Going through the winter months, many are counting down the days to warmer weather, and – truck show season. This year was off to a great start with the 2023 Mid-America Trucking Show, which usually is the kickoff for the season. Our show, Truckin’ For Kids (TFK), for the first time ever, followed MATS a month later in Irwindale, CA on April 29-30 for a spring fling to start the West Coast truck show season! And, for the second year in a row, TFK again broke records with the amount of money raised for charity.
We couldn’t have asked for better weather, amazing trucks, and wonderful people during our two-day event. I flew into California on Wednesday, April 26, and by Friday, around 12 of us were busy with the preparations, including the assembly line we created to get all the goodies into the 200 Bonus Buckets (with an estimated value of $175 each). For donating the items, a heartfelt thanks from the show goes out to 10-4 Magazine, Stay Loaded Apparel, Rockwood Products, Time 2 Shine, Chemical Guys, Renegade Products, Zephyr Polishes, A&L Truck Supply, Sic Rigz, FleetPride, Rick Nay Insurance and 4 State Trucks.
Some don’t realize the planning and preparation that goes into a show, let alone the amazing people who volunteered during the event to keep everything running smoothly. Volunteers arrived Saturday morning, and you should’ve seen the lineup of trucks waiting to get into the gate, which was set to open at 9am (the first truck reportedly lined up just after 3am). It was definitely a sight to behold, as well as the anticipation of how many trucks would roll through the gate to be a part of the event.
Not residing in California, I have to say, it was pretty awesome to see trucks I knew rolling into the show, including Cody & Shannyn Davis, plus three cover trucks I had the honor of photographing. There was a solid group of past 10-4 cover truckers including Bruce & Kellie Cone (April 2023), Mike Maggini (March 2023 & March 2003), Dustin Graf from Kansas (February 2023), Eric Gibbons from Utah (April 2022), CG Soza (December 2021), Ruben Vargas (May 2020), Terry & Brock Wright (April 2020), Ron Ver Steeg (January 2020), Shane Boullion from Louisiana (August 2019), George DeFrancesco (June 2016), Rolando Nava (March 2014), Jerry Salinas (February 2013), Ron Kelsey (June 2009 & January 1998), and Maggini’s 1962 “Godfather” yellow Peterbilt (April 2002). It was like a 10-4 Magazine family reunion!
Saturday I can only describe as amazing! Kelly Malarkey and I saw all the trucks roll in and handed out the registration packets and Bonus Buckets to those who were pre-registered. We both worked hard for sure, but it was awesome to see all the trucks that came to the show. Big thanks to Kelly for being my teammate as we ran around getting everyone taken care of, to Tammy Hinkey for bringing us the extra needed help, and all the parking guys who brought their “A” game, handling all of the truck parking.
At noon, the gates opened to the public, the silent auction began, and the Kid’s Zone was ready for fun. By mid-afternoon, registration and truck parking closed for the day, attendees were taking everything in, and everyone was prepping for the “Light the Lot” light show, which was definitely something to see (and hear). What a crazy night!
Sunday morning came quick as truck registration and parking resumed, as well as preparations for the gates to open to the public at 9am. The highlights of the day continued from Saturday with the Kid’s Zone going into full swing, as well as the kids hard at work coloring for their chance to win a bicycle. If you were walking around, you may have noticed the remote control semis, running a mini convoy all over the lot, including a cool red Freightliner cabover that did simulated burnouts, complete with smoke and screeching tires.
The highlight of the day on Sunday were the big rig and pickup truck drag races, which started at noon, and were really fun to watch – especially the jet dragsters. If you’ve never seen one, you definitely need to, because they are head-turners, for sure. If you don’t see them, your head will turn when you hear them! One of them ran an astonishing 196 mph on the short 1/8th-mile track! Thanks to Tony Franco and his team for bringing two of these jet dragsters out to the event. There were about 25 registered race trucks, in several different classes, that ran either heads-up or in brackets. Big thanks go out to Randy Cole of the National Hot Rod Diesel Association (NHRDA) for running our brackets and staging lanes. The four hours of racing action was exciting for everyone, with the great work and organization by Randy and the track crew at Irwindale Speedway.
Awards started at 5pm, and most already know, but the registered trucks are judged by fellow competitors, spectators (People’s Choice), or simply earned (including Largest Fleet, Longest Tow, and the racing awards), which seems to work out well. The burnout competition is judged by the crowd in the grandstands during the racing portion of the day.
The Super Drag Truck class seemed like an international affair, with Mario Monette of Canada taking the winning position followed by Carlos Sanchez with his maroon truck dragster “El Bandito” from Tijuana, Mexico. If you attended TFK last year, you witnessed Mario unfortunately blow a fuel line at the start which caused a fire, but he vowed to rebuild and return stronger than ever, and he didn’t disappoint. Longtime TFK supporter and racer Mark Tarascou (and past 10-4 cover trucker) won the Best Burnout award with his hopped-up faded blue Peterbilt 359 dump truck.
The Competitor’s Choice Best Combo award went to CG Soza with his red and blue Kenworth and he won the Best Lights Combo award, too. CG’s son CJ worked hard and did an amazing job getting all the lights ready to go for TFK. Roger & Annette Ghidelli won three big awards this year with their yellow and green 1962 Peterbilt.
The previously mentioned silent auction was made possible with several companies stepping up to donate some wonderful items. There was a total of 25 various things that brought in almost $13,000. As with last year, there was an amazing group of young adults that helped run the 10-4 Magazine booth, as well as covering the grounds multiple times, selling tickets for the 50/50 raffle. I don’t think they really realize how awesome they are or how appreciated their presence at the show is. Donations kept rolling in from generous people like Albert & Veronica Guzman, Ray & Suzi Rodriguez, and the entire Algorri Family. Stay Loaded Apparel also did their part to raise more money with a special white shirt that was only available to those who donated to TFK. The donations were then presented to the show staff during the awards in a clear plastic box, filled with cash, totaling almost $4,000!
Truckin’ For Kids would not be the success it is without the individuals and companies who donated their time, resources, and expertise. The 18 trophies up for grabs at the show were created by the talented crew at Dickerson Custom Trucks out of Indiana with help from Carl Carstens of Rockwood Products out of Wisconsin. These two companies donated all their time and materials to provide the show with amazing trophies. Each award was sponsored by a company or individual which was engraved and showcased on the front of each trophy. Rockwood also made and donated the commemorative event plaques, which were found in the Bonus Buckets.
When 10-4 acquired the show in 2021, one of our initial goals was to have more activities for the kids. Introducing a Kid’s Zone this year was a huge success! We also provided coloring contests, giving participants the chance to win a bicycle, in their age group, on Saturday and Sunday. Six bikes each day were up for grabs. The life-sized games were donated by Christine & Matt Mulligan of Twisted Party Rentals, and the bicycles were donated by Premier Paving out of Ontario, CA. Shoutout to Miss Flatbed Red for her amazing skills in providing the coloring pages, to Precision Auto Calibrations for providing additional funding for the Kid’s Zone, and Polly Kasper for overseeing the “zone” for the entire weekend.
The show’s expanded vendor area this year at TFK showcased an amazing 31 vendors set up. Huge thanks go out to our premier “Presenting” sponsors for 2023 that included 10-4 Magazine, PDI, and NorthAmerican Transportation Association (NTA). A total of 288 trucks were registered with about 275 of those in attendance. The original parking plan allowed for 250 trucks with nine feet of space between each one, but after selling out early, the parking crew reconfigured the entire plan the night before the show began. Tightening the space between the trucks down to five feet, it opened up parking for 50 more trucks. As this show continues to grow, the parking layout will evolve, and with the proper planning for 2024, the show expects to be able to accommodate 325 trucks.
So, which truck was my favorite this year? Like at every show, I can’t just pick one, but there were many amazing standouts at this event, including a lineup of beautiful black Peterbilts owned by Jon Arreche. There was a row of brown heavy haul trucks from Marco Transport out of Santa Ana, overshadowed by a huge American flag, with a beautiful mountain backdrop. Others that need mentioning include Central Valley Transport who always show up with their beautiful red rides, Dakota Punches of Rabbit River Transport out of Michigan and his black Peterbilt, there was a tan two-axle Peterbilt with a leather interior that was hard to miss, and Cody Davis out of Wyoming with his 2022 Kenworth W900 “Mojito” and matching cattle pot. Another cool ride was “Project 63” – a white and red 2020 Peterbilt 389 built by Western Ag which made its debut at TFK, parked alongside a matching red and white lifted Dodge Ram pickup.
Special thanks from the show to everyone who volunteered, registered, donated, sponsored, and spectated at this year’s event. Without everyone’s involvement, this show would not be the success that it was. Thanks to Julian “Big Daddy” Perez, a former truck driver, for being the resident DJ for the weekend. He kept the music continuous and even provided an impromptu dance contest for the kids, which was a big hit. Big thanks to Tim Huddleston, Irwindale Speedway track owner, and his entire crew at Irwindale Speedway for the great job running the gate, concessions, and the track. With the continued growth and event success, the track is excited to have TFK back in 2024!
Another goal we set for TFK was to make it more charity focused and raise more money. Getting Shriners involved has really helped make the charitable aspect of the event more apparent and visible. With goals in place to continue to grow, and with everyone’s dedication, hard work, and support, we are super excited to announce that TFK will be presenting a check for $90,000 to the Shriners Hospital for Children in Pasadena, CA! TFK will also be donating $1,000 to MAVIX Community Outreach, an organization founded by Kelly Anderson, that introduces foster children and their support systems to the world of motorsports. On Sunday, Kelly and her team had a booth set up at TFK, where they handed out information to spread their message of joy and hope about the importance of helping these vulnerable kids find their passion.
Thank you to Truckin’ For Kids and “Team 10-4” for making me feel welcome and giving me the opportunity to work with everyone at this year’s show. TFK is always “a good time for a GREAT cause” and an amazing event to attend with all the trucks, vendors, friends, family, and fun! Stay tuned for the announcement of the 2024 TFK show dates, which will again be held in the spring. As always, to all the drivers out there doing the deal, truck safe.
Shriners Pick (Charity’s Choice): Dan Brubaker – 1996 Peterbilt 379.
Largest Fleet: NRT (10 registered trucks).
Longest Tow: Dan Gilbert, Bethelridge, KY (2,156 miles).
Competitor’s Choice Bobtail Lights: Roger Ghidelli – 1962 Peterbilt 352.
Competitor’s Choice Combo Lights: CG Soza – 2016 Kenworth W900.
Competitor’s Choice Antique: Roger Ghidelli – 1962 Peterbilt 352.
Competitor’s Choice Bobtail: Derick Stewart – 2021 Peterbilt 389.
Competitor’s Choice Combo: CG Soza – 2016 Kenworth W900.
People’s Choice Antique: Roger Ghidelli – 1962 Peterbilt 352.
People’s Choice Bobtail: Jose Rivas – 2004 Peterbilt 379.
People’s Choice Combo: Eric Garcia – 2014 Peterbilt 389.
Best Burnout: Mark Tarascou – 1984 Peterbilt 359.
Pickup Drags (all): Winner Rachel Leigh; Runner-Up Danny Marquez.
Big Rig Drags (all): Winner Sergio Molina; Runner-Up Mark Tarascou.
Super Drag Trucks: Winner Mario Monette; Runner-Up Carlos Sanchez.
