At this year's Shell Rotella T SuperRigs, held mid-June at the Lee Hi Travel Center in rural Lexington, Va., Todd Roccapriore nearly pulled off a maximum with his 2004 Peterbilt 379 and Mac end dump trailer.
As well as Best of Show, he collected Best Interior, Best Theme, Best Chrome, Best Lights and Best Engine. The only special category he didn't win went to Niel Messerley, a very popular local trucker who brought seven of the family's Macks, most sporting a small mural. But the one that caught the judges' eye was the train mural high on the back wall of the company's (V&M Trucking) MH Ultraliner cabover. This big blue 1991 cabover engine also sported a Mack V8 engine, making it an unusual and popular truck at the event.
The other big prize Roccapriore missed was Peoples' Choice, which was taken home by Jerry Kissinger with his Mack V8-powered RW Superliner. Kissinger is very much the popular choice for not only does his "Thumper" Mack and van combination look even better with updates for 2010, but he's always a crowd pleaser for his selfless contributions to children's and many other charities.
Kissinger is a regular at SuperRigs, having participated many times. Though not from the start, as this was the 28th holding of the event that is every glamour truckers' "must attend." For there's more than the $25,000 in prizes at stake. For 12 truckers the event is priceless, with a picture on the upcoming Shell SuperRigs calendar and near immortalization. These calendars have become collectors' items.
It was pretty obvious from the start of the two-and-a-half-day event that Roccapriore would be in the running for a top prize. His black on green "minimalist" truck was by far the most extreme, with a 10-inch chop to the cab matched by a similar chop to the sleeper. But more than that, sleeper doors were on both sides of the Pete box also chopped down, suicide doors up front, a totally new windshield mask to ramp up the cool quotient. Then the two themes of matching curves to each piece of hand-made brightwork and the Maltese cross of the fabricated headlamps, turn signals, cutouts and trim pieces, it was not just hard to find any fault, it was impossible not to be blown away by the creativity and the effort - especially since most of the fabrication had been completed by Roccapriore and his team. Along with his case of Rotella T and a Lee Hi prize package, Roccapriore received a check for $10,000. "Another 20 of those would help pay for it," he quipped.
The first runner-up for Best of Show received a $4,000 check. Yet Jerry Beaudoin would have been an all-out winner in any other competition with his 2007 Pete 379 and Mac end dump. It was truly immaculate and featured some of the best paint ever seen outside a custom-car show. Featuring a black minimal theme with subtle orange highlights and some strategically placed white striping, the truck is as classy as they come. It is hard to imagine either of these two mixing it up in the rough and tumble of construction trucking, but both are in the business of hauling dirt for remediation.
And to prove that these really are working trucks, Pat Eilen took brother Jonathan's second runner-up end dump combination off between the judging and the awards ceremony to load rock to haul back to Minnesota. This black and orange flamed superrig was last year's first runner-up and only slipped to second because of the unbelievable competition for the first two slots. Coming back from the quarry, the beautiful Eilen truck was covered in rock dust from end to end. As Pat Eilen commented ruefully, "That's us, clean all weekend and then first thing Monday morning the trucks look like this."
The SuperRigs event is always a social affair for the competitors, but this year the Lee Hi truckstop and Shell folks kicked it up several notches and brought in families from neighboring Lexington, first with a strong local public relations effort with the mayor and chamber of commerce staff, then with reporters from the local newspapers and a strong story in the local Saturday newspaper. But a new high point was a parade through the town on Friday night as an invitation for the townspeople to come out to the truckstop to see the lights competition, enjoy a carnival for the kids and a great firework display. It was probably the best outreach the industry has done in the area ever, and the response in comments overheard on the Friday night and then of the Saturday morning confirmed it: historic Lexington loved having the trucks in town.
In fact everything was perfect: the turnout was great with 65 trucks judged, the midway was well supported, even the weather cooperated with sunny and warm conditions right up until the awards ceremony when a torrential downpour had everyone running for cover and Midnight Trucking Radio's Eric Harley dashing through the prizes.
As always, the judging of the three categories - tractor, tractor-trailer and classic - was tough as the quality of the trucks that drivers turn out for SuperRigs is outstanding. Any would have walked off with Best of Show in those early SuperRigs of 20 plus years ago. The positive image that the event brings to communities like Lexington cannot be overstated and the contestants are all congratulated in the public comments from the stage during the award ceremony. "They are all winners," said Shell's David Waterman.
And it's true. The truckers who bring their trucks to SuperRigs are the best. And it almost goes without saying, the trucks at SuperRigs are the best, too.
SuperRigs Winners:
Best of Show: Todd Roccapriore, Hebron, Conn. Black/green 2004 Peterbilt 379 and Mac end dump.
Best of Show 1st Runner-Up: Jerry Beaudoin, Southington, Conn. Black/Orange 2007 Peterbilt 379 and Mac end dump.
Best of Show 2nd Runner-Up: Jonathan Eilen, Hampton, Minn. Black/Orange flame 2010 Peterbilt 389 and end dump.
Tractor-Trailer Division 1st: Scott Diller, Bethel, Pa. Red/White 2007 Kenworth W900 and Mac step deck. 2nd: Chris & Denise Jones, Accokeek, Md. Beige/Burgundy 2007 Kenworth W900/ICT Sleeper/Utility van 3rd: Cecil Wolfe, Blue Ridge, Va. White/Green 2007 Legacy Peterbilt 379 and CPS bottom dump 4th: Shawn Cielke, Haugan, Mont. Siler/Fern Green 2006 Kenworth W900 and Wabash reefer. 5th: Brian Dreher, Campbellsport, Wis. Dual tone purple 2001 Peterbilt 379 with Gt. Dane.
Tractor Division 1st: Mike Manuel, Front Royal, Va. Black/Bronze fender 2006 Peterbilt 379. 2nd: Jeff Hyde, Eagle Lake, Fla. Orange/White 2007 Kenworth W900 3rd: WL and Joyce Shomaker, Stephen City, Va. Burgundy 2006 Peterbilt 379 4th: Chad Blackwell, Greenville, Va. Teale 2007 Peterbilt 379. 5th: Nathan Deacon, Lexington, Va. Blue/Blue 2005 Peterbilt 379
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