Familiar faces earn Pride & Polish championship slots at this weekend’s Fitzgerald show

user-gravatar Headshot
Updated Aug 4, 2017

Reigning Overdrive’s Pride & Polish national champions Austin Ashley and Vinnie Diorio added two more trophies to their large collections this weekend in Crossville, Tenn., at the Fitzgerald Truck Show Pride & Polish event. Ashley picked up another Best of Show victory in the Limited-Mileage Bobtail category with his 2007 Peterbilt 379, called “Double Take,” while Diorio won Best of Show in the Working Bobtail category with his latest custom build, a 1985 Peterbilt 359 restored to its 1985 stock stylings.

The classic pleated back wall of the sleeper, made famous by the Double Eagle sleeper builder, on the 359 was replaced with this pleated stainless skin. The rig, says driver Kiegan Nelson, commonly hauls coils and other steel on a flatbed.The classic pleated back wall of the sleeper, made famous by the Double Eagle sleeper builder, on the 359 was replaced with this pleated stainless skin. The rig, says driver Kiegan Nelson, commonly hauls coils and other steel on a flatbed.

Meanwhile, Jeremy Hassevoort of Rabbit River Transport picked up a Best of Show win in the Limited Mileage Combo category with his 1986 Peterbilt 359, “Gold Digger,” joining another Rabbit River rig and his brother Eric Hassevoort in qualifying for this year’s Pride & Polish National Championship judging round.

Austin Ashley’s ’07 Peterbilt 379Austin Ashley’s ’07 Peterbilt 379

Lastly, driver Corey McCaslin out of Millersburg, Ohio, showing a rig from Rod Miller’s Millersburg-based Chance 2 Transport small fleet, won Best of Show, Working Combo, with the 2014 Peterbilt 389 and 2015 Great Dane stainless-skinned van trailer. “Twisted Obsession.”

The Chance 2 Transport Pete is a glider powered by a Detroit Series 60. The fleet, says owner Miller, hauls garage doors on a dedicated contract west, toting produce back, largely in reefers.The Chance 2 Transport Pete is a glider powered by a Detroit Series 60. The fleet, says owner Miller, hauls garage doors on a dedicated contract west, toting produce back, largely in reefers. Of the stainless skin on the van trailer, owner Miller says the Great Dane salesman who worked with him on spec’ing it noted the unit might be the most expensive van he’d ever sold. Such investment comes with positives beyond the show-quality look. After 10 years of work, Miller says, “it will look just like that.”Of the stainless skin on the van trailer, owner Miller says the Great Dane salesman who worked with him on spec’ing it noted the unit might be the most expensive van he’d ever sold. Such investment comes with positives beyond the show-quality look. After 10 years of work, Miller says, “it will look just like that.”

Ashley, a native of Raleigh, Miss., has picked up several Best of Show wins in recent years with his ’07 Pete, along with a Pride & Polish National Championship in the Limited-Mileage Bobtail category last year. He was also named the Pride & Polish Truckers’ Choice national champ last year. Diorio, meanwhile, has won back to back Pride & Polish Championships with a different rig, his 2013 Peterbilt 389 and matching Mac trailer, along with a long list of Best of Shows.

Jeremy Hassevoort’s “Gold Digger,” a 1986 Peterbilt 359, won Best of Show, Limited-Mileage Combo.Jeremy Hassevoort’s “Gold Digger,” a 1986 Peterbilt 359, won Best of Show, Limited-Mileage Combo.

All four Best of Show trucks from this weekend’s Fitzgerald show are now qualified to compete in the Pride & Polish National Championship finale to be held next month in Dallas at the Great American Trucking Show.

Check OverdriveOnline.com next week for on-site beauty shots of the winners and for a full list of winners and more coverage from the show. Catch a variety of views via the gallery that follows.

–Todd Dills contributed to this report.