By Tommy Lee Byrd – Images by the Author
Road trips are fun, and it’s even more fun behind the wheel of an old truck. One of the coolest parts of the classic truck world is that most of us build these trucks to be driven. That’s why you see so many modern engine swaps, weathered paintjobs, and minimal interiors—the goal is to drive it and have a good time not to win a trophy. So, when the announcement was made that a truck-specific road trip was happening, we wanted to check it out.
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It’s called the GM Tailgate Tour presented by Snowden Custom Seats and it’s a five-day event that takes the scenic route from Nashville to Sevierville, Tennessee, by way of Tupelo, Mississippi; Birmingham, Alabama; and Chattanooga, Tennessee. This inaugural event had lots of great destinations and an unbelievable route through some of the coolest backroads in the Southeast. We caught a glimpse of the event as the group made its day four stop at Camp Jordan Arena just outside Chattanooga. Before the trucks gathered at Camp Jordan, the participants had time to check out some of the sights around Chattanooga, including Rock City, the Towing and Recovery Museum, and the Coker Museum.
We enjoyed checking out the trucks, which ranged from patina’d shop trucks to slick Pro Touring trucks and everything in between. There were a few modern trucks but for the most part this was a 1947-87 crowd. When the group leaves Chattanooga, it will head north into the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains on the way to its final stop in Sevierville.
We love the concept of the event, and we’re sure the GM Tailgate Tour will catch on quickly and grow each year. To stay up to date on the event, you can find them on social media or check out gmtailgatetour.com.
