Frontiers look tough in the first place, but lift it and put it up on big tires, and you have a menacing-looking off-road machine.
3rd Annual Truckin' NationalsAs the sun began to shine on the Firebird International Raceway on the morning of Saturday, October 11, 2003, the horizon was filled with awesome custom trucks awaiting entrance into the confines of the 2003 Truckin' Nationals. That afternoon saw a huge spectacle of vendor booths, show-'n'-shine vehicles, and a great field of major manufacturers present. Attendance for this year's Truckin' Nationals was much better than anticipated due to the mid-90-degree temperature, with a grand total of 36,000 people walking the showgrounds and taking part in this year's festivities. It was easy to see why so many people turned out to participate in this year's event, with 200 acres of the Raceway filled with 200 show-'n'-shine competitors, 80 off-road tough trucks, and 70 drag racing trucks ripping up the asphalt down the drag strip.
While most people were still resting from the great State 2 State cruise on Friday, the few hardcore show attendees were out cleaning, waxing, and polishing their babies. Quality was the unmentioned theme this year, as we saw very high-caliber trucks at every turn and were amazed at the lifted truck representation at this year's Nationals. With cleanings finished, many truck owners left their trucks in search for new bolt-ons and performance products. This task was easily completed with the more than 125 booths stock full of parts ranging from suspension products to wheels, superchargers, and even the latest clothing attire, which could be purchased at the all-encompassing truck spectacular. A vast improvement over last year, the major manufacturers were out in force this year as General Motors, Ford, Dodge, Nissan, Jeep, and Subaru were in attendance with great setups and vehicles. Also from the manufacturers was a Ride and Drive, where show participants could go and drive some of the latest trucks produced without signing sales contracts.
For the wild at heart, a monster truck exhibition was taking place throughout Saturday and Sunday, with such great trucks as Bigfoot, Equalizer, and the wheelie-popping Shocker jumping through the air and pleasing the crowds in the grandstands. While walking around in the heat, many people stopped to watch Steve Van Demon flame Temo Vasquez's truck on site. Temo was the fortunate winner of the raffle and had the opportunity to watch Steve perform each step at the show. If the heat of the Phoenix sun was getting to you, a quick trip into the air-conditioned GM tent quickly cooled you off, as General Motors brought out many of its concept and custom vehicles to gaze upon. After cooling off, many people stopped at the Tire Pros booth to receive personalized autographed posters from automotive racing legend Mario Andretti. An exciting addition to this year's festivities, Mario brought with him an excitement for performance and racing that was all the drag racers needed to add octane to their personal fuel.