Any time is a good time to take a trip to Vegas, especially when there's a mini-truck show worth attending. We recently heard about a revival of Battle of the Best from Kenny Heuer, the show's promoter, and decided to check it out since it was taking place at Hot Rod Hill in Las Vegas. Battle of the Best is a little different than your average custom truck and car show. Not just because the show's purpose is to unite mini-truckers, 4x4s, sport compact cars, hot rods, and motorcycles, but also because it truly is a battle for the best. There are no First, Second, or Third Place trophies to be had. Only the "Best" of each class survive 'til the end and receive a trophy.
The show was brought back to life for many different causes, including raising money for less fortunate kids at Christmastime, and to help revive the custom truck and car scene in Las Vegas. M.A.D.D. (mini-truckers against drunk driving) held the show in memory of Joseph Rivera Jr. and Ritchie Montes to raise awareness not to drink and drive.
Along with all the excellent causes the show was promoting, it was also a great time for us to see which up-and-coming mini-trucks were dragging the streets of Las Vegas. We got to hang with Steve Platt from Plattinum Audio Designs, Musso Motorsports, and the rest of the crew from Xtreme Lowz, along with Forrest and his Severed Ties posse.
After we cruised the area and got all the photos we needed, ate some lunch, and finished shooting the breeze with all the awesome people in attendance, it was time for the trophies. The Under Construction Truck prize went to Tyson Cleland from Xtreme Lowz with his body-dropped '01 Toyota Tacoma. Mini- Truck Wild went to Steve Platt and his Steel Flame Hot Wheels S-10, while Chris Hill took home Mini-Truck Mild from Creative Minds. Xtreme Lowz received the club participation trophy for coming out full force and supporting the show. Overall, the show had a pretty good turnout considering that it had been a few years since the last Battle of the Best.
Vendors and sponsors for the show included Alpha Liner, Autobahn Excellence, Car Shoes, DMV Linebusters, D&N Auto Body, Havana Honeys, Hot Rod Grille, Snap On, and VIP Custom Motoring. Come out and support the show next year, and help keep the mini-trucking scene at the forefront of custom shows. For more information, contact: Kenny Heuer, (702) 612-8930.