Truxpo Daytona
Trucks Invade NASCAR's World Center of RacingNormally, when the word Daytona is mentioned, it conjures up visions of Winston Cup stock car racing on the high banks of one of NASCAR's premier palaces of speed. But in early October, well before Speed Weeks and long after the Firecracker 400, Daytona International Speedway played host to the fourth stop on the Truxpo Truck Tour.
Nearly 600 custom trucks, including lifted 4x4s, ground-pounding minis, Jeeps, SUVs, and street cruisers invaded Daytona's 8-acre Superstretch Hospitality Village area for two full days of truck show excitement. The event featured the usual Show-'n'-Shine competition and awards for more than 52 classes and attracted some of the hottest trucks in the Southeast. Participants were treated to a huge 600-foot Manufacturers' Midway - packed with all the latest in truck accessories - as well as monster truck rides and a children's play zone.
The Daytona Truxpo Truck Tour, sponsored by Herculiner, Ford, Weld Wheels, and Hot Wheels, featured plenty of action on the Superstretch with side-by-side monster truck competition both Saturday and Sunday, with a special Saturday evening event complete with fireworks. Eric Tack, driver of the Tonka monster truck, captured the distinct honor of being the first pro monster truck driver to win an event at Daytona International Speedway. He swept all three competitions, defeating crowd favorite Bigfoot in the finals.
Also kickin' up some dirt on the back stretch was the Tough Truck competition, which saw participants grab plenty of air over the tight course. Other action on the straightaway included a wild, tire-smoking burnout contest on Sunday and an IASCA-sanctioned sound competition.
Entering its second year, the Truxpo Truck Tour is looking for a lot of hot 4x4s. Coming to a IASCA-owned speedway near you, the 2001 tour will make stops at four tracks, including one new venue. Truxpo events are open to all types of trucks and SUVs, and each show includes a parade lap around the speedway for participants. For more information on the series, contact Truxpo at (904) 255-TRUK (8785) or on the Web at www.truxpotrucktour.com.
2001 Truxpo Truck Tour
Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kansas - July 21-22Nazareth Speedway, Nazareth, Pennsylvania - Sept. 15-16Daytona International Speedway, Daytona, Florida - Oct. 5-7Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South Carolina - Oct. 27-28