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It's your show
Page 53
Page 54
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"WE ARE determined to ensure that Truckfest firmly becomes the leading trade show for the road haulage industry combined with a relaxed truckers festival."
That is the intention of the Truckfest 85 organisers and the indications are that they will succeed. The first Truckfest was in '1983 and it attracted an astonishing 30,000 to the two-day event. There was little trade support that year but, having seen the crowds that turned out, the truck manufacturers and their dealers backed the event in 1984 and the attendance rocketed to 80,000.
This year it is set to be even bigger. The organisers have been to see how the well established Swedish and Dutch truck meets are run and the 1985 event will reflect this.
Like these Continental truck meets, Truckfest will be centred around concours d'elegance competitions for the vehicles and there will be four classes. Commercial Motor is sponsosring Truckfest 85, Easter Sunday and Monday, April 7 and 8, and is supporting the first of these four classes, which is for the best kept working truck. This is for everyday vehicles that are earning their keep and are in more-or-less standard form; only minor alterations are
allowed.
Customised trucks have their own class, with stainless steel exhaust system manufacturers Eminox sponsoring the Custom Truck of the Year competition. Anything goes here.
Bandag is sponsoring the third class for the best kept fleet vehicles, "fleet" being defined as two or more lorries. Finally, there is the international class where the best of Britain — last year's Truckfest winners — are up against entries from Sweden, Holland, Denmark and France. This class is sponsored by Shell and the Continental competitors are being brought over free of charge courtesy of Sealink British Ferries.
The fleet operator who wins the Bandag-sponsored class will win tyre vouchers; the prizes in the other three classes are £500, £250 and £100 for first, second and third places respectively. Age, mileage and type of work will be taken into account by the judges. Vehicles can be entered either in advance or on the day.
The organisers are expecting that over 500 vehicles will be in the running for the concours events, with most up for the CM best kept working truck award.
In addition to these four main classes, there are several other competitions to reward operators or drivers with smart, well-kept vehicles. The Wilcox Group is sponsoring an award for the best paintwork (on any type of truck) and Peterborough Ford dealer PM Trucks is supporting a competition for the best custom van, A €400 Radiomobile radio/cassette awaits the driver whose truck has the best cab interior, whether standard or customised. Lucas Service UK is sponsoring this Cab of the Year contest.
Any truck at Truckfest is eligible for the Trucking International Trophy and an expensespaid four-day trip for two to Sweden for the Lastbil '85 truck festival in June. It's a people's choice with Trucking International readers voting for what they consider the best truck on site.
Lastly, there is a competition for the best kept vintage commercial vehicle — there are no strict rules to decide what constitutes vintage. Judging for the concours events is on the first day of Truckfest (Easter Sunday) with the prize-giving on Easter Monday. Television presenter Noel Edmonds will be arriving in his helicopter on the Monday to present the prizes.
Virtually all the major truck manufacturers are participating in Truckfest 85, either directly or via their dealers. They will be showing their current range, and there will be demonstrators on hand for test drives. These will be on public roads near the East Of England Showground and so anybody wanting to take advantage of these test drives should remember to bring his hgv driving licence.
Many of the manufacturers will also be bringing along something out of the ordinary. For example, MAN-VW is to show its 1985 Paris-Dakar Rally truck, while Oaf will have its Paris-Dakar runner that came first in the heavyweight class. This is the Bull, the twin-engined, 560kW 1760hp) 4x4 that can reach 165km/h (102mph).
Leyland will be bringing a vehicle that makes rather more stately progress — the Ogle-designed Popemobile based on the six-wheel Leyland Constructor chassis.
Apart from the more familiar names in the truck industry, operators and drivers will have the chance to appraise the less well known marques such as Hino and Ebro. Other trade exhibitors are to include the Wilcox Group, Longdon Truck Equipment, Cummins, Perkins, Hatcher, TIP and the Road Haulage Association.
Drivers will find themselves especially welcome at Truckfest.
Any of them with vehicles in the competitions have the use of the competitors' marquee and the Peterborough-based Diesel City Truckers Club has its own arena running events for its members and those from other truckers' clubs.
There are a couple of fun driving competitions, too. One is to be run by Leyland and will involve Roadrunners, while the other is jointly run by Sealink British Ferries and an hgv driving school. Competitors will have to drive onto a giant replica of a ferry and race around on foot to complete the documentation as well, all against the clock.
During the two days of Truckfest the main arena will be busy with a variety of events. One of the main attractions will be a parade of the world's famous trucks. Undoubtedly the fastest will be Pirelli's RollsRoyce Avon-powered Ford Cargo.
World champion escapologist Nick Jansen can be seen at Truckfest and is promising to make the most unlikely of escapes. If he fails, Octagon Recovery and the Association of Vehicle Recovery Operators will lend a hand; they will be there showing their skills.
Strongman Geoff Capes has made truck-pulling his speciality and he has to make a conscious effort each morning to get into his car rather than pull it or lift it up. For Truckfest, Mercedes-Benz is calling on strongmen to take on Geoff in a world truck-pulling challenge, to be staged on the Easter Sunday. The competitors will have to pull a Mercedes-Benz 1628 tractive unit weighing 7.5 tonnes.
Already lining up to accept the challenge are world champion 125kg power lift champion Hub van Hack and Ab Wolders, who was a contestant in the World's Strongest Man competition. You, too, can take them on if you wish — apply to the Truckfast organisers — and there is a first prize of £500 to
put towards your hernia operation.
On the Monday MercedesBenz has invited other sportsmen to join in a "Superteams Challenge" with its 7,5-tonne LN truck somehow involved. The teams will be captained by Geoff Capes and Emlyn Hughes.
Motorcycle ace turned saloon car racer and truck driver Barry Sheene will be there too with his sponsor Daf Trucks. In the Shell Diesel Drivers Club marquee visitors will find television presenter Jim Bowen running a version of his Bullseye darts competition. Over 1,000 drivers joined the Shell club at last year's Truckfest.
Bandag is throwing its full weight behind Truckfest. Not only sponsoring one of the concours classes, the retreading company is also bringing its £350,000 Trans Europe artic. This is an American Mack Superliner 494 6x4 tractive unit coupled to a truly spectacular semi-trailer. This has a cunning device to extend its width to 4.6rn (15ft) to give extra room inside for a meeting place and a video show. The mural on the trailer's sides has to be seen to be believed and there is an alleged £20,000-worth of chrome on the Mack, too.
Hopefully free of chrome is Bandag's hot air balloon shaped like a tyre which will be seen above the Truckfest site.
In addition to these truckoriented attractions there will be plenty of diversions for those not quite so smitten with lorries. There is to be a funfair, children's circus, crafts marquee, helicopter rides and a display of vintage motorcycles. Local television and radio coverage will be given and Scania is sponsoring the local radio station, Hereward Radio, for the duration of Truckfest.
For those visitors who want to be at Truckfest for both days (competing vehicles will need to be reduced room rates have been negotiated at three Peterborough hotels — the Bull, the Crest and the Moat House. There is also a caravan site at the Showground for those bringing their own 'vans or campers.
Because of the good road connections at the East of England Showground and the number of car-parks and entrances, the organisers do not expect any serious traffic congestion, even with 100,00 plus people over Easter Sunday and Monday.