Sam Franklin's "Untamed" launches...
Sam Franklin's "Untamed" launches with his characteristic wheelie attitude. Sam won NMRO Class 3 honors by a few fractions of a second over Travis Wren.
The 4-Wheel Jamboree season typically winds up with a bang at the State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Indiana. The 2009 season was no exception, with new stuff to report on.
The Indy Jambo is everything the others are, just bigger. For 2009, the nearly 160 acres of the fairgrounds were opened up for the Show 'n' Shine. That gave everyone plenty of room to spread out and pick some of the more scenic spots to display their rigs. This evolved into a few "theme" areas, where you could see a bunch of rockcrawlers, restored Highboy Fords, built Samurais, or whatever.
Tough Truck racing was highly...
Tough Truck racing was highly competitive, as usual. Here Ron Peterson launches his "Bandit" S-10 on the second-to-the-last whoop. Jason got into the second round, but didn't make the cut for the third.
The anticipated high-adrenaline competition was there, including the General Tire Monster Truck Thunder Drags, all six classes of the NMRO Mud Drags, Mickey Thompson Tough Trucks, the burnout competition, and something completely different: Sta-Bil Lawn Mower Racing. Imagine guys on modified riding lawn mowers doing up to 35 mph on a dirt oval. It was pretty well attended and filmed by Speed TV. This time, it was an invitation-only event, but if it comes back, it may end up being a points event. It was certainly a hoot!
The NMRO Mud Drags were a lot more "up close and personal" this year, being held on the race straightaway right in front of the grandstand. Spectators got the full "3D" effect, complete with dirt clods, methanol-tinged air, and the roar of uncapped exhausts. Something new was added to the NMRO lineup-namely, mud-dragging ATVs. This may or may not be a permanent part of the program, but it's amazing how fast the little buggers are on the course.
Ben Miller's "Double Overtime"...
Ben Miller's "Double Overtime" Super Duty was the only Ford puller competing in the Modified class, a rarity in a class ruled by Cummins-powered trucks. Ben placed Fourth in the class with a 256.76-foot best pull.
After its big success last year, the NADM (National Association of Diesel Motorsports) sled-pull competition was back, and 55 of the points leaders and special friends from all over the country were invited to put on a show. All classes but the Work Stock class were represented. It turned out to be one of the most highly attended of the competitive events. People evidently like that black smoke!
Of course, the Indy show is also known for the major amounts of swag, both display swag and buyable swag (and even a bit of free swag). If it's new and improved, it's likely to be here, along with the best of the manufacturer's reps to explain it all to you. Recession? Economy suffering? You wouldn't have known it from Indy 2009.
The best reporting we can do is with the "thousand words" of photos, so check out the accompanying eye candy. Also, check out the Family Events website for the 2010 Jamboree schedule. There's probably one going on within your area.
 Bigfoot and Raminator are...  Bigfoot and Raminator are two of the hottest monster truck stars, and when they duke it out in the Thunder Drags, it's gloves-off racing. |  This 1-ton Chevy epitomizes...  This 1-ton Chevy epitomizes clean design, and it's one reason why the '67-'72 Chevys and GMCs are so popular. |  If you've never seen lawn...  If you've never seen lawn mower racing, you'll be surprised at how fast these "screaming-meemees" can go on a dirt oval track. Seeing this gives you all sorts of ideas on what to do with that old riding mower out back. |
 Many people probably walked...  Many people probably walked by Art Contoni's '48 CJ-2A not realizing it was a time machine. It's all original, from the paint to the tires, with only 28,000 original miles and a variety of nifty factory options. Among them are the chaff guard, 15-inch wheels and tires, governor, rear PTO, side steps, and a half cab (obviously off at the moment). |  More retro iron was seen in...  More retro iron was seen in the form of Joe Zaenkert's '66 F-100. It started life as a two-wheeler, but now has an uprated 4x4 drivetrain and a 429ci big-block under the hood. |  There were plenty of custom...  There were plenty of custom and show rigs on display to admire, as well as the craftsmanship that goes into building them. The engine in Gym Sampognaro's '74 Jeep CJ-5 was a prime example. Gym's CJ managed to garner an "Award of Excellence" in the Show 'n' Shine competition. |
 Crew cabs were a specialty...  Crew cabs were a specialty conversion in the '67-'72 Chevy era, but it wasn't clear if Robert Noel's '71 was a vintage conversion or a recent one. Does it matter? It's too cool to argue about. |  Jocelyn Perrin is famous for...  Jocelyn Perrin is famous for her car-crushing wheelies, and she didn't disappoint the crowd at Indy. |  Rob Bousman gets a wilder...  Rob Bousman gets a wilder ride than he expected in Class 3. Rob walked away with a little help and asking who was ringing those bells. Neither he nor the truck were written off. |
 FJ-40 Land Cruisers are an...  FJ-40 Land Cruisers are an uncommon sight in the Rust Belt of the Midwest. We didn't hook up with this gent to get his name, but his TLC was evident (pun intended). |  Calvin Miller's "Runnin' in...  Calvin Miller's "Runnin' in the Red" '02 Dodge 3500 placed Second in the very competitive top dog Modified Class with a 284.29-foot pull. |  David Huggins' '71 Bronco...  David Huggins' '71 Bronco has been in the family a long time and has undergone several transformations. Today, it's on the retro side with a few later-model upgrades and potent 351 Windsor power. |
 This green Jimmy is spinning...  This green Jimmy is spinning up some serious smoke, and as much went inside as outside. At the end of his 30-second "smoke break" the driver had to open the doors to clear the interior. |  Ray Scoles only got into the...  Ray Scoles only got into the third round of eliminations, but still managed to beat everyone else for the '09 Tough Truck points championship. |  The parade of rigs rolling...  The parade of rigs rolling through the grounds on the designated route was the source of a lot of interest. You could see it all: the wild, the wonderful, and the weird. This early-'50s M-211 deuce-and-a-half is obviously a fresh rescue from the scrap pile and drew a lot of affectionate looks from Korean War-era vets. |