TEN FOUR MAGAZINE - TRUCKING ON-LINE MAGAZINE FOR TRUCKERS

Hot August Nights
HOT RIGS & HOT RODS COMBINE FOR ONE HOT EVENT IN RENO
Click here to see the photos!

If you like hot weather, hot music, hot rods and hot rigs, then Hot August Nights/Truckerfest in Reno/Sparks, Nevada was the hot place to be on August 7-10, as two popular events were, for the first time, combined. These annual shows, one celebrating the cars and music of the 50s and 60s and the other an annual trucker appreciation event, were merged into one - and the mixture was intoxicating. Never has there been a finer collection of hot rods and hot rigs together for one single event of this magnitude.

For the past 17 years, Hot August Nights has drawn record crowds to Reno to see the best hot rods and hear the best music from America’s best era - the 50s and 60s. It was said that the population of Reno triples during Hot August Nights. This year was no exception. Some 5,000 registered hot rods (and were sure twice as many that were not) took part in car events at different hotels and areas all over town. There were car auctions, beauty contests, nightly cruises down Virginia Avenue under the famous “Reno Arch” (that lasted for hours), live music, and more testosterone than you could shake a stick at. This event was so popular, the 5,000 slots for the 2004 show were already filled before the 2003 event came to a close. But as cool as the cars and music were, it was all just icing on the cake for the thousands of “truck nuts” that showed up to see America’s finest big rigs.

While the car events took place all over town, the truck stuff happened just down the street out in Sparks, NV at the Petro Stopping Center. About 50 of the coolest big rigs around rolled into town to compete at the Stars & Stripes show truck event, and 80 registered to strut their stuff down Virginia Avenue. Joey Holiday, along with his cool fold-down stage and pop-out truck front end, entertained the crowds all day, every day (he’s like the Energizer Bunny). Along with the help of Newport Communication’s Ken Cummings, the two hosted fun trucker games like musical hay bales, tire rolling, name that tune and a wet and wild water balloon toss, just to name a few.

Hot August Nights encompassed eight days (Aug 3-10) while the truck events were featured for four (Aug 7-10). Thursday was the judging, and that took most of the day. For some reason, Thursday saw some of the largest crowds - many drivers said they had a hard time getting their rigs ready for judging due to the high amount of traffic (spectators) and questions.

On Friday night, at 10:00 PM, gleaming “large cars” began cruising through downtown Reno. The crowds wanted the trucks to make some noise, but due to a few complaining entertainers, the truckers were told not to blow their horns, use their jakes or make any other “unnecessary” noises. The throngs of people (an estimated 20,000) lining the street were obviously let down as they signaled in vein to the passing truckers to blow their horns. It was disappointing for the truckers, too - some told us how frustrating it was for them and that they felt like they had let the crowd down.

After much debate, the outspoken mayor of Reno (a truck advocate) got involved and said, “Let there be noise!” On Saturday night’s cruise, the trucks were allowed to let (most of) it all hang out. And boy did they make up for the night before by blaring their train horns, zig-zagging down the street and using their jakes all the way. The crowd loved it! Most had never seen rigs of this caliber and were truly awe-struck at the attention to detail and creativity of the rigs passing by them.

Everything wound down on Sunday morning as the top hot rods and six of the top big rigs did a “victory cruise” down Virginia Avenue for one last time. Vladimir Bilik, Rick Walker, Chuck Prigge, Todd Stockman, Bill Sandvik and Tony King were the lucky few truckers who earned the right to cruise Sunday morning by winning their class at the truck show or being one of the top three finishers in the Best of Show class.

Some notable items on trucks at the show included the landing gear on Rick Walker’s 1953 Pete, which had cut out and polished aluminum feet welded to the ends and Clarence Falk’s new purple muraled Pete. The exterior of the truck was covered with Wyland-like seascape murals and the interior featured a unique painted floor. The cab and sleeper floors were adorned with an undersea mural of swimming fish and dolphins. Many clean antiques were on display too, including Kings County Truck Lines’ recently restored 1960 Autocar (photo on page 7) and a rare appearance by the famous El Turbo. Chris Lewis and his newly re-done Pete not only wowed the crowd but took top honors as the Best Peterbilt in the show. Sandvik Trucking, never ones to be outdone, brought out five trucks and their new “support” vehicle - a race trailer decked out with graphics and a posh air-conditioned lounge for escaping the heat (or warming up in the colder months - say, March in Louisville). This will undoubtedly become “the place to hang” at upcoming events.

All in all, combining the two events did prove to be a success, but if this event gets any larger (or crazier), the city of Reno may have problems down the road. Of course, no event would ever happen without generous sponsors, so let us take a moment here to recognize them. Many thanks go out to Petro Stopping Centers, Peterbilt, Chevron DELO, Long Haul Truck Appearance Products, PPG Industries, Belmor Heavy Truck Products, RoadStar Magazine, OOIDA, Alcoa Wheels, Rockwood, Goodyear Tires, Interstate Distributing and USXpress. Our congratulations go out to all of the winners. We hope to see you next year at Hot August Nights/Truckerfest 2004 in Reno/Sparks, Nevada. Make your plans now!

COMBO - 1st: Sandvik Trucking/Bill Sandvik – 1998 White & Blue Peterbilt 379/1993 Ravens Flatbed; 2nd: McLane Transport/Mike Haertling – 1997 Red & White Kenworth W900L/1998 Great Dane Reefer “Mad Max”; 3rd: Rod & Kim Grimm – 1999 Blue & Black Kenworth W900L/2001 Utility Reefer “Illusion”; 4th: CTR Trucking/John Testa – 2002 Black Cherry Peterbilt 379/2003 Rogue Transfer Dump; 5th: CBF Trucking/Clarence Falk – 1998 Purple Muraled Peterbilt 379/2003 Great Dane Van.

BOBTAIL - 1st: Tri-State Commodities/Todd Stockman – 2002 Kenworth W900L “Toad’s Pad”; 2nd: Lewis Trucking/Chris Lewis – 1999 White & Powder Blue Peterbilt 379 “New Identity”; 3rd: Sandvik Trucking/Carl Lux – 1992 Maroon Peterbilt 379 “Deliriouz Dezire”; 4th: EverFresh Farms/Vetta Todd & Terry Korn – 1998 Blue Peterbilt 379 “911”; 5th: EverFresh Farms/Ken Stone & Ken O’Rear – 2000 Blue Peterbilt 379 “The Gambler”.

CLASSIC - 1st: Trees Forever/Tony King – 1986 Maroon & Beige Peterbilt 359; 2nd: Ray Avila – 1960 Red & Cream Autocar; 3rd: Gene Smith – 1949 Green Peterbilt “El Turbo”; 4th: Sandvik Trucking/Marc Simpson – 1987 Black & Gray Peterbilt 359; 5th: Phil Oak – 1967 Green & Gold Peterbilt 358A “Green Hornet”.

LIGHTS (COMBO) - 1st: CTR Trucking/John Testa – 2002 Black Cherry Peterbilt 379/2003 Rogue Transfer Dump; 2nd: McLane Transport/Mike Haertling – 1997 Red & White Kenworth W900L/1998 Great Dane Reefer “Mad Max”; 3rd: In The Wind Trucking/Vladimir Bilik – 2001 Black & Orange Peterbilt 379/2001 Great Dane Reefer “Peterod”.

LIGHTS (BOBTAIL) - 1st: EverFresh Farms/Ken Stone & Ken O’Rear – 2000 Blue Peterbilt 379 “The Gambler”; 2nd: CBF Trucking/Elmer Hansen – 1999 Green Peterbilt 379 “Flagship”; 3rd: Lewis Trucking/Chris Lewis – 1999 White & Powder Blue Peterbilt 379 “New Identity”.

BEST OF SHOW - 1st: In The Wind Trucking/Vladimir Bilik – 2001 Black & Orange Peterbilt 379/2001 Great Dane Reefer “Peterod”; 2nd: Western Distributing – 1953 Blu-ish Peterbilt 350A/2001 Utility Reefer “Miss Behavin”; 3rd: Sandvik Trucking/Chuck Prigge – 1996 White & Purple Peterbilt 379 “Kaotic”.