Like a rumble of King Kongs, some of show trucking’s biggest gorillas stomped into the Bordentown (N.J.) Petro’s third annual truck show May 18-20 to compete for cash, glory and a pair of Harley Davidson motorcycles.
Multi-award winners like "Almost Paradise," "March Madness," "Bourbon Street," "Big Willie," "Serious Attitude" and "Rainbow" stood stack to stack with competitors from up and down the East Coast and as far away as North Dakota and Nevada -- a total of 32 trucks.
Chow of choice for the event was a gigantic hot dog called "Dogzilla," a foot-long, half-pound, Chicago-style dog so popular it sold out halfway through the show.
Marv and Barb Knight’s 77 Express flagship "Almost Paradise," a 1999 Kenworth W900L and 1996 Utility Reefer, aced Best of Show Combo (tractor-trailer) for the second year in a row, earning the Sand Lake, Mich., couple a new white Harley Sportster. Last year they won the title and a black bike.
Canadian Mike Duffy’s 1989 dark purple International Eagle 9300 day cab, "Big Bear," newly flamed in pale violet, swept all its classes to take the Best of Show Bobtail prize, a black Harley Sportster.
The truck’s drivers, Tammy and Tommy Little, accepted the white motorcycle for the Knights. Said a teary-eyed Tammy, "Our award is driving the truck."
"Those two polish on the truck every spare second. It would not look like this without their efforts," said Marv.
The colorful 1999 W900L Kenworth and 1996 48-foot Utility reefer trailer is muraled front to back with tropical island images and turns California from Michigan weekly.
An equally delighted Duffy, from Belle River, Ontario, claimed the black Sportster. He is giving the two-wheeler to his wife Liz. Until she gets her license, "We’ll put it on a pedestal and use it as a trophy," he joked.
Every surface of “Big Bear” is painted or clad in shine, then pin-striped. The cab floor is flamed purple plexiglas and glows at night from purple neons below. In all, the day cab wears over 400 lights. In future shows the truck will compete in the Professional Show Truck class.
Bordentown co-owner Fred Kirschner personally selected two winners for his "Birthday Trophy." Brian Parker Jr., the child whom Kirschner felt best epitomized trucking’s spirit, won four tickets to a Phillies baseball game of his choice. His dad Brian is a Boothwyn, Pa., owner-operator.
Kirschner singled out Ron Baird, driving Hoffman Transportation’s "March Madness," for the main birthday honor. Baird received two steer tires from Michelin, one of the show's sponsors. (Other sponsors included DAT, RoadPro, Smart Stop and Bridgestone-Firestone.)
Show judges included Bordentown’s chief of police, mayor, and superintendent of schools. Their involvement underscored the high level of community support this truckstop has worked hard to develop.
"These trucks are beautiful. Judging them is tough," said Mayor Bill Nine while admiring the painted detailing on Duffy’s bobtail. "This truckstop is a big part of our town. They do a lot for our community and our schools," he added.
Class winners in the third annual Bordentown truck beauty show were:
Combo 95 or Newer
