10-4 Magazine September 2024

Truck Show Report: By Eric Hill and equipment displayed by all the hard-working owners and drivers of these beautiful rides, but, just as important, are the relationships we develop, nurture, and support along the way. With the steady downpour of rain on Saturday, I spent most of my time in the 10-4 booth patiently waiting for the rain to subside. However, this rain break allowed me some extra time to spend talking with people at our booth (and on the show grounds), which proved to be my most favorite part of the weekend. Kevin Voight from up in northern Wisconsin dropped by the booth and helped me pass the time by talking about a variety of subjects. One topic we spent a lot of time discussing was our faith, what it has meant in our lives, and the positive influence. He was even kind enough to volunteer to grab an umbrella from my SUV because he was wearing boots. Simple acts of kindness like this are representative of our friends in the truck show community. There is a common saying used in the Midwest in reference to the weather, regardless of the season. That is, “If you don’t like the current weather, stick around for a bit, because it’s going to change.” That proved to be the case at the 2024 Amcan Truckfest that took place at Union Grove, WI, at the Racine County Fairgrounds on June 7-8, 2024. This was the fourth event that I have attended organized and hosted by Amcan Truck Parts and JX Enterprises. I was looking forward to this truck show with much anticipation because it’s always a good show, very well organized, a great venue, plus Nick and Julia at Amcan do a phenomenal job of planning, organizing, and hosting this fun event. I knew the caliber of trucks participating in the event would be outstanding, and by the conclusion of the truck show this year, my expectations were confirmed. There were 82 trucks registered in this year’s show, and a few additional trucks drove in for the show that were not registered. In total, I counted 86 trucks participating in the event, which was down slightly from the 2023 event. This was probably due to the inclement weather on Saturday. And although the number of trucks was a bit lower than 2023, the quality of trucks was even higher than what I thought was a good group of trucks from the previous year. The trend seems to be that the quality of trucks at this event improves quite noticeably every year. Many of these trucks are show quality working trucks, and the pride and care taken by their owners is reflected in the high quality. With over 1,000 attendees to the Amcan Truckfest, food and drinks were available over the weekend of activities for a hungry crowd. Vendors that came out and provided food for the weekend crowd included A-1 Showtime, Bruno’s, CulinaryGangster, ChocolateMoonshine Fudge & Chocolate, DW Coffee, and Mo. I sampled the cheese fries topped with pulled pork from A-1 Showtime, and they were delicious! Several events were scheduled for the weekend that provided entertainment for the entire family. Friday night, the Southeast Wisconsin Showdown Truck & Tractor Pulls took place on the track of the Racine County Fairgrounds. This is always a big draw event and brings additional fans to the truck show grounds. Even with rain all day on Saturday, the show went on with the truck and trailer light show, and the evening concluded with a Tony Justice concert. There were activities available for kids throughout the weekend including a bounce house, kids bingo, a scavenger hunt, and many other children’s games. Truck shows are first and foremost about showcasing the incredible trucks 22 10-4 Magazine / September 2024 WEATHER OR NOT!