The
third annual STS promises to be bigger
and better than ever. It'll again take
place at the Beech Bend raceway park
in Bowling Green, with all makes and
models of trucks invited to show, race,
and compete in any of the weekend's
programs. For more information and updates
on event timing, visit the NATC's Web
site at www.454ss.com. Regular mail
contact can be made by sending inquiries
to: Sport Truck Shootout Coordinator,
687 Deere St., Welland, Ontario, Canada,
L3B 2M2.The day after the Sport Truck
Shootout 2002, a small contingent of
454SS North American Truck Club members
headed north out of Bowling Green to
the build plant that produced all the
Chevrolet 454SS trucks (1990 to 1993)
in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Once at the
plant, each member knew that his ride
had to look its best to sit in the parking
lot of its birthplace and seen by the
United Auto Workers Local 2209 (www.local2209.org)
on their lunch breaks.
The
trucks arrived to a section of the
executive parking lot blocked off
and waiting for them. Once the trucks
were positioned, the detailing began.
Inside, the 454SS NATC members were
led through an atrium that contained
many of the Fort Wayne assembly plant's
commemorative vehicles. We were saddened
to see not one 454SS among the collection.
We
then visited the portion of the line
from chassis assembly through final
assembly and testing of the current
Silverado pickup truck. We must have
looked like a bunch of kids in a candy
store as we watched the new Chevrolet
and GMC trucks being put together.
Each member imagined what it must
have been like with a row of 454SS
trucks on the same assembly line.
As
the tour ended, we were already planning
another tour of the facility after
the next Sport Truck Shootout. The
tour would commemorate the 10th anniversary
of the last 454SS truck rolling off
the production line. As a final request,
we asked if they'd mind the addition
of some super-heated rubber on their
parking lot as we left. Smoke filled
the air as the trucks made their runs
one by one down the lane toward the
exit. The last few drivers had a hard
time finding their way out through
the thick, gray smoke that hung in
the air. For further information,
visit www.454SS.com.
