A
Day To Remember
By Eric Barber
For some, trucks aren't only about looks:
Trucks are for going fast! Such is the
sentiment of the North American Truck
Club (NATC), which put on the Sport
Truck Shootout (STS), an annual trucks-only
event that focuses primarily on drag-racing
power-oriented pickups.
The
North American Truck Club is composed
of a tightly knit group of Chevrolet
454SS truck owners. The 454SS was the
factory truck that started the performance-truck
trend, so it was fitting that the NATC
would organize the only annual U.S.
event that showcases performance trucks.
The
first STS was held in Bowling Green,
Kentucky, in 2001. The 2002 event was
bigger and included a truck show on
the day of the race, drawing many Chevy
454SS trucks, as well as Ford Lightnings,
Dodge Dakota R/Ts, a couple 10-second
Chevy S series trucks, and even a few
modified diesels.
So what's the attraction to this unique
celebration? "It's a day to compete
rather than just look at the vehicles,"
explains Ann-Marie Psotta, an NATC member
who helped plan last year's STS. "It's
more interesting than the typical truck
shows because it's more fun to drag
race than polish the truck and let it
sit all day."
"I
enjoyed getting to race other trucks,
not just late-model Mustangs",
says Jimmy Thornton, another member.
At the local dragstrips, a sport-truck
is often ignored in favor of later-model
cars. "If you aren't running a
Mustang or late model F-body, you don't
get a lot of attention. Here, it's all
about the trucks."
Continued
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