Trucker Talk: By Kim Jaikes Stars were shining in the form of gleaming trucks and trailers and rigs were seen racing around EchoPark Speedway at over 100 mph on November 7-8, 2025, at the Stars, Stripes & White Lines National Championship in Atlanta, GA. The “Stars and Stripes” were flying in multiple locations throughout the event, and the “White Lines” went around the venue’s racetrack. This iconic place, that is formerly known as Atlanta Motor Speedway, has a long history of welcoming big trucks to run full throttle around its mile and a half oval, and this show was no different. We all know a truck show starts days before the scheduled dates, so I got to the speedway on Wednesday afternoon and got to see a few old friends. I also made a new friend as I was admiring a stunning 1969 Peterbilt. I started chatting with Ronnie Milsap and we laughed as he told me he wasn’t going to sing. But he didn’t need to sing, because his truck “Carolina Crush” was hitting all the notes. Next, I got a big hug from Raiko Graveran, and then I finally got to see Jerry Linander and Kate Whiting’s “No Fences” rig in person. With an Aero 1 bunk, this truck and trailer is one of my personal favorites and everything I’d been hearing about – and the longhorn on the side of the trailer is amazing. It was also nice to get a little time to catch up with Kasey and Terry Aslinger and their girls. Talking while cleaning goes hand-in-hand after you’ve been doing this truck show thing for a long time. On Thursday morning, the process of parking everyone began, and I have to say, the speedway has a lot to offer when it comes to space. The infield of this track is a perfect venue. It has a rich history of trucks putting rubber to the racetrack, and where the first official truck race at a track was held on June 17, 1979 – they called it the Great American Truck Race (GATR). That first race, that was called the Bobtail 200, led to a truck racing series that lasted roughly 20 years. Our friend Lesa “Yoyo” Worley won the first race there, reaching 110 mph in her Peterbilt. The opening scene of Smokey and the Bandit II used actual footage from this race to launch the sport of truck racing. Walking around I was impressed at all the attention to detail everyone was doing. The smell of cleaners mingled in the air, the sky was blue, and the temperature was absolutely perfect truck show weather. I don’t remember being at a show where I saw so many boots set beside the truck, as the stocking feet that belonged in those said boots were up in the engine compartment cleaning every little nook and cranny. I saw many ladders, totes full of supplies, and even Q-tips for those really hard to reach places. I have to give a shout out to all the polite young men who said “yes ma’am” to me. Parents, you did a good job! Josh Rowan and his son Josh Jr. (he was one that said “yes ma’am”) were there with his suburban he calls Snooki. This was the first time I got to see her in person, and she is an impressive labor of love. Josh was in his booth drawing trucks as requested. He designs artwork for shirts, logos, and does amazing truck drawings on the spot. It never ceases to amaze me at how quickly he can put pen to paper and create a masterpiece. He also did a beautiful job designing the official t-shirts for this show. They literally rolled out the red carpet, complete with red velvet curtains and a “VIP Entrance” sign that lit up, to walk through when entering the show area. Walking across that carpet and into the infield early Friday morning was like taking a little trip back in time for me. I thought about my best friend Bette Garber being here with her friend Dierdre Wogaman at that first race. Dierdre was happy to share with me pictures Bette took of her up on the side of a truck with Jerry Reed. I have stickers that Scott Bouma at Scott’s Signs in Grandville, MI made of Bette with her picture and her famous saying: “I can’t make you rich, but I can make you famous.” It was an appropriate place for me to hand out those stickers to friends and drivers. We lost a true trucking ambassador on November 13, 2008. For those that knew her, they have memories, and for those who don’t, I want to introduce you to her (we also feature her work in every edition of 10-4 these days as “Out of the Archives” with Bette Garber). As I walked around talking to drivers and taking in all they had done to their trucks and tractor-trailer combos, I couldn’t help remembering again all the ways we did it back in the day. All the trucks had beautiful presentations sitting on carpet, tiles, cow hides and unique brag boards telling their truck or combo’s story. Kate Whiting, thank you for putting the “pouty baby” by Jerry’s left steer 68 10-4 Magazine / December 2025 SHINING STARS
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