On the morning of August 6, the town of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, was awakened by the sound of rumbling engines and airbags deflating as the 14th Annual Carlisle All-Truck Nationals, held on August 6-8, got underway at the Carlisle Pennsylvania Fairgrounds. The crisp morning air was filled with the sweet scent of exhaust, as participants lined up at the front gate to secure a good display spot on the show grounds. Throughout the first day of the event, participants cleaned and detailed their vehicles for Saturday's judging and checked out the competition. A monster truck demonstration was performed in the afternoon, and showgoers got a chance to see monster trucks, Big Foot and Samson, jump a line of crushed cars as well as perform other wild stunts. Additional attractions kicking off the weekend included a Ramp Travel Index, where off-road junkies could test the suspension articulation of their vehicles, and a rockcrawling area, where Jeeps and lifted trucks were put to the test. A late afternoon movie, shown in the fairgrounds food court, provided an opportunity for participants to make new custom truck friends at the start of the event.
Saturday morning marked the largest and busiest day of the show, as the early hours consisted of nonstop show trucks rolling through the gates to set up for the Fun Field Truck Show competition. Walking the endless rows of custom trucks being cleaned was the theme of the morning, as enthusiasts shined their rides for the judge's watchful eye. In addition to the massive show field was a large swap meet, which showcased a wide variety of parts to help those on the look out finish that truck project at home. Completed projects were also for sale in the swap meet area for spectators who were looking for a complete turnkey custom.
Later in the day, the monster trucks went at it again, wowing the crowds with high-flying and car-crushing action. For those who wanted a break from all the custom truck excitement, a beauty contest was held where a winner was determined by audience applause. Quite a few ladies lined the stage seeking the approval of the festive crowd. Following the beauty competition, a highest and lowest truck competition was held to see who had the body-dragging and sky-scraping bragging rights of the event, with several trucks going head to head for this honor. Catering to the hydraulic suspension junkies, a hopping contest was held to see who could get the highest lift from their setup. Wrapping up Saturday's list of events was an impressive smoke show at the burnout contest, sponsored by Toyo Tires. Burnout competition participants definitely did not have a problem smoking the rear hides on their vehicles to get the crowd screaming.
Sunday got rolling with enthusiasts detailing their rides once more, just in case the judges had to come back for a second look. For the audio addicts, an SPL stereo competition was held where participants cranked their systems for the judges and were rated on decibel levels and sound quality.
Bringing the weekend to a close was the awards parade, which began at noon. Awards were presented for the big rig competition, which was sponsored by Meguiar's, and the fun field competition. The Carlisle All-Truck Nationals featured a drive-through trophy presentation, where the crowd was able to see which trucks won for which classes. This year's Carlisle All-Truck Nationals was a smash hit, featuring attractions for every type of custom truck enthusiast. For more information on next year's Carlisle All-Truck Nationals Event, contact Carlisle Events at (717) 243-7855, or go to www.carsatcarlisle.com/truck.