This year's Havasu Havoc, Powered by GM, was a new low-as far as the temperature was concerned. The mercury didn't hit 100 even once on Saturday, and a breeze kept everyone cool. Throw in a ton of custom trucks and cars, some parts' vendors, and a handful of former cover trucks, and you have the makings of a great show. We had trucks roll in from Fresno, California, Phoenix, and all over SoCal to compete for the trophies and bask in the Arizona sun. Kevin Blackbell's '98 Tacoma won Best Under-Construction and received a welder from Lincoln. Wow, what a gift! Check out truckinweb.com for more Havoc coverage.

For most of the old-school truckers out there, river runs are a thing of the past. That is, until this year when the Severed Ties Texas chapter decided to revitalize runs by moving its third Annual Tex Mex show from the previous home to the Lake Somerville Marina in secluded Somerville, Texas. While many of the new-school truckers had never been fortunate enough to attend a West Coast run, and may not have understood the concept, Severed Ties proved to everyone why it is one of the top truck clubs in the country. By revamping the river run to the old-school and introducing the river run to the new-school, Severed Ties etched another notch in its club legacy with Tex Mex '08.

The largest car and truck show held in northwest Florida had to contend with a surprisingly cold Mother Nature, as the temps were in the 50s. Despite the colder-than-normal weather, thousands of people made the trip to Panama City where they checked out hundreds of custom trucks and cars. Sponsored by Toyota Trucks and LMC Truck, Spring Fling wasn't lacking big names. A hit of the show, the bikini contest brought out the lovely ladies, while stunt motorcycle exhibits were going on, and the award ceremony saw deserving truck owners and builders receive the hardware. Several cool under-construction rides showed up and we can't wait to see these trucks when they are finished. For more pics online, go to truckinweb.com.

Dangerous Toys hosted the 2008 Danger Zone show at Mooney Grove Park in Visalia, California, and had a tremendous turnout. There were so many rows of trucks parked along loops of the park, going back for a second look at your favorite truck could easily get you lost. Or, you could get sidetracked by a totally different truck that was every bit as fun to look at. Central California has really stepped up the custom-truck scene, especially when it comes to custom frame fabrication. Several shops from the Fresno and Visalia area were on hand to show off their talent. For more information on next year's show, visit dangerous-toys.org.

Started as a way to help an injured club member recover from a life-threatening motorcycle accident, the event transitioned over the years to a wild, weekend party designed to celebrate life. Eddy Cebreco, Source Interlink's Events Manager for the Truck Group, has been with the event since its inception. Eddy's goal was to reestablish the show, and he was assisted by his good friend, Jon Fulmer of Southeast Showdown fame, and Jon's talented crew. The facility at the Anderson County Fairgrounds in Anderson, South Carolina, was the perfect choice with its indoor and outdoor facilities, wide open spaces perfectly suited for draggin' exhibitions, and convenient East Coast location.

Check out these awesome photos from the 2008 4 Wheel Jamboree in Springfield, Illinois. Be sure and pick up Truckin' issue 13 for full coverage of the event!

HAVOC FRESNO 2008
June 28th & 29th, Fresno Fairgrounds
1121 S. Chance Ave. Fresno, CA 93702

HAVOC EAST 2008 Bowling Green, Kentucky
August 2nd & 3rd, Beech Bend Raceway
798 Beech Bend Road, Bowling Green, KY 42101

HAVASU HAVOC 2008
April 12th & 13th
Truckin' State 2 State Cruise
Friday April 11th

The Goodguys '07 15th Annual Lone Star Nationals was held at the Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) in Fort Worth, Texas. The three-day extravaganza attracted more than 2,000 pre-'72 custom rods and trucks from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, New Mexico, and Louisiana. The Texas Motor Speedway 11/2-mile tri-oval, hosts NASCAR Busch Series, Craftsman Trucks, Nextel Cup, and the Indy Racing League (IRL).

We'll be giving you the what's what on SEMA later in this issue. But, we thought we'd give you a peek at some of the custom concepts the automakers are showing off at the event.

October's last Tuesday sun rose above the mountain peaks, just east of a brisk Vegas morning. Slowly, the morning dew evaporated off gallons of clearcoat-glossed custom paint on some of the most extravagantly built machines known to the automotive aftermarket. Along with the slew of custom cars and trucks, banners hung from every pole, convention center wall, and nearby street signs. It was obvious that the SEMA show was about to commence.

Last year's Slamboree in Norman, Oklahoma, was memorable for several reasons. It was the first show I had attended in Oklahoma, so it was an entirely new batch of trucks and attendees, and it was the first show I'd been to where I'd been accused of spying on a Division I football team's practice. People in Oklahoma take their football seriously.

The 2007 International Auto Show in Frankfurt, Germany, took place September 13-23. Here are a few snapshots of what the SUV market had to offer across the pond.

The Florida State Fairgrounds was the place to be on October 6-7, as hundreds of custom trucks and cars took over, showcasing the best of what Florida had to offer. Known for being a great family show that caters to everyone, this year's Slamfest featured many event favorites, including a burnout contest, bikini contest, club games, and of course, the awards. Dozens of high-end show vehicles made their way inside to prevent rain from falling on the custom paint; however, the sun stayed out all day Saturday and the rain only came down for 15 minutes on Sunday. With great weather and great rides, we enjoyed Tampa's open doors all weekend long. Several trucks debuted at this year's event and helped save the show season for us. For even more show coverage, check out www.truckinweb.com.

September 15 and 16 were perfect days for a truck and car show at Atlanta's Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. Mild temperatures and sunshine provided the atmosphere needed to jump-start a weekend of burnouts, drifting, tons of vendors, and of course, the bikini contest. Several quality trucks showed up at the NOPI Nationals show and we couldn't wait to take pictures of these select few. For more photos of this big event, go to www.truckinweb.com.

We're going in our 5th year at Havasu and each year it gets bigger and better. HAVOC Havasu will be presented by Truckin', Diesel Power, 8-Lug, Mini Truckin' and Sport Truck magazines. We are taking over Lake Havasu as we invade the beautiful London Bridge Resort, AGAIN. HAVOC features some of the best high-end fullsizes, minis, and boats nationwide. We also present the one and only Truckin' Havasu State 2 State Cruise, plus an all-boat Show-'n'-Shine Class.

Start 'Er Up! The First Strip Of Our Spine Image Starts Now.
Happenings
If You Want To Get The Latest On When Your Favorite Truck Shows Are Happening, You Can Find It Right Here.

Hundreds of trucks and more than a thousand total vehicles filled the James E. Ward Agricultural Center in Lebanon, Tennessee, for the 14th annual Slammin' and Jammin' show. Motorcycles, lowriders, imports-and yes, even donks-were represented at this year's show, but trucks seemed to be the majority. The event organizer, Charlie Cobble, planned several competitions for the weekend and gave awards and prizes to vehicles in dozens of categories, including special awards for vehicles with the best paint, engine, interior, and the most detailed. For the first time this show season, we traveled to a show where the weather didn't disappoint, and vendors and attendees enjoyed a weekend without rain or wind. If you're interested in checking out next year's show, visit www.autoshows.cc.

August means one thing to the truck-show faithful: the 14th annual O'Reilly Import and Truck Bash, presented by Royal Purple at the O'Reilly Raceway Park, Indianapolis. This year featured unseasonably cool temperatures, which proved to be a welcomed addition to the show. As always, top-notch vendors filled the walkways as attendees could buy parts directly from their favorite manufacturers. Drag racing was heard all three days and the hydraulics hopping contest drew one of the largest crowds all weekend. Miss ITB graced the stage with some hot competition, meanwhile the awards were given out to the deserving truck owners. Information on next year's show can be found at www.familyevents.com, and there are more photos are available at www.truckinweb.com.

In addition to his full-time job and moonlighting as a freelance photographer for Truckin', Brandon Burrell somehow manages to organize his own show that keeps getting better every year. There was a lot of worrying around the show grounds about whether or not the show would be rained out. After a couple of short downpours on the show's first day, which made truck owners scurry for the detail supplies, the weather cooperated for the remainder of the show. Both mini and fullsize trucks were well represented, while plenty of vendors showed up as well. This included Grant Kustoms, who rolled in to Asheville, North Carolina; all the way from Northern California. For more information on next year's show, visit www.scrapinthesmokies.com.

Held at the Beech Bend Raceway in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Havoc East Coast Powered by GM was a huge success this year. The show held dozens of vendors, more than 400 show trucks, and thousands of spectators. Despite the triple-digit temperatures, the custom-truck enthusiasts enjoyed a weekend filled with drag racing, dragging at night, a bikini contest, and trucks from every era that represented what will be the future of customization.

If you had paid attention to your elementary geography teacher, you would have learned that the city of Columbus, Ohio, was named after the explorer Christopher Columbus. You know, the guy who set sail in August of 1492 from the Spanish port village of Palos to prove to the rest of the world that the planet was not flat. During his quest, he discovered America on October 12, 1492. Columbus is also the state capital of Ohio and is home of Ohio State Buckeyes football.

Texas Heatwave is always a big show. As a matter of fact, it's the only show I've been to where it is actually possible to get lost. Then again, that might have been due to the heat. Native Texans were firing up their charcoal grills (taste the meat, not the heat) and basking in the central Texas sun. Meanwhile, Harley Camilleri and I were clinging to the shade of our golf cart and making the rounds to see all of the trucks that rolled out to the Travis County Fairgrounds. SoCal weather will do that to you.

For three days I was in a custom car and truck time warp while attending the 34th annual Minnesota Street Rod Association (MSRA) Back to the '50s Weekend. This enormous event was held at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, stretching across 340 acres, in St. Paul, Minnesota. The MSRA event drew more than 12,750 preregistered pre-'62 vehicles. More than 250,000 spectators walked through the turnstiles during the weekend festivities.

Happenings
October 5-7
Ft. Worth, TX
Classic car and truck enthusiasts will be riding to the Goodguys Lone Star Nationals at the Texas Motor Speedway. Model years of 1972 and back are welcome. General admission costs $15, or $6 for kids age 7-12, while the younger ones can get in for free. Show 'n' shine preregistration costs $40, membership may be required. For more information, call (925) 838-9876, or go to www.good-guys.com.