For the 19th year running, Stanley Long and the Non-Profit Truckers hosted the annual Run To The Rock F-100 truck show at Lake Lure, North Carolina, the third weekend in September. If you like a small laid-back gathering for old Ford trucks, this is the show for you. About 125 of the best-looking old Ford trucks made the trek for this annual event.
The weather for the show was about the best it has ever been with temps in the low 80s, and the sun shining all weekend. The job of judging was not very easy since there were so many great trucks on hand. As always, the show was held in a grassy area between the community center and the lake. The good thing about this location is if you get tired of checking out the trucks and want to take a break, you can catch a ride on one of the large pontoon boats that tour the lake.
At about 2 p.m., the games got underway with such activities as the fanbelt toss, toilet paper toss, balloon toss, and of course, the ever-popular rock hunt. These activities were divided up in to adult and children's categories.
As we mentioned earlier, some of the best Ford trucks from up and down the East Coast were on hand for this latest installment of the show. Besides these great trucks, some of the movers and shakers in the F-100 world were on hand, including Dennis Carpenter of Dennis Carpenter Specialties, Pat Ford, the man behind the F-100 Super Nationals, and Dale Holland, the voice of the F-100 Super Nationals.
Stanley Long and all the members of the Non-Profit Truckers did a great job putting on this event. We have been covering this show for more than 10 years and still can't understand why only 125 to 130 trucks show up every year, when there could be much more. Some of the clubs in attendance this year included the Carolina Haulers and the Georgia LoRiders.
There was a sad note to the show, however. Just a few weeks before the show was to take place, long-time club member Bill Shelby passed away of a heart attack. Bill was a great friend to many of the club members, especially Stanley Long and Byron Welch - Bill, Stanley and Byron had made many trips together to show their trucks. A Bill Shelby memorial award was established this year, with the first recipient being Kevin Werts. Bill's presence at the show will be missed in the future
As the sun started to set, everyone gathered around the basketball court next to the community center for the award presentation. The trucks were divided into four categories: '48 to '52, '53 to '56, '57 to '66, and '67 to '72. The first award presented was by the mayor of Lake Lure, with his choice going to Larry Shavers. Other specialty awards were Lady's Choice, Ugliest Truck, Best Original, Best Bed, Best Engine, Best Unfinished, and Longest Distance.
Everyone had a great time, and all are looking forward to this year's show since it will be the 20th anniversary of this great event. We are sure Stanley and the club members are in the process of making big plans for the 2004 edition of Run To The Rock, so start making plans to head to Lake Lure the third weekend in September to be part of this celebration. If you would like more information about the show, give Stanley a call at (864) 647-7446.