Brandon Burrell - MT Freelancer
Slamily Reunion
Fort Smith, Arkansas
This year I got to travel out of my normal area of coverage and check out a new show, Slamily Reunion in Fort Smith, Arkansas. This was a first-year show put on by Robby from KEG Media, who has been involved in the scene for quite some time now. The show was laid back with a ton of vendors, a bar/restaurant on-site, and it was only a couple miles from the hotels. One thing that set this show apart is the fact that it had several high-end street rods, some worth over $250,000 parked right alongside a mild minitruck dragger. It was cool to hang out at an event that had the best of both worlds!
Josh Fleetwood - MT Freelancer
Slamily Reunion
Fort Smith, Arkansas
This one was tough for me because I didn't know you can have this much fun without going to jail. The one show that had everything was Slamily Reunion. Robbie Bryant pulled in almost 400 rides-high-quality rides in a first-year show in an area where nothing like that ever goes on. The show also had a lot of good food, activities, vendors and great friends new and old, all held in a town where the night life does not shut down until 5 am and things can get real fun.
Phil Fowler - MT Freelancer
Envy Frenzy
Kingston, New York
This year I chose Envy Frenzy brought to us by Made 2 Envy out of Kingston, New York. This show is one kickass time. The show is hosted by a bunch of down-to-earth minitruckers and held at the Rondout Waterfront. The Made 2 Envy guys get the whole town involved, shutting down the road and allowing a slew of rides and people to take over and just hang out. They have a legal drag session, burnout contest, and a drive-in movie projected on a huge screen under the bridge. If you're ever in the New York area looking for a show, be sure to swing through and check this one out.
Jennie Hendrex - MT Freelancer
Scrapin' The Coast
Biloxi, Mississippi
I have been attending this show for many years and have always known it to be a monster. But in 2009, this show didn't just fill its cup, it ran over, WAY over. They had their registration about 2 miles down the seawall to help on the traffic control but despite all the room at the coliseum, the fire department shut them down at around noon on Saturday for reaching capacity. That's just crazy! So what did they do? They basically started another showgrounds at the registration area. How many shows can say they had to open up a second location to accommodate their entries? If you have not yet hit this show, then you are missing out!
John Jackson - MT Freelancer
Tex Mex 2009
Somerville, Texas
I finally got to hit a lot of the big ones this year, and can say without a doubt in 2009 Tex Mex was the best show on the planet. It was tough with the RA show showing again this year why it's been the best more than once, but the guys from Severed really threw down the gauntlet for future shows nationwide. The last thing I wanted to do was vote for something that Mike would probably vote for, but hey nobody's perfect.