TRUCKFEST BONANZA
Page 89
Page 90
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
All of the right ingredients have been prepared to make this year's Truckfest the most successful recipe yet. We look forward to seeing you at Peterborough this weekend!
• Last year, Truckfest's organisers and its sponsor — Commercial Motor — switched the event from its usual Easter slot to the May Bank Holiday weekend in the hope of finding better weather. The gods half-smiled and we got one good day, one bad.
This year we are forecasting sunshine all the way with more than 175 exhibition stands to interest and to tempt; 460 trucks entered in a series of competitions running throughout the two-day event, show business personalities at every turn and trials of strength and speed.
More than 100,000 visitors enjoyed last year's Truckfest and we hope to top that. Once again, Truckfest will be held at the East of England Showground, just off the Al near Peterborough. The gates will open at 9.30am on Sunday 3 May and Monday 4 May.
This will be the fifth annual Truckfest, and already the show is well established and well respected as one of the most relaxed and involving events in the British road haulage industry's calendar.
Truckfest is not exclusively British, however, and once again there will be exhibitors and visitors from all over Europe and Scandinavia. The main attraction will be the trucks themselves and the competitions. Once again, the organisers will not be able to accept any truck entries on the day — the 460 entries we have already received will be more than enough to keep the judges busy.
CI Commercial Motor is sponsoring the all-important Best Kept Working Truck competition. Rivalry for this good housekeeping honour is always fierce and this year's hopefuls should be warned in advance that the 1986 winner, Kim Rolfe of K T Transport from Billericay in Essex, is back in the running. Last year her Mercedes-Benz 2028 won her a handsome trophy and £750. LI Bandag Tyres will be sponsoring the coveted Best Kept Fleet award again this year. Last year J A Weatherley & Son from Orpington, Kent took first place with its fleet of Volvo F7s and Scania 82s. 0 The Best Custom Truck class is once again backed by Eminox, the stainless steel exhaust pipe manufacturer. Truckfest's international flavour came to the fore in 1986's custom section when the winner's prize went to Fred de Boer from Holland in his Scania 110S. Scania also took second prize in this section last year with a specially-decorated Daf 3300 Spac Cab in third place. Dave Miller, who won the best custom truck section a couple of years ago, will be back in the fray and, word has it that he will be entering a white Renault Dodge Commando — so be warned. The Shell Diesel Drivers' Club will be backing The Shell Supertruck Challenge, won last time round by Henrik Guildager of Denmark with a Volvo F12 called Sweet Candy II. The Ford Motor Company will be sponsoring the Best Custom Van and Continental Tyres hope to lend some glamour to the occasion with its Miss Truckfest competition 1987.
There will be plenty of special attractions to pull you away from the competition and the trade stands.
All day Sunday Mercedes-Benz will be organising its Strongman Challenge competition with heavyweight muscle men testing their power against all sorts of odds, including truck-pulling. America's strongest man Rick "Grizzly" Brown will be flying in direct from California. The 171kg giant, who is bigger than the famous 'Refrigerator', has vowed to give the mighty Geoff Capes a run for his money in the Challenge.
The first TV star to arrive on Sunday will be Keith Chegwin who is being flown in by helicopter, courtesy of Renault Trucks. The Whoopee Hollow Sky Divers plan on dropping in just before lunch on Sunday and Steve Murty's Sky Train will go on show along with a line-up of manufacturers' special trucks.
At lpm on the Sunday, Barry Sheene — the former world champion motorcycle rider turned truck racer — will drop in by helicopter along with Maria Whittaker, today's page three wondergirl. Sheene is being presented courtesy of Daf Trucks and Whittaker courtesy of Commercial Motor.
The White Helmets Royal Signals motorcycle demonstration team will take the limelight early on Sunday afternoon before the stars from BBC's 'Alto 'Alio comedy series are frog-marched into the showground. Herr Flick, Yvette and Renee will all be on guard, presented by Leyland's 145 Team and Bandag Tyres.
Sky High, the car crushing truck, will do some wilful damage later in the day and there will be a freefall parachute display before the Royal Corps of Transport puts on a special tank display.
Just after 3pm, Steve Murty's Sky Train wheelie truck will scorch its way across the showground, followed by the Shell Supertruck challenge and the grand parade.
On Sunday evening, Commercial Motor will be hosing a barbeque with disc jockey Simon Bates as its principal guest. Miss Truckfest should be available for a chat over the spare ribs too.
Monday's programme will follow the same route, with a few variations here and there.
Over lunch, Volvo will be presenting an American football display, and the competition winners will all be presented with their awards from 3.45pm onwards on the Monday afternoon.
El by Geoff Hadwick