Big and little on display...
Big and little on display.
Lots of folks are feeling the effect of today's economy and cutting back on nonessentials. High gas prices keep travel to a minimum, but if the event is important enough, you'll find a way to go. And that was the attitude at this year's Slamfest in Tampa, Florida. A fall favorite for the last dozen years, Slamfest showed that even in tight economic times, some events are just too much fun to miss. Warm weather in the low eighties, the great Florida State Fairgrounds location with its indoor and outdoor display spaces, and lots of fun packed into the weekend's itinerary keep drivers coming back, year after year. More than 900 vehicles to ogle and big cash prizes to win just sweetened the deal. As it has for the last decade, the club Mini Madness, used a portion of the profits from Slamfest to assist Tampa area charities.
SHOW NAME:
The 17th Annual Slamfest
DATES:
October 3-5, 2008
VENUE (CITY/STATE):
The Florida State Fairgrounds, Tampa, Florida
SPECTATOR ATTENDANCE:
More than 4,000
TOTAL VEHICLE ENTRANTS:
More than 900
AWARDS GIVEN:
More than 100 trophies were awarded along with $500 each to the Best Full-size, (Tim Brown, C10), Best Minitruck, (Jason Lazarus' '94 Ranger) Best Domestic (Jack Bines, Camaro), and Best Import (Gerado Banoa, Civic). The Mini Madness Pick (Jonah Martinez, Ranger) for the club's favorite vehicle paid $1,000 and another $1,000 was divided among the bikini contest winners. The Bruce Rivera Award, a tribute to a fallen friend, went to Greg Intezgian. Greg's brother Steve was killed in an accident with his S-10 and Greg restored the truck in Steve's memory.
SPECIAL EVENTS:
In addition to the great collection of vehicles on display, Slamfest hosted the Burnout Competition, club games, and the bikini contest.
SPONSORS:
Diesel Wheels, Scrape-N-Customs, Street Options, AVE Car Stereo Warehouse, Auto Styles, Red's Miami
CONTACT FOR FUTURE EVENTS:
www.minimadness.com
 |  |  |
 Jimmy Graham's '07 Titan Crew...  Jimmy Graham's '07 Titan Crew Cab work truck, slammed on 24s, (Under Construction, Sport Truck, May '08) is now on the road and looking hot! |  Loaded with detail, the 2004...  Loaded with detail, the 2004 Ford Expedition of Jimmy Cordovi contains 26 monitors including a tiny pair mounted in the headlights. |  |
 Originally scheduled to be...  Originally scheduled to be a tow vehicle for his '69 Camaro, the '55 Chevy pickup of Ken Knaebel has become a show vehicle in its own right. |  Best of Show Full-size winner,...  Best of Show Full-size winner, Tim Brown displayed his '72 Chevy C10, equipped with a 572 crate motor, beefed chassis, and full stereo in the custom interior. Tim took home $500 along with his trophy. |  Here is a mini-trucker ready...  Here is a mini-trucker ready to party! |
 |  |  More than 4,000 spectators...  More than 4,000 spectators enjoyed the collection of 900-plus vehicles at the Central Florida Fairgrounds. |
 This multicolored '91 S-10...  This multicolored '91 S-10 Blazer is the handiwork of custom painter, Joey M. |  |  |
 |  Twin stacks, tractor tires,...  Twin stacks, tractor tires, and four-links front and rear spell high performance and go-anywhere capability. Cope Customs in Braden |  Scrape-N-Customs always has...  Scrape-N-Customs always has some cool vehicles on display like Justin Retz's 4Runner, slammed on 22s. |
 Justin Johnson modified his...  Justin Johnson modified his '94 S-10 with cantilevered Slam Specialties 'bags, a triangulated four-link, reserve tank, and slotted tailgate to showcase the custom upgrades. |  |  That's Mike Barber's "Opielicious"...  That's Mike Barber's "Opielicious" in the background, his '07 Chevy 2500 mud drag truck fitted with a 588 big block. |
 Body-dropped, 'bagged, and...  Body-dropped, 'bagged, and shaved, this bright silver '68 C10 was as clean as they come. |  Can you tell what Zak Spuler's...  Can you tell what Zak Spuler's favorite form of entertainment is, besides his 1997 Toyota Tacoma? |  |
 Fort Lauderdale's Mad Mods...  Fort Lauderdale's Mad Mods transformed Jason Lazarus' '94 Ranger into a Best of Show (Minitruck) winner. Jason went home with an extra $500 in his wallet. |  Plexiglas floors are just...  Plexiglas floors are just part of the reason why the green Ranger of Jonah Martinez was chosen as the Mini Madness club pick. Jonah took home $1,000 for his efforts. |  Sam Redding does custom paintjobs...  Sam Redding does custom paintjobs for a living so you know his '97 Tahoe is going to stand out from the crowd. The 30-color graphics paintjob makes it a one-of-a-kind. |
 |  |  Big power in a small package...  Big power in a small package describes the '89 Toyota of Kevin Titus. The tube-frame truck runs a 350/700R4 powerplant feeding a 9-inch Ford rear. |
 |  |  Jorge Rodriguez always keeps...  Jorge Rodriguez always keeps his 1970 C10 looking fresh, with something new every time we see it. It's fun to drive and a great advertisement for the family business, Dream Cars of Naples. |