The Lone Star Large Car Gathering will be held April 30 at the San Antonio Raceway on Santa Clara Road at Exit 597 of I-10. The show will be open at 10 a.m. and shut down at 2 a.m. A Show & Shine competition will be held at the show’s opening and shut down at 5 p.m., and drag racing will take place later that evening.

A $30 entry fee is required to participate in all of the day’s activities and grants entry to compete in the Show & Shine and the drags. A $10 donation to the St. Christopher fund is also required to run the drags.

General admission to the show is $10 for adults and children 13 years and older. Children 12 and under get in free, and donations to the SCF are encouraged.

For more details, visit sanantonioraceway.com or email lonestarlargecars@gmail.com.

by Brad Bentley

Mike Ryan is a consummate pro when it comes to driving big rigs fast.

But his skills behind the wheel of his 1,950-horsepower daycab  Freightliner Cascadia required him to dig a little deeper as he put it into a powerslide going up the infamous “Ws” on Pikes Peaks narrow two-lane road to the summit.

Ryan never lifted and kept his Detroit-Diesel-powered race truck between the 1,000-foot cliffs and the rock walls during the  88th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb June 27.

Known as The Race To The Clouds, it started off as anything but, with clear skies and sunshine and perfect conditions for record-setting action in these race classes: Unlimited, Super-Stock Car, Open Wheel, Pike Peak Open, Showroom Stock, Motorcycles (five classes), Side Cars, Quads, Time Attack and Big Rig.

Several drivers came through with breakthrough performances and record times, but there were numerous delays with drivers going off course, which allowed the always unpredictable weather to become a factor later in the day.

By the time Mike Ryan’s Detroit Diesel-powered Freightliner Cascadia completed the course in the Big Rig class to cap the racing action, there were snow flurries at the summit of Pike’s Peak and rain on the rest of the mountain.

Ryan is always a fan favorite and everyone was excited to see how he would fare this year. The weather was a slight factor, but suspension understeer issues, which slowed Ryan in the switchbacks section of the course, took away what otherwise might have been a record run. However, Mike still made an impressive climb up the course, and the fans were certainly not disappointed.

The Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb is essentially a race against the clock, so everywhere you turn people are focused on numbers. With that in mind, here is a “by the numbers” look at the Race To The Clouds:

1916 – the year Spencer Penrose, a Colorado Springs businessman finished construction on the world’s highest highway, a toll road to Pike’s Peak. Soon, Penrose decided to hold a race to the top, with a colossal silver trophy as a prize, and the Race To The Clouds was born. It has been held every year since, making it the second oldest road race in America. Only the Indianapolis 500 precedes it.

14,110 – the elevation of the top of Pike’s Peak. This is almost a mile higher that at the Start Line. Many racers, including Ryan, carry bottled oxygen to help them deal with the high altitude.

61,626 – the length (in feet) of plus grade on the race course, which is a mixture of pavement and dirt/gravel surface.

16 – the number of times Mike Ryan has raced in the Pike’s Peak International Hill Climb. He competed on a motorcycle for two years, and in a big rig for 14.

12 – the number of Unser family members who have competed in the hill climb over the years. Many of racing’s most famous families, from Dallenbach, Millens, Donner and Mears, have had multiple competitors.

13:03 – Mike Ryan’s time this year. This was only 20 seconds off his still standing big rig record of 12:43, set in 2006.

1,950 – the amount of horsepower Ryan can generate from his engine, which was completed  “in-house” in two months time. As built from Detroit Diesel, it dyno’ed at 1,600 hp. The compounding turbo set up from Borg Warner and BD Turbo along with the Snow Performance water-methanol injection added about 350 hp, according to the suppliers.

9,700 – the weight (in pounds) of Ryan’s customized Freightliner Cascadia, which is 1,200 lbs heavier than his previous truck, a 2005 Freightliner Century Class ST. The extra weight and the fact that Ryan did not have a factory powered race team engine like his previous truck make this year’s performance even more impressive.

156 – the number of turns Ryan had to navigate on the 12.42-mile course as it winds its way up Pikes Peak

10:01.408 – the record time set in 2007 by Monster Tajima in a Suzuki XL7 Hill Climb Special. Tajima competes in the Unlimited class, where anything goes as long as it passes safety inspection. Both Tajima and drifting star Rhys Millen were thought to have legitimate shots of completing the course sub-10 this year, but both fell short. Tajima was the closest at 10:11.

ChromeShopMafia Announces…

GUILTY BY ASSOCIATION TRUCK SHOW

October 1-2 2010!

Get ready!  Make plans now to attend the 2nd annual Guilty By Association Official Event. It’s a cross between a truck show, customer expo, and an open house.

If you plan to only attend one truck show this year, make it this one!

There will be representatives here from the top brands and leading manufacturers in the industry to answer questions you might have about their products.  They’ll be here specifically to help you out and show you what’s new in trucking accessories and aftermarket products!

Lots of sales and promotions are planned including a huge sidewalk sale with blowouts and low, low prices on lots of merchandise.  You’re invited to take a tour of the shop and the store while you’re here…catch up on what’s happening with the gang and mingle with the crew at 4 State Trucks, home of the Chrome Shop Mafia!

If you like Burgers & BBQ, be ready for some great food right here on site plus lots of fun for the entire family. Nightly concerts will include The Brent Baker Band and the Matt Coleman “Live” show! Check out our website www.Chromeshopmafia.com for lodging and additional event information.

Drivers, if you want to participate in the Truck Show, we ask that you pre-register your truck by calling 417.624.2900, ext. 11 prior to the event!  This is a low-stress show, not a cleaning contest. Just come out and wash, shammy, show off your truck, and enjoy a great couple of days with us.

We look forward to seeing all of you in Joplin, MO, October 1^st and 2^nd 2010 at Four State Trucks, the official home of the Chrome Shop Mafia, for the Guilty By Association Truck Show & Customer Expo!

Stay tuned for more event information coming your way this summer!

Contact Information:

4 State Trucks

417.624.2900, ext. 11

www.chromeshopmafia.com

[June 8-10] Local, state and federal enforcement officers from the U.S., Canada and Mexico launch an enforcment program targeting commercial vehicles. cvsa.org, (202) 775-1623

4 State Trucks/CSM celebrate 30^th anniversary with Joplin blowout

The invite for the early October truck show simply said, “Come join us for our 3oth Anniversary Celebration. We guarantee a good time will be had by all.”

When you get an invitation from the boyz at the Chrome Shop Mafia like that there’s no way one can turn it down. You just know the turn out is going to be good and the hospitality terrific.

We weren’t disappointed, either. When we arrived Friday afternoon at 4 State Trucks Joplin, Missouri, compound the rains had subsided and the cold winds had begun to diminish.

We also found 97 trucks on site—72 of them registered in the Chrome Shop Mafia’s Truck Show.

It was the first day of their two-day gig, and Bryan “Bossman” Martin and his brother Bryce were up to their cold ears trying to get vendors and show participants shuffled around and squeezed into 4 State’s parking lots.

“Weather wise it wasn’t looking too good yesterday and this morning,” says Bryan. “But this storm’s blowin’ out and it’ll be good tomorrow.” And it was.

Unlike miserable Friday, Saturday morning was perfect for a truck show; the sky was clear and blue, the temp cool and crisp, and the wind just a light breeze. By 10am the crowds were rolling in and by noon parking spaces for spectators were getting very hard to find. By 2pm it was a capacity crowd.

Ice Road Trucker Alex Debogorsky

Freightliner was showing off their new 2010 Coronado and giving away four NASCR tckets w/pit passes and four Petty Driving Experience to some lucky winners later in the day.

Alex Debogorsky from Ice Road Truckers was there to shake hands and sign autographs, as were the CSM gang who were celebrities themselves. Dozens of people lined up every time the Bossman gave “VIP” tours of their shop and showroom during the day, too.

We also learned a dozen of the rigs on display were treated quite special by being photographed by Paul Hartley for the Chrome Shop Mafia’s 2010 calendar.

“Saturday night a huge bonfire we lit off in the 4 State compound as Matt Coleman & Road Hammers wound up the crowd with some kickin’ tunes,” says Martin of the end-of-day events. “And there was no shortage of BBG and food thanks to our friends at Red Hot & Blue ( a local Joplin purveyor of such cuisine.)

“Everybody in attendance was relaxed, havin a good time, ‘all smiles’ and had a ‘spring in their step’ as Joplin was ‘right where they wanted to be,” say the Bossman.

Form what we could tell, the 30tth anniversary bash was a winner. We have been told we’re on the invite list for next year’s October Fest—Chrome Shop Mafia style. Woooo-Hoooo!—CR

GBATS WINNER’S LIST

Winners:

Poker Run: Jayme Snow

$650  gift pack: Shannon Crenshaw

$1000 gift pack: Chad Blackwell

$2000 gift pack; Cupp Farms

Lights:2nd – Jerry Kissinger

1st -  Billy Carter/Steve Hendershot

Paint:  2nd – Matt McCord

1st  – Jeremy Graves

Interior:2nd – Dallas McCord

1st – Paul Saline

Stereo: 2nd -Colin Stuart

1st  -Jeremy Graves

Peoples Choice:

Bobtail – Thomas Ivy

Combo – Jeremy Graves

Competitors Choice:

Bobtail 2nd place……..:Doug perkins

Bobtail-Best Of Show..:Matt McCord

Competitors Choice:

Combo 2nd Place…….:.Jeremy Graves

Combo Best of Show..: Wayne Baker

Larry Martin Memorial Award.: Randy Huddleston

2010 CSM CALENDAR TRUCKS

Hoewing Trucking

Troy Huddleston

Randy Rebillard

Andy FIero

A.Wise Trkg

Dave Schroyer

Chad Blackwell

Gary Salisbury

Jeremy Graves

Nathan Deacon

Paul Saline

Doug Perkins

[View with PicLens]

12►

Two young businessmen find way to make bucks at GATS

B rody Yeary (12) and Andy Wiley (10) are quite the entrepreneurs. The Weatherford, Texas, duo, armed with only a screwdriver and keen business sense, roamed the Pride & Polish display area mid-week offering to remove rocks from tire treads. Rocks in tires cost valuable show points.

The young businessmen charged $1 per tire for their efforts, making $33 total. Andy (pictured) said the name of their business is “Rock Removers, Inc.”

His parents, Jimmy and Shonda Wiley, are part of the Yeary Trucking entourage showing their rigs here at GATS.

WHEEL JAM 2009

Record Turnout for Huron Truck Show

The 6th annual Wheel Jam Truck Show June 5-7 in Huron, SD, was a successful event for truckers and truck enthusiasts, despite the rain. A record 104 trucks were registered from South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kentucky, Illinois Oklahoma, and Canada.

Special guests included G-man from Chrome Shop Mafia with the Pit Boss and expo trailer, Meradith Ochs from Free Wheelin, Carl Carstens from Rockwood Products and Roger Snyder from Large Car Magazine.

Twenty-seven drivers participated in our annual Jake Brake competition, but Jerod Blue finished first.

Other award winners include: JR Schlenger of Britt, IA won 1st place in the 2001-2006 Bobtail; Colin Stuart of Harvard, IL won 1st place Best Interior and 1st place 1984-older Bobtail; Habeck Trucking of Belle Fourche, SD won 1st place in Fleet; and Steve Hendershot of LaPorte City, IA won 1st place in Cab Over. The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Norman Mason of Huron, SD. Norman has logged more than 70 years of service in the trucking industry.

For more information, contact:

Scot Marone

18 Wheel Truck Promotions

431 18^th St. SW

Huron, SD 57350

605-354-2809

www.wheeljamtruckshow.com