Trucks pass by spectators on State Street in downtown St. Ignace Saturday night, September 19, during the Parade of Lights. Drivers crossed the Mackinac Bridge, paraded through Mackinaw City, and returned to St. Ignace. The ground trembled and crowds waited in anticipation as an army of 105 big rigs crossed the Mackinac Bridge and thundered north up the pavement of I-75 to exit 348, where they were greeted by hundreds of spectators spread out over three miles along the stretch of Business Loop I-75 leading to downtown St. Ignace.

The "Parade of Lights" Saturday, September 19, was part of the 14th annual Richard Crane Memorial Big Rig Truck Show, in which 95 registered trucks competed for awards and drivers showed off their mammoth beauties. The parade gives the truckers an opportunity to show off their lights, horns, and other custom details to the crowd. It took the trucks through St. Ignace and Mackinaw City during a weekend show that also featured a free public display of the trucks in St. Ignace.

Ike Van of McBain sits on his 1933 Chevrolet truck, which he turned into a replica of the truck used in the "Beverly Hillbillies" television show. Mr. Van brought the truck, which is covered with various antique items ranging from a washboard to a metal urinal, to the St. Ignace truck show this year to make people smile, he said. Many truckers at the show said what sets the St. Ignace event apart from other shows is the appreciation residents and visitors to the town show for the chance to see the trucks and meet the men and women who drive them.

"I love this town," said Ron Baird of Thorntown, Indiana, who won the Best of Show, non-working, award at the show. "The people here appreciate it so much."

The show was hosted by Ed Reavie of Nostalgia Productions and the National Association of Show Trucks (NAST).

Doug Scholten and Jeremy Hassevoort of Holland, Michigan, pose with their families and two trucks, which won Best of Show Working Bobtail and Best of Show Working Combo awards during the Richard Crane Memorial Truck Show. Mr. Scholten's 2010 Peterbilt took the bobtail award and Mr. Hassevoort's 1986 Peterbilt took the combo award, which he also won at the 2008 and 2007 shows. Both trucks are operated for Rabbit River Transport of Zeeland. After St. Ignace Mayor Paul Grondin presented the mayor's award during a Sunday, September 20, award ceremony, Bo Trout, NAST president, thanked the city for opening the city to big rigs year after year.

"It's so nice to be up here and be appreciated when we come up," he said. "Thank you for having us. The crowd was fabulous and the weather was great."

Mr. Trout and his son, Jeremy, brought a special truck to the show this year, with murals on the truck and trailer memorializing those who lost their lives during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

St. Ignace Mayor Paul Grondin (from left) truck show guest of honor Alex Debogorski, and show organizer Ed Reavie pose Thursday, September 17, during the trucker reception at Little Bear East Arena. Along with the murals on the truck are names of first responders who died during the national tragedy. On the opposite side of the trailer from the 9/11 mural is a tribute to all those in the armed services.

Jeremey Trout said the painting is meant to remind those who tend to forget of the sacrifices made by some in service of our country.

"It affects everybody," Mr. Trout said. "People sometimes take for granted the freedom we actually have."

The truck gets reactions wherever they go, he said, and Bo Trout has many stories about veterans and their families approaching him, often in tears, to thank him for helping remind the public of some of the courageous Americans serving their country.

Burt and Marilyn Phenicie pose with their 1948 Dodge. The truck was originally used to haul coal in Pennsylvania, and Mr. Phenicie, a retired truck driver, bought it in 2002, took it apart piece by piece, and rebuilt it. At the far end of the show area, Ike Van of McBain sat slumped on the step of his 1931 Chevrolet, also garnering crowd attention. Mr. Van found his truck, which was used in Duluth, Minnesota, to transport laborers in and out of coal mines, in a field 25 years ago and has since fixed it up to replicate the vehicle used in the "Beverly Hillbillies" television program.

One couple from Petoskey stopped to chat with him and later decided that their friends needed to come and see the truck, Mr. Van said. They drove back to Petoskey to get their friends and brought them to meet the man and see the truck that made a convincing visual replication of the famous T.V. show.

Spectators walk State Street in downtown St. Ignace, perusing the 95 registered trucks in the 14th annual Richard Crane Memorial Big Rig Truck Show. Weekend weather was sunny and summer-like for this year’s show. "People say this takes the whole show," Mr. Van said. "The main thing is to make people laugh."

The rusty-looking relic had a bed full of various antique tools, curiosities, and other treasures.

A reminder of the history of trucking was brought to St. Ignace by George Wacker of Manchester. Mr. Wacker stood by in an old Standard Oil uniform next to the 1931 Ford Model AA gas and oil truck that took him 30 years to put together.

Mr. Wacker's father worked for the oil giant, delivering kerosene and other fuel to homes and farms using an identical truck. Mr. Wacker said he remembers working alongside his father as youngster of five years old, working the pull-counter on the back door, which was used to count out the gallons purchased by customers.

Ron Baird with his 2000 Peterbilt and Heil trailer combo, which earned him and his employer, Hoffman Transportation from Channahon, Illinois, the Best of Show Non-working award at the 14th annual Richard Crane Memorial Big Rig Truck Show. Mr. Baird kept a bag of plastic pellets in hand during the show to show spectators what he hauls for the company. "All I had was one picture of the truck," he said. "I always had the dream of duplicating the old truck."

One of the biggest challenges in recreating his father's work vehicle, Mr. Wacker said, was finding one of the 450-gallon tanks to mount on the rear. Although people like his father owned the actual trucks, the tanks were owned by Standard Oil, which scrapped them when they were put out of commission to discourage private competition.

At right: George Wacker of Manchester with his 1931 Ford Model AA gas and oil truck, an exact replica of the truck his father used when he delivered fuel to homes and farms for Standard Oil. Mr. Wacker displayed his truck during the St. Ignace truck show Saturday, September 19, winning an award for Best Antique Combo, 1966 and older. He said it took 30 years to find all of the parts and put the truck together. After finding the tank in an advertisement in the "Wheels of Time" magazine, the last piece of the puzzle was in place and Mr. Wacker was able to complete his dream of re-creating the truck he once rode in with his father.

"It's been a 30-year experience," he said. "I enjoy meeting people and telling them about the truck. It draws people's attention and I get a lot of questions."

Curious crowds mill around Bo Trout's tribute to those who lost their lives September 11, 2001, a truck and trailer combination with murals of the twin World Trade Center towers and the names of all first responders who died during the disaster. The Kenworth W 900, owned by Mr. Trout's Bogie's Express of Tecumseh, won a handful of awards during the weekend truck show in St. Ignace. Parked next to Mr. Wacker at the show, Burt and Marilyn Phenicie showed off their 1948 Dodge, possibly the only one of its kind left in the country, they say. After driving a 1957 Dodge hauling freight for 50 years, Mr. Phenicie bought the older truck in 2002, took it apart piece by piece, and repaired it.

"I'm just a truck driver," he said. "It's all I've ever done."

The antique truck was once used to haul coal in Pennsylvania, Mr. Phenicie said, and has only 19,000 miles on it. The couple has been to the St. Ignace show three times, and the setting and the people keep them coming back, they said.

Lights blur beneath the Mackinac Bridge toll plaza Saturday night, September 19, as 105 semi trucks cross the bridge, headed back to the annual truck show in St. Ignace as a part of the Parade of Lights, which takes them from St. Ignace, on a loop through Mackinaw City, and back. Enthusiastic crowds line up to see the trucks along the parade route. "He likes to show off his truck, and it's so beautiful up here," Mrs. Phenicie said. "The parade across the bridge is really cool."

Holland Men Take Both

Best of Show Awards

The weekend culminated in a rewarding ending for Doug Scholten and Jeremy Hassevoort of Holland, Michigan, who won Best of Show Working Bobtail and Best of Show Working Combination, respectively.

Both Mr. Scholten's 2010 Peterbilt 389 and Mr. Hassevoort's 1986 Peterbilt 359, which won the same award in 2008 and 2007, are operated for Rabbit River Transport of Zeeland. The two said it was a happy surprise to both take home the top two trophies from the show, and thanked their families and friends, since working on the trucks and running the company is a team effort.

The 2010 Peterbilt driven by Mr. Scholten was built as an anniversary truck for Rabbit River, since it is the 100th truck owned by the company. Mr. Hassevoort said he enjoyed the show and hopes to bring both trucks back for the competition next year.

"There was nice weather and a lot of people," he said.

Ron Baird of Thorntown, Indiana took home the Best in Show award for non-working trucks for his 2000 Peterbilt and 2000 Heil trailer, operated for Hoffman Transportation of Channahon, Illinois. The huge tanker truck is built to carry millions of plastic pellets from a plant in Coleman to plastic producers elsewhere.

The 500-mile trip to St. Ignace was worth it, Mr. Baird said. He was happy to win and said he always enjoys meeting people and talking trucking to those at the St. Ignace show, which he has been to seven times.

"It's a nice place to visit," he said, and mentioned the lakeside location as a plus. At "no other show are you sitting on the water like this."

Complete truck show judging results will be published in a future issue.