If you haven't been to the Indy Jambo for a few years, you need to go. Seriously. This event is enormous. It's always been known as the King of All Jambos, but amazingly it continues to grow. Last year's show, the 26th annual, drew more than 4,700 four-wheel-drive vehicles and more than 72,300 spectators. Truly, it's a transfer-case throwdown of gargantuan proportions.
The Indy Jambo has a formal name and it's a mouthful. It's called the O'Reilly Auto Parts Fall 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals Presented by Toyo Tires. It's held annually at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis in September, and like we said, it has historically been the largest event in the Special Events Jamboree Series in terms of participants and spectators.
For those of you who are not familiar with Jamborees, they are multi-day outdoor events that are open only to four-wheel-drive vehicles. The beauty of these events is that whether you're into racing or rubbing tire dressing, there's something for you. You can choose to buckle up and participate in the racing (as long as your truck meets the safety standards), peruse the scores of aftermarket vendors, or simply veg out and watch the goings-on.
As you're reading this, the '08 Special Events Jamboree Series is well underway. The second-biggest event in the Series, the Summer Jambo in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, is right around the corner, July 11-13. For more info on any of the Jambos in the Special Events Jamboree Series, visit www.familyevents.com or their new Web site for Jambo fans, www.truckshownation.com.
Bobby Brown attacked the Tough Truck course like he was angry with it. Brown drove his Chevy Colorado 900 miles roundtrip from his home in Jacksonville, Florida. There aren't any Modified Class Tough Truck racers that can make that claim. His obviously versatile rig uses an off-the-shelf Skyjacker coilover suspension. Power comes from an LS2 GTO 6.0L engine that makes 400 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. | 
Gotta love the classics. We found this '80 Scout II Traveler Rallye in the Performance Marketplace. This rare Nissan turbodiesel-powered rig has a Klune-V extreme underdrive, a Dana 20 transfer case with PTO provision, a PTO-powered winch, 35-inch Super Swamper TrXus tires, H1 double bead-lock wheels, an SOA lift, a high-steer conversion with hydro-assist, and a York compressor. |
The thing about Jamborees is that you'll often see rigs you've probably never seen before like this unique Cat-powered '04 Ford F-650. It was sporting 12 inches of lift, King triple-bypass remote-reservoir shocks, 445/65R22.5 Goodyear G178 tires, an array of aftermarket lights, and a Lance camper. | 
Class 6 NMRO mud racing is always entertaining. These rigs are basically four-wheel-drive dragsters with paddle tires. The result is rigs that catapult down the track. Here Brian Sears pulls a wheelie off the starting line in his aptly-named "Mud Hopper." |
Morgan Creaker glances back from the seat of his Class 4 mud racer just in time to see Paul Steward cross the finish line on two wheels. Unfortunately for Steward, this was only the beginning of a hard roll that trashed his rig. Steward had some bumps and bruises but otherwise was unhurt. | 
One of the big draws of the Indy Jambo was the Performance Marketplace. This sprawling outdoor shopper's paradise put the latest-and-greatest off-highway accessories all in one place. The Indy Jambo drew a mind-boggling 84 vendors, which is a truly remarkable number. |
The Mickey Thompson Tires Tough Trucks Challenge is a season-long series where competitors gather points at each event. Tom Haliburda, seen here, raced at the Lima Jambo and the Indy Jambo. Here he catches big air on his way to the finish line. | 
Louis Touchette of Corydon, Indiana, is probably still woozy after falling a tad short on a jump in his Explorer. This little Tough Truck mishap resulted from a significant lack of forward velocity off the starting line. |
The interesting thing about the Indy Jambo is that only a few yards can separate brawn from bling. Flanked by a pair of Super Dutys, this old Willys was a cornucopia of color. | 
We saw a lot of wacky homebuilt kiddie wagons at Indy, but this long-travel flex monster rollin' on Swampers was our favorite. |
We also saw a slew of homemade barbecue grilles. As enthusiastic meat-eaters, our favorite was this 55-gallon chrome stack-sporting monstrosity. | |