By Rob Fortier – Images by the Author
It’s Monday morning, September 29th, and I’m still unwinding—and recuperating—from four full days out at the Pomona Fairplex for the third edition of the Grand National Truck Show (GNTS)… which is only a two-day show!
So, why four days? Well, Wednesday myself and five other esteemed gentlemen gathered in Building 4 for the official judging for the World’s Most Beautiful Truck (WMBT) award to commence. This year, we were greeted by 11 outstanding trucks in which to judge and subsequently cast our votes upon come Friday evening (leaving Thursday and Friday to further evaluate the contestants once their respective displays had been set up and each truck prepped for showtime).
The following day, our usual In The Garage Media booth, which displayed my in-progress 1948 Chevy last year, welcomed Carson Reed’s 1964 Chevy, the “High School Hauler” project we’ve been covering in the magazine this past year. We spent the better part of the afternoon setting things up to everyone’s approval while simultaneously wandering around the show as everyone else did the same.
Come Friday morning, the 3rd Annual GNTS was on—including the outdoor “Truck-In.” By 5 p.m., it was time for the WMBT vote to be cast, and this year, just as the prior two illustrated, it wasn’t just a matter of opinion—it came down to every last detail, literally, before the panel made its choice.
Saturday evening, the long-awaited awards ceremony began. Once all the class honors had been handed out, the Rod Shows crew got down with the serious hardware. Before announcing the WMBT (and all subcategory awards), the first Courtney Hallowell Memorial Award (a special honor to me, as “Tito” was my mentor back in the early ’90s) was given to Jesse Corrales’ and his ’52 Chevy, while the second-annual Steve Stillwell Memorial Award (another mentor of mine) was awarded to CTP feature alumni Ken Tilton and his 1970 C10. Finally, our pal since day one, Del Uschenko (Delmo Speed) was honored as the 2025 GNTS Trend Setter.
OK—virtual drumroll, please. The 2025 ARP World’s Most Beautiful Truck honors (including $12,500!) went to Larry Jacinto and his Bob Bauder–tribute, Veazie Bros. Fabrication–built 1941 Willys pickup! Too many details—and people—to list, so you’ll have to wait for our full feature to come out in an issue of CTP … SOON! But let’s just say, not a single bolt didn’t receive a custom touch. The Ron Mangus interior was immaculate and Mick Jenkins’ paintwork was, as always, top notch!
As the show closed out, Rod Shows’ John Buck announced that “the show will go on,” and the 4th Annual GNTS will take place (dates still TBA, but it looks like the same weekend in September). Stay tuned for more updates and info!
