Not all truck shows are filled with non-driveable trailer queens, and we prove that each year we put on our annual Truckin'/Sport Truck Vegas Nationals, when hundreds of participants join the staff of Truckin' magazine for a five-stop poker run to Vegas. This year, our cruise started off at Dealers Sport Truck in Los Alamitos, California, where participants registered for the cruise and show, readied their rigs, and kept their raffle tickets handy for the big drawing. The first poker card was handed out, and we were happy to report that we received the first ace in the deck - a shiny black Ace of Spades. Not a bad way to start the morning off.
As the trucks lined up behind lead vehicles sporting highly visible Vortex flags, the caravan rolled out and headed to ATS Design in Cerritos, California, where the next mini show took place along with another drawing, another poker card, and factory tours. ATS had some of its cool show trucks parked out front, and the crowd was amped up for the daylong drive to Fremont Street. Our second card was the much-heralded Ace of Diamonds.
The adventure continued as the parade of custom trucks headed to Corona, California, to advance Flow engineering for the third round of cards and prizes. State 2 State cruisers toured aFe's high-tech manufacturing facility as filters, facts, and Hershey bars highlighted the stop. Air intake components and filters were stacked high as workers, and machinery churned out product. Staffers at aFe were posted throughout the factory floor ready to answer questions about the company and its offerings. After fueling up on a welcome selection of Hershey's Miniatures and watching the ensuing raffle, participants saddled up once more for the all-important lunch stop. Surprisingly enough, we were handed the Ace of Clubs, giving us a pretty good hand so far.
Stop number four took our convoy to the NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona, California, where hot and tasty hamburgers were joined with equally hungry cruise-goers. Cruisers were invited to tour the museum during this break. They socialized with their peers, sharing stories of project buildups and last-minute prepping. With Vegas excitement and luck rubbing off on us, our fourth card was revealed as the Ace of Hearts.
After filling up on grub, the group then left the concrete jungle of Southern California and headed off through the desert in questionable weather toward the excitement and neon nightlife of Las Vegas. The Lady Luck Casino was the host of our after-cruise gathering where food and drink was had, giving the owners a chance to mingle and relax with good people after such a long day of driving.
Throughout the journey, your Truckin' staff was hard at work trying to capture it all on camera while being chased off freeway overpasses by the CHP, handing out stickers and T-shirts, and expertly leading the way in our lead vehicles. Realizing the fifth and final card in our hand was the rule card, new Associate Editor Harley Camilleri guaranteed a feature to the one and only vintage Subaru Brat at the show, securing the fifth Ace needed to win it all. Unfortunately, it was not to be as we were quickly escorted away by casino security. Who knew there weren't five Aces in a deck?
If you missed this year's Vegas Nats, be sure to hook up with us in October for our Phoenix Nats to join in on another fun State 2 State Cruise.