I am going to start with a heartfelt request to forgive me for any typos in this rundown. I am currently squashed into the middle seat of a less than eloquent aeroplane, enduring a 14 hour return journey back to Australia.
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I won’t mention the airline but my google review will fill in the gaps later on. For now, I have finished my cliché ‘I’m sorry what was that’ airline meal, washed it down with a plastic cup half full of a very budget bourbon and readjusted my seating to allow for the seat in front of me to encroach on my personal space whilst a 7-year-old watches what seems to be a sponge bob marathon.
Forgive me if all of this seems a little on the negative side, I am happy to take the punishment, I am asking for leniency in my typos as my elbows are glued to my sides and my typing is a fraction over the one finger minimum required. I could hold off, take another whisky and pretend I can sleep on a plane, but I have opted instead to try and get this story down whilst the bright lights and booming sounds are still throbbing in my head.
Today I break the cardinal rule, the age-old adage that we all hold dear. Today the advertising slogan that came to define many an adventurous trip, gets overruled. ‘What Happens in Vegas stays in Vegas’ no longer. I am cramped up, conversing with you to share my tale of a relatively new show on the American Trucks scene. A show that incorporates Big Rigs, fast cars, 15’ hot dogs and the Best Kept Secret in Las Vegas. Welcome to the 3rd running of the Vegas Large Car Invitational.
The event itself is the project child of Sheri Goldstrom and her team. I wish I could get into Sheri’s story and share with you what an avid automotive addict this lady is but to do her story justice I would fill several books, incorporating Sheri and her family.
I do recommend you take the time to look up Sheri, and her parents Art and Shirley Goldstrom. The working-class family are responsible for literally shaping Las Vegas. Over the decades they have been responsible for creating thousands of jobs in sin city, played vital roles in the reshaping of Vegas through its gestation and they now operate a museum that has been dubbed ‘The Best kept Secret in Las Vegas’. I will get to that after the mid-flight movie, for now let’s stick with the show itself.
The Vegas Large Car Invitational is the brainchild of Sheri Goldstrom. It came about because of the avid automotive fan that she is, as well as being a huge supporter of charities and fundraising.
Sheri found herself on the board of Las Vegas branch of the Speedway Children’s Charity and that led to this event.
“I wanted to do something to different to raise funds for the Speedway Children’s Charity because I know where the money goes. It goes straight to kids; it’s not going to administrative fees and stuff like that. It goes to the kids.” Sheri says.
“We do different shows all year long, we do car shows, we do a golf tournament, we do lots of events, but this is the only truck show. All up I think last year we raised around $500,000.”
What makes this event even more special is exactly what makes this event unique.
Firstly, is the fact the event is tied into the Southport 400. One of two huge Nascar Events held at Las Vegas Motorsport Speedway each year. The Show takes place within the fan zone on the outside of the enormous track. Meaning motorsport fans get the chance to envelope themselves into the trucking world and trucking fans get to envelope themselves in the high-octane world of Nascar.
The second aspect of this show that adds to its prestige is in its name.
The Vegas Large Car INVITATIONAL.
The event is by invite only.
“We made it invitational so that each year we will have different trucks. We are limited by space here, so we had 60 trucks invited this year,” Sheri says.
“60 is hard to choose when there were nearly 500 trucks putting their hands up for an invite
“Eventually we’d like to have more but we don’t have the space. The first year we were separated (around the speedway) and it wasn’t as good. We really have to keep them together.”
Keeping the event all together means sticking to that limited number, although the exclusivity of that just adds to the distinction of an invite.
What this also means is that Sheri’s team are very thorough with their selections and extremely precise with their parking.
Knowing which bobtail and combos are coming means parking is measured to the mm (technically in America it’s measured by feet and inches). And selection is the best of the best.
“It is a very hard process; we want nothing but the best here,” Sheri says, adding that to her, everyone’s truck is the best.
Sheri’s love of all things big rig shines through in her unabated enthusiasm. Going on to spill in detail some of the amazing rigs I’d already had the pleasure of seeing roll into the event. My host for the weekend, Kim Jaikes of 10/4 magazine also pointed out to me the truck that Sheri herself drove when working behind the wheel.
The entry fee for the show is $250, but with that the entrants are getting nearly $1500 worth of Nascar tickets, entry into the Neon Garage (the inner sanctum of the Las Vegas Speedway) as well as a dinner invite to Sheri’s place on the Saturday night. Again, all the money raised goes to the Speedway Children’s Charity.
“Before anyone had even rocked up this year we had raised $31,500. We are on track to raise the most ever at for this show.”
With entry fees, a charity Auction and a few other fundraisers the team closed the book around $43,000. That’s closer to $70,000 Aussie dollars for the record.
With the how, why and where laid out, let’s get down to the ‘should I book tickets to next year’s event?’ argument. The short answer is yes. With conditions.
The Vegas Large Car Invitational is a fantastic show with an extremely high-quality cavalcade of incredible 18-wheelers.
But if you are purely a truck nut with no interest in Nascar or motorsport in general, travelling just for the show, you are limited with entertainment.
The rationed parking area allowed for the show means you don’t get the usual truckers’ merchandise areas, or extended entertainment. They could squeeze more trucks in, but thankfully they choose to keep some distance, which allows for better viewing and appreciation of the stunning semis on site.
If you are a truck loving motorsport fan and have always wanted to experience the grandstand shaking growl of 40-odd V8s dispersing nearly 700hp each around an enclosed oval track with 20deg banked corners, then pack your noise cancelling headphones and book it. Getting to mix the adrenaline of race cars hitting 200mph around a 1.5-mile tri-oval track, with the quiet revelry of an elite level truck show means you might have hit automotive Nirvana with this show.
My advice is, make this show part of an all-round Vegas package. The great thing about Las Vegas is it has something for everyone. Definitely factor this amazing show into your plans. Take the opportunity to experience Nascar at the same time. Wander the grounds and see the parochialism of the Nascar fans, buy yourself a $35AU 15’ dagwood dog or a $27 Pineapple soft serve ice cream. Actually, cancel those last two. I didn’t understand why so many Nascar fans came accompanied by their own eskies until I went to buy food at a Nascar Event. It makes an airport sandwich look like a bargain meal.
Back to making this show a part of a larger plan. You also need to include Sheri’s family museum. Dubbed ‘The Best kept Secret in Vegas’, you can get guided tours through the multiple buildings and trust me you want this. Everything from the pink slip Marilyn Monroe got when she was fired from Playboy, to jail cells from Las Vegas’s original woman’s prison are on show. There’s one of the original Coca Cola delivery trucks, in yellow and red, as well as a 1976 Peterbilt sporting a 900hp V12 Detroit.
Inside the many sheds you will find a priceless collection of Hot Rods, Rat Rods, custom builds and champion creations. There’s a burnout specced Zamboni (those slow machines used to clean the ice in stadiums). There’s a 1932 Ford Roadster that clocked an incredible 253mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Or, my personal favourite from the entire museum, a 1927 Mack Truck ‘Beer Wagon’. This was the custom Hot Rod that even led to Matchbox and Monogram models being made of it.
As the lights are getting turned off in cattle class here, the 7-year-old in the seat beside me is sound asleep with Bluey now adorning the screen. My elbows are starting to cramp, and I’m in need of some whisky and a melatonin to help me sleep. I want to wrap up this wrap up.
In summary… make the Vegas Large Car Invitational a part of your plans.
Stunning trucks, surrounded by stunning trucks, overseen by sensational people – all of whom are so happy to engage and tell you all about their rides. Yes, it is on at the same time as the great race here in Australia, but Sheri informed me on the last day that Nascar have invited her to conduct the show at the summer race as well, meaning you can plan to incorporate March or October in your Vegas holiday now.
Make the Vegas Large Car Invitational part of the perfect Vegas package, especially if you include the Nostalgia Street Rods Museum, as well as getting tickets to the Sphere, some time at the Shelby Centre and trust me when I say, finish up with a visit to Braud’s Funnel Cake Café.
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