Best of Show – Curtis Christians’ 2005 Peterbilt tractor and Great Dane trailer combination.
“Fallen Heroes II,” a 2005 Peterbilt 379 owned by Sean McEndree of Copperas Cove, Texas, won Best Overall Theme and Trucker’s Choice awards at the Super Truck Beauty Contest at the 28th annual Walcott Truckers Jamboree at the Iowa 80 truckstop in Walcott, Iowa.
“The Toy,” a 1979 Kenworth W900A owned by Eddie Crock of Caldwell, Ohio, won Show Class honors.
More than 30,000 people attended this year’s jamboree July 12-13. Competing in the truck beauty contest were 87 trucks and a record 35 tractor-trailers. Other winners were:
Cabover: 1st Gary Bean, Fayette, Ind., 1994 Kenworth K100E; 2nd Craig Schroyer, Celina, Ohio, 2000 Kenworth K100E; 3rd Lance DeDecker, Cambridge, Ill., 1987 Kenworth K100E
2008-2005 Bobtail Conventional: 1st Sean McEndree, Copperas Cove, Texas, 2005 Peterbilt 379; 2nd Matt Baeziger, Kingston, Ill., 2005 Peterbilt 379; 3rd Glenn Horack, Elkland, Mo., 2005 Freightliner Classic
2004-1998 Bobtail Conventional: 1st Bob and Shelley Brinker, Grayling, Mich., 2000 Freightliner Classic XL; 2nd Jeremy Heidersheit, Peosta, Iowa, 2003 Peterbilt 379; 3rd Jeremiah Nilson, Alcester, S.D., 2001 Peterbilt 379 1997-1991 Bobtail Conventional: 1st Ron Brubaker, Sigourney, Iowa, 1993 Peterbilt 379; 2nd Rob Gentry, Fulda, Ind., 1996 Freightliner Classic XL; 3rd Troy Huddleston, Willow Hill, Ill., 1991 Freightliner Classic XL
1990-1983 Bobtail Conventional: 1st G.J. McGregor, Mesquite, Texas, 1987 Marmon; 2nd Josh Cronch, Manteno, Ill., 1984 Peterbilt 359; 3rd Tim Stevenson, North Mankato, Minn., 1987 Peterbilt 379
1982 and Older Bobtail Conventional: 1st Travis Headley, Lebanon, Mo., 1969 Peterbilt 358; 2nd Willard Good, Denver, Pa., 1954 Mack LT/Phantom 554; 3rd Lavern Cross, Middlebury, Ind., 1982 Kenworth W900A
2008-2003 Combination: 1st Brad Caton, Hampton, Minn., 2007 Peterbilt 379 and 2007 Mac End Dump; 2nd Curtis Christians, Rock Port, Mo., 2005 Peterbilt 379 and 2005 Great Dane trailer, Edition 12; 3rd Les Sullivan, Springfield, Ill., 2007 Western Star Lomax and 2001 Wabash trailer
2002-1994 Combination: 1st Mike Penrod, Fargo, N.D., 2000 Freightliner Classic and 1998 Great Dane Reefer; 2nd Shawn Swanson, Prophetstown, Ill., 2002 Kenworth W900B and 2007 Wilson Hopper; 3rd Bob Greiner, Fremont, Iowa, 1997 Peterbilt 379 and 2006 Transcraft
1993 and older Combination: 1st Bob Newhouse, Denver, 1953 Peterbilt and 1993 Utility trailer; 2nd Raymond Brown, Thonotosassa, Fla., 1988 Peterbilt 379 and 1997 Utility trailer; 3rd Mickey Gwillim, Carlinville, Ill., 1986 Peterbilt 359 and 2001 Great Dane Spread Axle
Specialty: 1st Richard Ingram, Lincolnshire, Ill., 2006 Peterbilt 335 salt truck; 2nd Laura Mode, Lincolnshire, Ill., 2003 Peterbilt 330 salt truck; 3rd Bucky Pierce, Memick, Ind., 1953 Peterbilt 359 wrecker
Custom Paint – Graphics (Bobtail): 1st Steve Hendershot, La Porte, Ind., 1985 Kenworth K100; 2nd Ron Brubaker, Sigourney, Iowa, 1993 Peterbilt 379; 3rd Rob Gentry, Fulda, Ind., 1996 Freightliner Classic XL
Custom Paint – Graphics (TT Combo): 1st Brad Caton, Hampton, Minn., 2007 Peterbilt 379 and 2007 Mac End Dump; 2nd Bob Greiner, Fremont, Iowa, 1997 Peterbilt 379 and 2006 Transcraft trailer; 3rd Mike Riggan, Muscatine, Iowa, 2007 Kenworth W900 and 1987 Kentucky trailer
Custom Paint – Murals (Bobtail): 1st Bob and Shelley Brinker, Grayling, Mich., 2000 Freightliner Classic XL; 2nd Sean McEndree, Copperas Cove, Texas, 2005 Peterbilt 379; 3rd Richard Ingram, Lincolnshire, Ill., 2006 Peterbilt 335 salt truck
Custom Paint – Murals (TT Combo): 1st Mike Penrod, Fargo, N.D., 2000 Freightliner Classic and 1998 Great Dane Reefer; 2nd Bob Newhouse, Denver, 1953 Peterbilt and 1993 Utility trailer; 3rd Mike Stoneman, Payette, Idaho, 1951 GMC 970 and 1981 Trimline trailer
Polish and Detail: 1st Brad Caton, Hampton, Minn., 2007 Peterbilt 379 and 2007 Mac End Dump; 2nd Ron Brubaker, Sigourney, Iowa, 1993 Peterbilt 379; 3rd Mickey Gwillim, Carlinville, Ill., 1986 Peterbilt 359 and 2001 Great Dane Spread Axle
Interior – OEM Sleeper: 1st Mike Penrod, Fargo, N.D., 2000 Freightliner Classic and 1998 Great Dane Reefer; 2nd Shawn Swanson, Prophetstown, Ill., 2002 Kenworth W900B and 2007 Wilson Hopper; 3rd Brad Caton, Hampton, Minn., 2007 Peterbilt 379 and 2007 Mac End Dump
Interior – OEM Conversion Sleeper: 1st Bob and Shelley Brinker, Grayling, Mich., 2000 Freightliner Classic XL; 2nd Ryan Avenarius, Dubuque, Iowa, 2007 Freightliner Classic; 3rd Chris Untz, Franklin Grove, Ill., 2003 Peterbilt 379
Interior – Custom Sleeper: 1st Bob Greiner, Fremont, Iowa, 1997 Peterbilt 379 and 2006 Transcraft; 2nd Willard Good, Denver, Pa., 1954 Mack LT, Phantom 554; 3rd Bucky Pierce, Memick, Ind., 1953 Peterbilt 359 wrecker
Lights at Night – Bobtail: 1st Matt Baeziger, Kingston, Ill., 2005 Peterbilt 379; 2nd Bob and Shelley Brinker, Grayling, Mich., 2000 Freightliner Classic XL; 3rd Rob Gentry, Fulda, Ind., 1996 Freightliner Classic XL
Lights at Night – Combination: 1st Raymond Brown, Thonotosassa, Fla., 1988 Peterbilt 379 and 1997 Utility trailer; 2nd Bob Greiner, Fremont, Iowa, 1997 Peterbilt 379 and 2006 Transcraft; 3rd Brad Caton, Hampton, Minn., 2007 Peterbilt 379 and 2007 Mac End Dump
Lights at Night – Specialty: 1st Darin Ladlie, Fort Dodge, Iowa, 1979 Peterbilt 359 wrecker; 2nd Laura Mode, Lincolnshire, Ill., 2003 Peterbilt 330 salt truck; 3rd Bucky Pierce, Memick, Ind., 1953 Peterbilt 359 wrecker
Best Overall Theme: Sean McEndree, Copperas Cove, Texas, 2005 Peterbilt 379 – “Fallen Heroes II”
Show Class: Eddie Crock, Caldwell, Ohio, 1979 Kenworth W900A Pickup – “The Toy”
Trucker’s Choice: Sean McEndree, Copperas Cove, Texas, 2005 Peterbilt 379 – “Fallen Heroes II”
–Kristie Busam
Winners All
Shell SuperRigs chooses brightest stars from a stellar lineup
Winners were everywhere you looked at the 25th annual Shell Rotella T SuperRigs event at the Petro Stopping Center in Joplin, Mo. From among 118 very special trucks that lined up for the beauty contest for actively working trucks, some of the most extraordinary rigs in the country went home with the top prizes.
More than 10,000 people turned out for the three-day event, which offered $25,000 in prizes in 25 categories. Curtis Christians of Rockford, Mo., took home Best of Show honors and $10,000 for his dramatic black 2005 Peterbilt tractor and 2005 Great Dane trailer combination. Contestants and spectators voted throughout the event for the People’s Choice award, which Bob and Shelley Brinker of Grayling, Mich., won with their bold, Pirates of the Caribbean-themed 2000 Freightliner Classic XL.
Bob and Geri Martin won a $50,000 truck makeover for their 1995 Peterbilt 379. SuperRigs attendees chose the winner from six nominated trucks. The makeover was completed by S&J Truck Sales of Fort Wayne, Ind., and the renovated truck was unveiled at the Great American Trucking Show in Dallas in August. Partners for the makeover included Bridgestone, Alcoa, and Pana-Pacific.
2007 25th Anniversary Shell Rotella T SuperRigs Winners
$50,000 Truck Makeover: Bob and Geri Martin of Lafayette, Ind., 1995 Peterbilt 379
Best of Show: $10,000, Curtis Christians of Rockford, Mo., 2005 Peterbilt and 2005 Great Dane
First Runner-up: $4,000, Tom and Kim Turner of Cynthiana, Ky., 1995 Peterbilt 379 and 2003 Transcraft Stepdeck
Second Runner-up: $2,000, Bob and Shelley Brinker of Grayling, Mich., 2000 Freightliner Classic XL
People’s Choice: Bob and Shelley Brinker of Grayling, Mich. 2000 Freightliner Classic XL
Best Theme: Tom and Kim Turner of Cynthiana, Ky., 1995 Peterbilt 379
Best Mural: Jerry Dickson of Perry, Okla., 2007 Peterbilt 379
Best Interior: Bob and Shelley Brinker of Grayling, Mich., 2000 Freightliner Classic XL
Best Chrome: Dave and Vicki Weldon of Joplin, Mo., 2003 Peterbilt 379
Best Engine: Harvey and Karen Zander of St. Louis Park, Minn., 2003 International 9900
Best Lights: Rusty Wyrick and Tina Lomax of Mansfield, Ohio, 1998 Western Star Constellation
Classic
First Place: Jerry Howard of Fairborn, Ohio, 1954 Autocar DC-75
Second Place: Steve Hendershot of La Porte City, Iowa, 1985 Kenworth K-100
Third Place: Gerald Kissinger of Stoughton, Wis., 1991 Mack Superliner
Fourth Place: Bob Steffy of Oak Forest, Ill., 1985 Freightliner Cabover
Fifth Place: Ron Elledge of Hampton, Va., 1994 Kenworth W900L
Tractor
First Place: Randy and Jona Rebillard of Gimli, Manitoba, Canada, 2002 Peterbilt 379
Second Place: Toney and Donna Bennett of Macks Creek, Mo., 2007 Peterbilt 379
Third Place: Harvey and Karen Zander of St. Louis Park, Minn., 2003 International 9900
Fourth Place: Sean McEndree. of Copperas Cove, Texas, 2005 379 Peterbilt
Fifth Place: Rusty Wyrick and Tina Lomax of Mansfield, Ohio, 1998 Western Star Constellation
Tractor-Trailer
First Place: Clint Dicks of Lake City, Fla., 2000 Peterbilt 379 and 2006 Mac Flatbed
Second Place: Brad Caton of Hampton, Mass., 2007 Peterbilt 379 and 2007 Mac End Dump
Third Place: Brian Jones of New Brunswick, N.J., 1999 W900L Kenworth Studio and 2008 Mac 53′ Step Deck
Fourth Place: Mike Penrod of Fargo, N.D., 2000 Freightliner Classic and 1998 Great Dane Reefer Spread Axle
Fifth Place: Mickey and Tyler Gwillim of Carlinville, Ill., 1986 Peterbilt 359 and 2001 Great Dane Stainless Spread
–John Latta
Slovack Wins Trucker Buddy’s Gary King Trophy
Matthew Slovack received this year’s Gary King Trucker Buddy trophy, presented to a Trucker Buddy driver who enters the Super Truck Beauty Contest at the Walcott Truckers Jamboree.
Slovack, who lives in Colona, Ill., with his wife, Candice, and son, Nathan, is a company driver with Smith Transport of Roaring Spring, Pa. He entered the competition with his company truck, a Freightliner Columbia.
Trucker Buddy International is an educational program through which volunteer truckers correspond with and visit classes of schoolchildren. Slovack’s class is at Lincoln Irving Elementary in Moline, Ill.
The Gary King award was launched in 2006 to honor Trucker Buddy’s founder and spotlight a Trucker Buddy who has gone the extra mile. King attended the 2006 award ceremony but died after an extended illness only weeks before this year’s event. At the presentation, a moment of silence was held in his memory.
Slovack has volunteered with Trucker Buddy since 2005. Other Trucker Buddies in the Walcott contest included Bob and Shelley Brinker, Sean McEndree and Jim Randall.
