Traveling to events around the country is par for the course for the CLASSIC TRUCKS staff every summer. From about May through August we spend almost as many weekends on the road as we do at home. It's definitely a hectic schedule (summers tend to go by in a flash), but it's also the best way for us to see, experience, and burn film on some of the coolest classic iron that the country has to offer.
Regular readers are probably aware of the relationship that we have with the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association. CLASSIC TRUCKS gives out Top Five awards at five different Goodguys events every summer, and those shows typically get full coverage in these pages. What you may not know is that we usually make it to several other Goodguys shows too, but in most cases we just don't have the pages to report on 'em. Well, this month we had the space, so we decided to share some snapshots from a couple of extra events.
The Goodguys Heartland Nationals has been an early-July tradition in Des Moines, Iowa, for a decade now, and with more than 3,000 vehicles on hand in 2001 it was looking stronger than ever. Surrounding states include Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Minnesota, and Illinois, so you can bet that there are plenty of old farm trucks to be found as hot rod fodder. The same could be said about the central California valleys surrounding Pleasanton. There were probably more than a few former farm and winery trucks cruising the West Coast Nationals August 24-26, albeit in updated form. Both shows are great, and should be considered must-see events for hot rodders in their respective regions. Want proof? Then check out the photos in our "Double feature picture show" and see what you think!