The last 30 years have gone by in a flash for Pat Ford and his family since he held the first F-100 Supernationals show, and in that time, it has grown beyond his wildest dreams. You would know this too if you've had the pleasure of attending or even showing your Ford truck in the event that brings people from literally far and wide. The 2008 show was no different!
Late spring in Knoxville is always a surprise. Rain plagued the area mid- week and into Thursday, but cleared out for a weekend that couldn't have been nicer. It was filled with sunshine and low humidity, which was great for walking around Chilhowee Park to look at more than 1,100 entries. There were plenty of vendors on hand, such as Dennis Carpenter, Fatman Fabrications, No Limit Engineering, Mid Fifty F-100 Parts, and ididit, all of which held mini seminars throughout the weekend to help educate us consumers and many more. And there was a great swap meet filled with all your favorite old Ford parts. It was interesting to see how much stuff there was for '67-72 F-100s this year-must be catching on.
Friday and Saturday also included the F-1 and F-100 parades, as well as parades for the special guest class for the Galaxie and Fairlane Club of America, and also early Broncos and Ford tractors.
During the awards ceremony on Saturday night, Pat Ford and his staff handed out several hundred awards to the lucky winners and picked the raffle winners of a complete bed from Dan Carpenter and chassis courtesy of No Limit! Pat also took a minute to thank everyone who is and has been involved with the show since its inception and informed us that after 30 years he is handing the reins over to his friends at ET Promotions. Pat will join forces with Dennis Carpenter; with Pat's knowledge and last name, it's a natural. We wish Pat, Jan, and their son, Squire, the best!
Pat also announced that he would be back next year and every year to greet everyone in the F-100 SUPERTOUR returning from the West Coast in 2009. Whatever you do, don't miss out on the 31st Anniversary F-100 Supernationals in Knoxville, Tennessee, on May 14-16, 2009, again at Chilhowee Park. For more info, contact ET Promotions at 865-671-3000, kelly@earltom.com, or www.f100supernationals.com. See you all there!
 Father and son team Bill and...  Father and son team Bill and Riley Fanning braved the bad weather from Oklahoma on Wednesday to make it to Knoxville with their '65 and '60 F-100s, and we're sure glad they did! |  This clean little '48 F-1...  This clean little '48 F-1 belongs to Bill Townsend from Caruthersville, MO, and was one of many early model Ford trucks on display. |  It seems that silver may be...  It seems that silver may be the new black these days as we see more and more high-class builds like Mark Coleman's '53 being squirted in this fine metallic hue. And what color interior looks good with silver? Exactly, red. |
 Only three votes kept Harold...  Only three votes kept Harold Robinson and his build crew from winning Truck of the Year with this nicer-than-nice '56. Some said that maybe the BBC motor hurt it, but we disagree. |  Fellow Fordification.com member...  Fellow Fordification.com member Brad Owen was helping to represent the Bumpside crowd with his '68 shortbed Styleside. Fordification.com is an online message board/forum just for '67-72 Ford trucks. Check 'em out! |  Johnny Brown might have what...  Johnny Brown might have what some consider a "sleeper," but not in the street racing sense. His '50 F-1 looked quite unassuming sitting there in its flattened single-stage paint, but what most probably didn't realize is the truck is no rat rod. Chopping a top is one thing, but sectioning a vehicle separates the kids from the talented, and Johnny did both amongst other things to get the proportions right. Look for a full feature soon! |