Most shows focus on the beauty of trucks and their mirror-like chrome, but this one highlights their “smoky” side, too. Since last year’s show, I have been planning my schedule to make sure I could attend the 2014 Pride & Polish show put on at Performance Diesel’s (PDI) beautiful facility in St. George, Utah on October 17-18. Not too many places can host a truck show this late in the year without worrying about having bad weather, but St. George in October was perfect. I showed up a day early to see who was ready for the show and who was still polishing away – I was also curious to see if there would be any newcomers this year. The winners from this event would also qualify to contend for the national championship title next year in Dallas, so the pressure was on!
The first truck I noticed was Kenny & Barb Fisher’s 1997 Peterbilt, which was on the cover of 10-4 back in September of this year (they won a lot of awards). Next to them was Travis Poulsen and his crew, with their black and gray Pete 379. This was their show debut, and they did pretty well for their first time out, picking up one of the Best of Show trophies. Josh Skidmore was back again with his yellow and white Pete 379 with a matching Western trailer. It was an amazing truck last year, and somehow he stepped it up even more this year, earning him Best of Show in the Limited Mileage Combo class for the second year in a row. Bill Rethwisch of Tomah, Wisconsin was also back, but this time he brought out his green and white Fitzgerald glider, which he calls “Blood, Sweat & Gass” (last year he had his orange and white combo).
The show kicked off when the judges called “rags down” on Friday morning and then began their rigorous inspection of each rig – and they did not overlooked any detail. In all, over 50 trucks showed up, lining not only the perimeter of the PDI lot, but out into the streets surrounding the facility, as well. Chad Betland drove out from Minnesota in his “The White House” Kenworth W900L, Phil Miller came up from Amargosa Valley, Nevada with his new Peterbilt bull-hauler, and Matt McAllister wowed the crowd with his newly-refurbished yellow and white Peterbilt 362 cabover (see an entire feature about this truck on page 68 & 69). As the sun set over the hills of St. George, the light show (and a little bit of fire from the PDI truck stacks) lit up the Friday night sky. Not only is this a Pride & Polish show, but it’s also PDI’s customer appreciation event, and they spared no expense providing food and beverages for everyone.
In addition to the “white glove” Pride & Polish competition, there was also a more relaxed Wash & Park contest, where contestants are subject to a little less scrutiny. Several rigs, fresh from the road with just a simple wash job, competed against each other in these classes.
The dyno event on Saturday adds another element that’s not at your typical truck show. Yes, it’s great to see the trucks all shined up sitting large, but it’s another thing to hear them rolling on the dyno and feel the power these engines can produce. Claiming the “King of the Hill” title for the most power this year was Cody Madsen at 876 hp from a 2007 ISX. The PDI team then rolled their 2006 Pete 379 “Show Me The Money” onto the dyno for the final run of the day, just to show everyone what they can really build. Topping out at 1,625 hp, I could barely see the ground inside the dyno house – it really brought a new meaning to the term “rolling coal” for me!
When the smoke cleared (literally) and the engines shut down, the show contenders headed over to the trophy area for the start of the winner’s ceremony. If you don’t get a chance to meet everyone during the show, you’ll certainly learn who’s who when they hand-out the awards. I always enjoy this show because it feels more like an annual reunion than a truck show, and you know everyone else enjoyed it, too, when the show ends but nobody is in a hurry to leave. If you missed it this year, we hope to see you in St. George, Utah next year.
WASH & SHOW WINNERS
BOBTAIL (2007 & NEWER): 1st Chad Betland, Big Lake, MN – 2007 White & Blue Kenworth W900L; 2nd Kyler Brinkerhoff/Bob Orton Trucking, Panguitch, UT – 2013 Indigo Blue Peterbilt 389; 3rd Cody Madsen/Matt McAllister, American Fort, UT – 2007 Yellow Peterbilt 379.
BOBTAIL (2006 & OLDER): 1st Mark Dewsnup, Salt Lake City, UT – 1995 White Volvo WIA; 2nd Dana Zentner/Zentner Transportation, Inc, Cedar Rapids, NE – 2003 Maroon Peterbilt 379; 3rd Mark Orton/Bob Orton Trucking, Panguitch, UT – 2006 Black Peterbilt 379X.
COMBO: 1st Kason Traveller/Stone Cliff Development, St George, UT – 2003 Red Peterbilt 379 & 2014 ISD Side Dump; 2nd Corey McCaslin/Chance 2 Transport, Holmesville, OH – 2013 Gray Peterbilt 389 & 2012 Great Dane Reefer; 3rd Lewis Woracek/Phil Miller Livestock, Amargosa Valley, NV – 2002 Rose & Purple Peterbilt 379 & 2013 Wilson Livestock Trailer.
PRIDE & POLISH WINNERS
ANTIQUE BOBTAIL: 1st Kamrie Brinkerhoff of Bob Orton Trucking, Panguitch, UT; 1972 Purple, White & Gold Peterbilt 359.
WORKING BOBTAIL: 1st Kenneth Fisher, Muscoda, WI – 1997 Mocha Pearl & Green Peterbilt 379; 2nd Matthew McAllister of McAllister Enterprises, American Fork UT – 1995 White & Yellow Peterbilt 362; 3rd Jim Henry of Skidmore Transportation, Brigham City, UT – 2014 White & Yellow Peterbilt 579.
WORKING COMBO: 1st Dean Jay, Ucon, ID – 2007 Cream & Buckskin Peterbilt 379 & 2013 Mac Flatbed; 2nd Billy Rethwisch, Tomah, WI – 2013 Green & White Peterbilt 389 & 2013 Polar Tanker; 3rd Rodney Miller of Chance 2 Transport, Millersburg, OH – 2014 Red Peterbilt 389 & 2015 Great Dane Van.
INTERIOR (CAB ONLY): 1st Rodney Miller of Chance 2 Transport, Millersburg, OH – 2014 Red Peterbilt 389 & 2015 Great Dane Van; 2nd Jim Henry of Skidmore Transportation, Brigham City, UT – 2014 White & Yellow Peterbilt 579; 3rd Pablo Ramirez & Leonard Martinez of AJ Lopez Trucking, San Antonio, TX – 2014 Neon Green Peterbilt 389 & 2014 Travis End Dump.
INTERIOR (OEM SLEEPER): 1st Kenneth Fisher, Muscoda, WI – 1997 Mocha Pearl & Green Peterbilt 379; 2nd Billy Rethwisch, Tomah, WI – 2013 Green & White Peterbilt 389 & 2013 Polar Tanker; 3rd (tie) Dean Jay, Ucon, ID – 2007 Cream & Buckskin Peterbilt 379 & 2013 Mac Flatbed AND Phil Miller of Phil Miller Livestock, Amargosa Valley, NV – 2010 Cream & Brown Peterbilt 389 & 2015 Wilson Livestock Trailer.
BEST INTERIOR (LIMITED MILEAGE): Travis Poulsen, Logan, UT – 1998 Gray & Black Peterbilt 379.
PAINT (BOBTAIL): 1st Kenneth Fisher, Muscoda, WI – 1997 Mocha Pearl & Green Peterbilt 379; 2nd Matthew McAllister of McAllister Enterprises, American Fork UT – 1995 White & Yellow Peterbilt 362; 3rd Kyler Brinkerhoff of Bob Orton Trucking, Panguitch, UT – 2013 Indigo Blue Peterbilt 389.
PAINT (COMBO): 1st Billy Rethwisch, Tomah, WI – 2013 Green & White Peterbilt 389 & 2013 Polar Tanker; 2nd Dean Jay, Ucon, ID – 2007 Cream & Buckskin Peterbilt 379 & 2013 Mac Flatbed; 3rd Pablo Ramirez & Leonard Martinez of AJ Lopez Trucking, San Antonio, TX – 2014 Neon Green Peterbilt 389 & 2014 Travis End Dump.
BEST PAINT (LIMITED MILEAGE BOBTAIL): Travis Poulsen, Logan, UT – 1998 Gray & Black Peterbilt 379.
BEST PAINT (LIMITED MILEAGE COMBO): Josh Skidmore, Todd Henry and Jim Henry of Skidmore Transportation, Brigham City, UT – 2007 White & Yellow Peterbilt 379 & 2013 Western Elite Step-deck.
ENGINE: 1st Kenneth Fisher, Muscoda, WI – 1997 Mocha Pearl & Green Peterbilt 379; 2nd Billy Rethwisch, Tomah, WI – 2013 Green & White Peterbilt 389 & 2013 Polar Tanker; 3rd Rodney Miller of Chance 2 Transport, Millersburg, OH – 2014 Red Peterbilt 389 & 2015 Great Dane Van.
BEST ENGINE (LIMITED MILEAGE): Travis Poulsen, Logan, UT – 1998 Gray & Black Peterbilt 379.
LIGHTS (BOBTAIL): 1st Kenneth Fisher, Muscoda, WI – 1997 Mocha Pearl & Green Peterbilt 379; 2nd Chad Betland, Big Lake, MN – 2007 White & Blue Kenworth W900L; 3rd Jerry Kissinger, Stoughton, WI – 1978 Black Cherry Mack Superliner.
LIGHTS (COMBO): 1st Eric Hassevoort/Rabbit River Transport, Holland, MI – 1986 White & Gold Peterbilt 359 & 2001 Utility Reefer; 2nd Billy Rethwisch, Tomah, WI – 2013 Green & White Peterbilt 389 & 2013 Polar Tanker; 3rd Josh Skidmore, Todd Henry, Jim Henry/Skidmore Transportation, Brigham City, UT – 2007 White & Yellow Peterbilt 379 & 2013 Western Elite Step-deck.
BEST OF SHOW LIMITED MILEAGE BOBTAIL: Travis Poulsen, Logan, UT – 1998 Gray & Black Peterbilt 379.
BEST OF SHOW LIMITED MILEAGE COMBO: Josh Skidmore, Todd Henry and Jim Henry of Skidmore Transportation, Brigham City, UT – 2007 White & Yellow Peterbilt 379 & 2013 Western Elite Step-deck.
BEST OF SHOW WORKING BOBTAIL: Kenneth Fisher, Muscoda, WI – 1997 Mocha Pearl & Green Peterbilt 379.
BEST OF SHOW WORKING COMBO: Billy Rethwisch, Tomah, WI – 2013 Green & White Peterbilt 389 & 2013 Polar Tanker.
