With sunlight piercing through the thick Southern California morning fog, custom trucks could be seen filing into the parking lot of Dealers Sport Truck in Los Alamitos, kicking off the 3rd Annual State 2 State Cruise to Firebird International Raceway for the Truckin' Nationals in Phoenix. The scene was set as trucks of all types, colors, and heights poured into the first stop of the five-stop cruise. Raising money for the American Diabetes Association, the charity cruise began the fundraising by collecting registration dues at the Rhino Linings' booth, where breakfast was also being served. In exchange for dues, each participant received a State 2 State T-shirt, a goodie bag, and a poker card for a chance to win a Van Demon flame job at the show. The crew at Dealers was available to answer any and all questions had by the truck owners, and the entire facility and the stunning showroom was opened up for everyone's enjoyment. A raffle was drawn, and winner John Torcliff won a $100 gift certificate to Dealers sponsored by Street Scene Equipment. We all knew it was time to ride out when the sun began to shine brightly, and with a change from red light to green light, the parking lot-filling trucks headed to Gibson Performance Exhaust in Corona.
Arriving at Gibson around 8:30 a.m., all the participants quickly headed over to the Gibson table for raffle tickets, this time with a chance to win a complete Gibson after-cat exhaust system. Poker cards were again handed out, and Gibson had T-shirts available to cruisers. This stop saw the number of trucks grow even more, as we picked up stragglers along the way who couldn't wake up in time for the first stop. After new truck friendships were made and Gibson's shop trucks drooled over, the raffle winner was chosen. John Nemzek was the fortunate truck owner who left the second stop of the cruise with a new exhaust system. Poker cards dealt and the prize awarded, the trucks lined up for the quick trip to American Products Company.
Pulling up to APC, the cruise participants were welcomed with open doors, T-shirts, free hats, and stickers. After the feelings of euphoria wore off from all the free merchandise, cruisers were allowed to walk through the first-class facility at APC. From the spectacular showroom, to the assembly line, to shipping, cruise participants were given a first-hand glimpse at what it takes to be a successful aftermarket giant. Exiting the tour allowed everyone to take a close look at the APC project vehicles out front equipped with the latest and greatest products, most of which are geared toward the off-road segment.
Brian Horowitz, president of APC, drew the winning raffle ticket, and Fred Bland went home with a $100 gift certificate to APC thanks to Stylin' Concepts. Everyone knew it was time to ride out, and after thanking our friends at APC, we left for stop four, Palm Desert.
Fortunately for all the cruise participants, the early morning temperatures were mild, and with all of the driving, food was on the agenda. Stopping at the Palm Desert Civic Center for lunch, we were welcomed by J.C. Whitney banners waving high, and much to our excitement, a Wahoo's food van was parked waiting for us. Exiting their custom rigs, cruisers were again given a chance to socialize, shoot the bull, and best of all, wait in line with each other as the great food was being prepared and served. All the Wahoo's fish and chicken tacos you could eat were served along with great side items and cold beverages. The Civic Center was a great place to stop for lunch, and with the food gone, it was now time to draw for the J.C. Whitney gift certificate. One lucky young lady went home with a $100 gift certificate good for any of the thousands of parts available from our buddies at J.C. Whitney. Shortly after the drawing, everyone piled back into their trucks, full bellies and all, and headed for a gas station to fill up before the long 287-mile trek to Phoenix.
Sunset provided the perfect backdrop for the arrival at AIM Industries in Phoenix as cruisers were allowed to park side-by-side in front of the AIM building along the blocked-off street. Many cruisers took this opportunity to apply another cleaning to their rides, whereas others were so tired, they just wanted to rest. Entering the huge AIM tent, we were amazed at the Mexican fiesta-themed party awaiting us inside. AIM never disappoints, and this year they really outdid themselves, with great food, music, and best of all, a great atmosphere to kick back and enjoy ourselves. After the great food had settled, most of the cruise participants took advantage of the AIM Industries shop tour headed by none other than company. President Joe Morrow. From order processing and manufacturing, to shipping and design, the AIM tour was time well spent. If the tour took a toll on the cruisers, AIM After Hours was open all night to help relax all the custom truck owners. With the clock reaching well into the night, cruisers headed to their respective hotels for some much-needed sleep. As our heads hit the pillow, we couldn't think of a better way to spend a Friday than cruising in our tricked-out trucks, meeting new gearheads, and seeing first-hand behind the scenes of great aftermarket companies.
Everyone at Truckin' would like to sincerely thank the following companies for making our cruise a success and for raising much-needed dollars for the American Diabetes Association: AIM Industries, American Products Company, Dealers Sport Truck, Gibson Exhaust, J.C. Whitney, Rhino Linings, Steve Vandemon of Steve Van Demon Designs, Street Scene Equipment, Stylin' Concepts, and Vortex Linings. For information on any of our cruises or Truckin' shows, please contact Amber.pierce@primedia.com.