Truckin' and 4x4 Nats

Every year, the Phoenix-area enthusiasts crawl out of their air-conditioned sanctuaries to take on a full weekend of scorching heat at the Firebird Raceway for the annual Truckin' and 4x4 Nationals. The third and final installment of the Chevrolet-sponsored events filled up Meguiar's show 'n' shine with lifted, lowered, chopped, and shaved trucks from across the Southwest, all competing for $5,000 in cold, hard cash.

On the 1/4-mile track, everything from Lightnings to pro-stock trucks and 18-wheelers were clicking off respectable e.t.'s, while monster trucks such as Big Foot and Snake Bite crushed rows of cars in the distance. Out in the truck pit, 60 trucks battled for the title of Toughest Truck of All in the rockcrawl, tire pit, and extreme off-road course. New to the show was the testdrive course, which allowed spectators the opportunity to step into a Chevy, Ford, or Dodge truck and take a lap around the off-road course for the ultimate hands-on display.

Sunday's bikini contest packed the stands with tons of heads hoping to catch a glimpse of Arizona's hardest bodies. A group of judges undertook the daunting task of carefully examining each girl and crowning the best of the best. In the end, Melony LaRose was chosen as the pick of the litter, much to the crowd's satisfaction.

For more information about this year's event, contact: Firebird Raceway, (602) 268-0200, www.firebirdraceway.com.

Run What You Brung A show at Firebird Raceway just wouldn't be the same unless an 18-wheeler did burnouts and pro-stock trucks rattled your eardrums as they launched off the line.