FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Subject: Truck-Lite Trophy Awards for 2004

2003 Truck-Lite Trophy Winners Trade Places for 2004 AwardLast year’s top two finishers traded places for the 2004 Truck-Lite Trophy, symbolic of the National Association of Show Trucks (NAST) national championship.
First place went to Gary Patterson, Fredonia, PA, last year’s second place finisher, who narrowly edged 2003 champs Shelly and Bob Brinker, Grayling, MI. Gary Ragland, Jackson MI, finished third in a truck owned by Sercombe Trucking.
Patterson’s unusual customized 1982 maroon International conventional, mated to a 2002 Great Dane Trailer, virtually swept the combination class throughout the 2004 season. Gary competes with help from his wife, Janet, an administrator at Horizon Hospital, Sharon PA, and their sons Chad and Shawn. The Trophy winning combination sports more than 350 Truck-Lite LED lamps.
Gary has been trucking for 18 years and showing for eight. When showing the International as a bobtail, he did well but never reached the level that came with the addition of the trailer.
Asked about winning the Truck-Lite Trophy for the 2004 season, Gary said, “This is one of the goals we set out to accomplish, but I never thought I’d do it so quick. It’s always good to have tough competition, and we’ve become friends, almost family,” he said of the Brinkers, last year’s Trophy winners, and all the other competitors. “I want to thank everyone who was involved and everyone who competed with me.” When asked how he might improve the rig for the 2005 season, Gary told us, “I’m absolutely not going to defend this year. I accomplished my goal. Now it’s someone else’s turn.”
The Brinkers’ 2000 Freightliner Classic XL named “Dragon On,” is known for its full mural, depicting the entire exterior as a “Dungeons and Dragons” experience. The hood is a dragon’s head with eyes airbrushed on the sun-visor. Reptilian scales are painted on the frame rails, while the sleeper has murals depicting dungeon scenes. Every visible square inch of exterior surface is airbrushed.
Bob and Shelly defended their 2003 Truck-Lite Trophy in 2004, but came up just a bit short. Bob said, “We learned a lot, but so did Gary. We added fenders and more chrome, and increased our Truck-Lite lamps from 147 to more than 250. We took lots of “Best Lights” trophies throughout the season, and won our share in bobtail class.
Bob drives full time, while Shelly, A CDL holder, team drives when she’s not being a soldier. In 2004, she was promoted to Sergeant First Class (E-7) with the Michigan Army National Guard. She has responsibility for logistics at Camp Grayling.
Gary Ragland took third place with Sercombe Trucking’s 2001 Freightliner Classic XL. He’s been with the company nine years, and started showing another XL three years ago. Owner Jim Sercombe used to show himself, but as the fleet grew, there wasn’t time.
The current show truck has red paint with grey stripes and white pinstripes. The 84-in Condo sleeper balances the Freightliners extended hood. A 2000 Great Dane dry van trailer continues the tractor’s color scheme. Like all the company’s trucks, Gary’s ride has 100 percent Truck-Lite LEDs, although the others in the fleet don’t have the 230 found on the Trophy winner.
The engine is well painted and trimmed with chrome nuts and bolts, but other than that, there are no chrome or stainless additions to the Detroit Diesel. Even so, it’s clean and attractive enough to have earned several 2nd and 3rd places in the Engines competition. Gary, who prepares and shows the truck by himself, plans to compete in all NAST Truck-Lite Trophy shows in 2005.
To be eligible for the Truck-Lite Trophy, a truck must be in regular service hauling loads, must meet minimum annual mileage requirements and must provide the bulk of the entrant’s livelihood.
The Truck-Lite Trophy is the symbol of excellence in show truck competition. It is awarded to the national champion of each year’s NAST competitions, based on total points earned over the show season. The original Truck-Lite Trophy, a walnut and etched crystal original design, is kept at Truck-Lite headquarters in Falconer, NY. Each year’s winners have their names added to the Trophy. In addition, the three top trucks receive reproductions of the Trophy. The first place winner gets the image of his tractor engraved on the center of three crystal panels. Second and third place winners receive smaller trophy reproductions. All reproductions are hand made of the same walnut and crystal as the original, similarly engraved with the winners’ names. Truck-Lite also awards cash prizes to the three winners. Presentation of the Truck-Lite Trophy for the 2004 season will take place at the Annual Industry Awards Banquet, conducted by Truck Writers of North America to be held during the Mid America Trucking Show, March 31, 2005.
For information on National Association of Show Trucks events for the 2005 show season, call NAST 863-605-1608.
Truck-Lite is . . . (boiler plate)

Journalists: Here is contact information should you wish to interview the winners further.
(1st place)
Gary Patterson
41 2nd Street
Fredonia, Pa. 16124
phone 724-988-9671 cell 724-910-5145

(2nd place)
Shelly & Bob Brinker
780 Little John Ave.
Grayling, Mi. 49738
phone 989-348-5857 cell 313-268-0141

(3rd place)
Gary Ragland
405 W. Washington Ave.
Jackson, Mi. 49201
phone 517-414-3753