Wow! What a crazy year, huh? 2006 flew by in the blink of an eye, and here we sit wrapping up the first issue for the 2007 Mini Truckin' calendar year. At the end of every year, the entire staff racks its brains trying to think of who most deserves the Truck, Show, and Club of the Year awards. While some years are easier than others, let me just say that this year was absolutely impossible!
There were so many groundbreaking minis that took center stage on our cover for the entire world to see. The level of feature trucks seems to break new limits each and every year, and we never know what a new year will bring. In 2006, some of the most memorable trucks of the year graced our cover. We began in January with Shannon's S-250 to set the stage. In February, Brandt's 383-powered Frontier really set the bar high for the rest of the year. From there, it was Shawn's super-clean Mazda showing the Northeast that the Northwest is still alive and kicking. Our April '06 cover sported Farva and Kim's BLAZERADO, wowing the entire country with one of the most modified trucks of our time. After that, we really threw you for a loop with our first Japan cover, a Toyota Stout that showed off the uniqueness of the Japanese mini-truck scene. Back to super-modded mini-truck classics: Lee and Elena Farmer's butterscotch Mazda showed that good trucks happen to good people. From there, we saw another killer SEMA truck in Cool Cars' chopped-up Colorado. Then, to really set the year on fire, Ryan's Blue Frontier dragged its way into MT history as the first full draggin' cover throwing some serious sparks. J-Woods' super-baller S-Dime bumped its way onto our Audio cover for its attention to detail, supercharged motor, and insane audio system. (You still with me? Only a few more to go.) For October's cover, we once again brought you an overseas exclusive with Australia's baddest mini. Lincoln's Toyota is the perfect example of no stone unturned, yet it's as classy as they come. Right after that, another history-maker in Travis' Hardbody rockin' dub deuces! The DIB crew went all out on the Hardbody to ensure that it was finished with the utmost detail. To wrap up the year, some of the coolest SUVs ever built teamed up for a dual cover shoot showcasing what one-stop shop Mr. Scrape Customs is capable of. The first Xterra ever body-dropped and one killer Blazer make the perfect blend of hardcore mini-truckin' SUVs.
Dang! That was a mouth-(keyboard)-ful. See what I mean? Imagine trying to choose the best mini-truck of 2006. Not as easy as it sounds. And that was just the trucks that made their way onto our cover. Take other groundbreaking feature trucks like Shawn Sick Side's Plane Jane - one of the coolest trucks built to this day. What about the super-clean burgundy Mazda on p. 68 of the April '06 issue? Jason's Mazda was absolutely flawless. There are so many beautiful badass minis that make their way into history every single year as feature vehicles in our magazine that deserve every bit of recognition they receive and more. The amazing trucks really are the reason why we are all here. It's the reason why I sit here and type this column every month. It's the reason why our mortgage payment is late. It's the reason why we spend every waking hour trying to conjure up the craziest ideas we can and figure out how to put them to work on our rides. Yeah, there are tons of reasons why we do what we do: amazing friends, admiration, dedication, and a lot of fun. But when it comes down to one thing and one thing only: IT'S THE TRUCKS! So I wanted to take my page this month and give props to all the amazing mini-trucks and their owners that are loyal mini-truckers. It's not the easiest thing in the world to be, yet every single day we wake up with trucks on our mind, and you know what...I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. Make sure to check out p. 108 to see who took home braggin' rights for the 2006 Mini Truckin' Best of's. Please drag thru!