Canadian Ryan Danylchuk just made it on to the lot at the Iowa 80 Truckstop as the judges were setting out to judge the lights category on Friday evening, Day Two of the 2008 Shell Rotella SuperRigs truck beauty competition. With only Saturday morning remaining for the judging, Danylchuk was up all night polishing his stretched-out, maroon and orange 2001 Peterbilt 379. And it paid off: He won Best of Show and a check for $10,000.
Danylchuk is from Winnipeg, Manitoba, a city that has more than its share of contestants every year for the Superrigs titles. And for a shot at immortality on the Shell Superrigs calendar. With his Best of Show, Danylchuk gets pride of place.
Other Canadians in the SuperRigs winners list included Larry Dyck with a second place in Tractor-Trailer for his spectacular green and orange 1987 bulk-hauler Peterbilt combo. Dyck owns Jade Transport out of Winnipeg, and his son Jonathan's 2007 Legacy 379 Pete picked up third place in the Tractor class, with a third win for Andy Bannerman with fifth place in Tractor for the company's beautiful 2000 Pete 362 cabover.
Last year's Best of Show featured some nice new touches, but a year's hard trucking dragged down the judges' scores, so Curtis Christians' minimalist black 379 from 2005 was relegated to second place Tractor this year.
Elsewhere it was the "usual suspects" for those who follow the beauty truck world, with Bob and Shelley Brinker pulling off Best Engine, Best Interior, Best Tractor and People's Choice with their 2000 Freightliner Classic. And, of course, Best Mural for the "Pirates of the Caribbean"-themed murals so exquisitely painted on every surface - even the rear fenders this year to showcase characters from the third movie in the series.
Jerry Howard, who has scored Best of Show in the past with his spectacular old Autocar, brought a crowd-pleasing red 1953 LG Mack this time for a third place in the Classic division. Another regular who got a rousing cheer from the other contestants when his win in Tractor-Trailer was announced was Wayne Baker. His 2002 Peterbilt 379 has a long hood and distinctive running boards and is immaculate despite the miles.
Prize for the most enthusiasm, as always, goes to Darlene Swift, who has the 2000 Freightliner Classic with shadow horses murals that was featured in one of the "Trick My Truck" episodes on CMT. She had already galloped up to the stage to get a prize for Best Theme, but for all those in the know - judges and SuperRigs Shell staff - all eyes were on her when First Runner Up Best of Show was announced. She whooped as she jumped up and bounded forward to pick up her award and a check for $4,000. No one was disappointed.
Of course there were some disappointments for those that did not get an award or a place on the calendar. But you can bet they'll all be back again next year.
