Road Kill Night Video
The race car zooms as the audience brings Joyride in downtown Pontiac, Michigan.
- This is the fourth time the Great Lakes slowdown has been held.
- The event took place on Saturday, August 30th at the M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Michigan.
- The slowdown is known as “the largest track show in the Midwest.”
While most car shows revolve around normal sized vehicles, Michigan’s Great Lakes throw is about trucks.
On Saturday, August 30th, the fourth annual Great Lakes Slowdown, held at Pontiac’s M1 Concourse, featured tracks of all shapes and sizes scattered around the racetrack and car park. Some people had lowriders denounced on the ground, while others had lift kits that looked like monster trucks. Not only did they have plenty of pickup trucks and SUVs, but there were also shops selling live music, taco trucks, and cowboy boots and hats.
The show was intended to feature trucks, but regular cars could also take part in the show and become part of the festival.
Burnout Pit
At the start of the event, spectators were scattered around the concourse, but the crowd quickly gathered when they heard the sound of cars approaching the designated burnout pit. The first car, a 2001 Camaro, started a party, creating a wall of smoke, roaming in the pits, burning rear tires. Although not a truck, the Camaro driver was one of the most skilled at the event. The driver did such a great job that some people were a little disappointed by the car that followed him.
Not all cars and trucks had the right drift build in the pits. Something with rear wheel drive and drivers who knew what they were doing went out there to give the crowd a show. Many drivers either kept the tires intact for another ride or brought a spare set. Several other drivers had to leave the truck for repairs, blowing the tires and causing other damage.
Pickup truck culture
A variety of track clubs participated in the event, and many traveled around the country. Team Billet featured one of the most prominent figures in the modified track scene. Reuben Garcia, a native of Houston, Texas, even known as “El Scarface,” spoke to fans when she wasn’t busy burning the rubber. He brought in a 1999 Ford F-150, making him a hardcore burnout.
Garcia said, “We’ve completely wiped it out and tried and error with the motor setup. Now is the point where she’s working pretty well.” The truck had a twin-turbo, 5.0-liter coyote engine that could put around 1,200 horsepower. The truck is now excluded, with a whopping 859 HP, but that’s enough.
Culture was equally important to attendees, not just events related to tracks. “For the Hispanic community, that means a lot because we’re interested in pinning our trucks, looking good and having a good time,” Garcia said.
Small truck, big dreams
The high lift kit attracted a lot of attention, but the low rider track was just as stylish.
Jeremy Kampau of Melvindale brought his 1999 GMC Sonoma in a sophisticated carbon fiber composite wrap hood in metallic emerald green. It was able to be lowered all the way to the ground with a custom air ride suspension. Spinning Bolt-On Rim was an original spinner that was released when it first became popular in the late 90s and early 2000s. The engine was recently rebuilt and only has 8,000 miles, but Campau estimates that the car itself has around 500,000 miles.
“My favorites are the spinner and colour,” Kampau said of the car. “My favorite thing is that there are so many. As a teen, I wanted a lot of it and I built it exactly the same as the teen I wanted.”
Lots of food and live bands
Another big attraction at the event was the food. There were several food trucks selling traditional Mexican food such as tacos, quesadillas and burritos, and we went with freshly made limonadas and holchata. The main bands appeared late in the evening, but there were several small bands playing near the track. Estilo 45, Los Escoltas de la Sierra, and Los Picudos were the main groups in the show on the main stage.
