passion, who performed live for two hours on Saturday afternoon.
The 80-plus award-winners were both pleased and anxious to return home after Sunday's awards ceremony. Three full days in the warm Texas sun is about as much fun as many truck lovers can stand at one time. But many of them will be back in 2006--and we suspect so will CCT!
Curtis Fisher parked his white '40 Willys pickup from Madison, MS, near the Goodguys inflatable sign. A blown 383 Mopar engine powers the flamed Willys. |
Donnie Steele's candy-red Thames panel caught our attention in the racetrack infield. The rapid ride from Brownwood, TX, is powered by a potent Chevy 350ci V-8 backed by a Turbo 400 trans. |
Troy and Michelle Fry of Woodland Park, CO, are the owners of this nifty pearlescent-white-with-flames '57 Jeep FC-150, a CCT Top Ten Trucks pick. The Jeep features a tilt-bed, which exposes a fully detailed and painted chassis. Inside the cab and between the bucket seats resides an immaculate 350ci Chevy V-8 engine. |
Gregg Durr of Fort Worth, TX, had a short ride in his tan extended-cab '32 Ford stakebed truck that runs painted steelies with small hub caps and trim rings. Gregg may have been looking to haul home a new project from the swap-meet area. |
Sonny Bennett's maroon '51 Chevy five-window pickup was another CCT Top Ten Trucks award-winner. The super-sharp Chevy is powered by a 350/700-R4 engine/trans combination. The Bennett family hails from Montgomery, TX. |
Bill Lindig's green and black nostalgic '50 Mercury is a rare Canadian Ford pickup. Bill drove in from Kerryville, TX. |
Carl Townson's metallic blue '56 GMC pickup from Chandler, AZ, was another award-worthy mid-'50s GM-built hauler. |
Here's another beautifully rebuilt '40 Ford pickup we'd love to spend time cruising in. The bright red hauler, owned by Greg Gerhard of Carrollton, TX, runs chrome-plated Halibrand Oval Track wheels. |
Rik King of Clute, TX, was one of the Texas folks who dodged Hurricane Rita last September. Rik was rather pleased to receive a CCT Top Ten Trucks award for his satin-black '46 Chevy with a chopped and extended cab and Mercedes Benz fog lamps mounted in the fenders. |
One of the sharpest Chevy Cheyennes at the Lone Star Nationals was Terry Bradley's blue and silver '71 from Waverly, KS. CCT selected it for another of our Top Ten Trucks awards. |
Steve and Cindy Scott's '48 Chevy pickup from Sacramento, CA, was an awesome sight to see. The Scotts' big-block-powered hauler is a 2005 Truck of the Year-Late finalist. |
Phil Lagrone's heavy-duty '32 Ford extended-cab pickup caught our eye in the truck corral. The well-detailed Deuce drove to Fort Worth from Plano, TX, and was the Goodguys Trick Truck Corral Award selection. |
Bill and Karilyn Moeller's '40 International pickup from Springdale, AR, is a rare and well-constructed ride. Details include American Racing Torque- Thrust IIs with BFGoodrich tires--note the unique headlight stands. |
This primer-painted cab-over-engine '38/'39 Ford truck was looking for a new home in the swap meet area. We think it might make a neat car hauler for a coupe or roadster. |
Allen McMurtrey of Lone Grove, OK, parked his yellow '39 Chevy pickup next to Kevin Robinson's green '39 GMC panel, also from Lone Grove, OK. |