The Autoshow's crew did it again with a bigger and better 2006 Slammin' and Jammin' show. Held again at the James E. Ward Agriculture Center in Lebanon, Tennessee, the venue provided plenty of parking for show competitors, a full vendor row, a covered area for awards, a bikini contest, a designated burnout pad, and a strip for dragging. What more could you ask for in a show location?
This year, the show was sponsored by Falken Tire, MA Audio, Hunter's Custom Automotive, and Kinetic Batteries. This show is always known for bringing out the crowd as early as Friday. Competitors could come through early, be judged, and not have to worry about it the rest of the weekend. Then they could spend time checking out everyone else's rides.
By the time we showed up Friday evening, Chuck, Shannon, and the rest of the judging team had already judged several vehicles and still had a line. Once we got to the host hotel to check in and eat, we noticed that the hotel had supplied a hose and wash supplies for anyone not wanting to play "beat the clock" at the car wash down the road. We could tell by the amount of show-quality traffic around the hotel that it was going to be a busy weekend for our cameras.
We spent the weekend checking out some of the hottest trucks around, roaming the huge vendor row, watching the bikini contest, and taking in the "drag and brag" contest. It was awesome to see well over 1,200 vehicles, 34 vendors, and approximately 18,000 spectators. With a show this size, you can bet there were plenty of high-end vehicles to gawk at. One high-end vehicle to receive more than its fair share of stares was Farva's one-of-a-kind Blazerado, which also won the Truckin' Editor's Pick award.
Next year, it looks like this show will once again be in the same location, and on the same weekend. So make sure to add this one to your calendar for 2007. For more information, check out www.autoshows.