THE AUTO BUILDER
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Working-Class Heroes: The Best Pickups at Goodguys 2025
Let’s be honest—there was a time when trucks were the stuff you parked behind the show field, used to haul parts, or maybe pulled your “real” hot rod to the event. What once might have been considered second-tier to muscle cars and traditional hot rods is now front and center, with classic pickups, slammed cruisers, high-horsepower haulers, and fully reimagined showstoppers filling the Ohio Expo Center grounds.
TOUR DE CENTERFORCE
When it comes to enhancing the performance and reliability of performance cars, it seems as if enough is never enough, regardless of the vehicle, drivetrain or chassis. Then again, when you consider the problems that often cripple our cars despite the inherent strengths or improvements upon them, it’s often the driver that has the most detrimental effect on everything above the pavement.
A NEW FLAME
Boughn started looking for a new truck, and when he saw a shiny red ʼ99 Chevy Sportside Extended Cab pickup at his local dealership, he knew it was the one. He purchased the truck and drove it home, but as with any true hot rodder, this was only the start of his adventure. On the way home he already had the finished truck pictured in his mind, and he worked toward that goal.
Spotlighter
Gary Sinise Brings Star Power and Patriotic Spirit to Triple Crown of Rodding 2025
The Lt. Dan Band Proves It’s Got Serious Legs at TCOR 2025, All While Helping Heroes
Author
The Auto Builder Staff
Photography by Scott Killeen
A Rally of American Pride
The Triple Crown of Rodding 2025 wasn’t just the biggest hot rod event in the nation — on Saturday, September 6, it became a rally of American pride at the Nashville Superspeedway. Actor, advocate, and true patriot Gary Sinise lit up the night with his Lt. Dan Band, delivering a high-octane rock ’n’ roll concert that saluted our service members, veterans, and first responders.
Red, White, and Blue Energy
From the first guitar riff to the final encore, the show felt more like a red, white, and blue block party than a concert. With more than 3,500 custom vehicles, 190 exhibitors, and thousands of fans waving flags, the crowd embodied everything the Triple Crown stands for: American craftsmanship, unity, and gratitude for our heroes.
A Concert with a Mission
Sinise’s performance wasn’t just entertainment — it was a mission. Funds were raised for the Gary Sinise Foundation
Support America’s Heroes
Want to make a real difference for the men and women who serve our country? The Gary Sinise Foundation provides vital support to veterans, first responders, and their families—building mortgage-free homes for severely wounded heroes, equipping first responders, and honoring the families of fallen service members.
CLICK HERE to donate and help ensure our heroes get the support they deserve.
Gary Sinise Foundation
"While we can never do enough for our nation's heroes, we can always do a little more."
- Gary Sinise
