Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Despite the size of the exhibits, the Semi-Truck Show and Shine is one of the best kept secrets of the Kosciusko County Fair.
The folks at Metzger Motor Sports, sponsors of the event, hope to let the secret out.
The Show & Shine, now in its fourth year, is a showcase of semi-trucks and trailers.
"It's a well-kept secret," said Mike Metzger, owner of Metzger Trucking in Silver Lake, and organizer of Saturday's show.
Local and area working trucks, antique trucks, dump trucks, flatbeds, grain trailers tankers and reefers will pull onto the southwest side of the fairgrounds, shined up to look their best.
Sixteen categories are judged and awards are presented at 7 p.m. following a parade lap around the track. Trophies are awarded for the first and second places in 16 categories. Last year there were 47 entrants.
The awards ceremony ends the truck show and indicates the start of another event for the Metzgers.
Mike Metzger is the owner, mechanic and chief driver of the legendary Liberty Belle, a modified 1976 Kenworth.
At 7:30 p.m. a National Truck Pulling Association event begins and 15 modified semi-trucks will compete for national points.
The NTPA's Super Semi group comprise of about 20 modified trucks which rev up to 4,000 hp - 10 times the horsepower of a stock truck. They're equipped with four turbos. They burn 5 gallons of diesel in 15 seconds.
The Metzgers' competition come with names like Blue Ox, Buckeye Bulldog and Silver Bullet out of Ohio; Lone Wolf from New York and Built For business from Pennsylvania.
Following the national event there will be a semi-street stock pull and a four-by-four street stock pull.
The admission to the pull is $6 for adults, $3 for children age 6 to 12 and free for kids under 6.
Now in its 15th year, the truck pull is performed in front of a sell-out crowd.
The Metzgers' Liberty Bell has a legendary history.
In 1975, before being bought by the Metzgers in 1978, the truck set the World's Land Speed record of 132.154 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats; in 1979 it was the winner of the Ontario 200 semi-truck race; and set another world record in 1981 of 128 miles per hour at the Texas World Speedway.
Because the Liberty Belle has made so many television appearances - TNN's "Truckin' USA," "Motor Madness" and ESPN's "Challenge of Power" - and appeared in the movie "Smokey and the Bandit," other modified semi-truck drivers call the office asking for "Hollywood."
Unfortunately the new Cummins engine and hasn't yet performed up to expectations, Mike said with a sigh.
He'll put the Liberty Bell through her paces in a Pennsylvania pull event Wednesday.
The local truck hasn't exactly been triumphant in Warsaw.
"We finished fifth last year," Mike said. "I think these other guys just come to humiliate me at home."
The Metzger Motor Sports team doesn't return to the pits in shame at every event..
In 1998 during the NTPA Napa Big Rigs Pulling Series the Liberty Belle won in Knoxville, Ill.; Lima, Ohio; and Canfield, Ohio, and took second place honors in Hartford, Mich.; Peoria Ill.; Wabash; Cassopolis, Mich; and Saline, Mich.
She was the winner of the Milwaukee Bobtail 200 semi-truck race in 1982; the Pro Show Inc. and the American Truck Racing Assoc. points champion and the Indy Super Pull champion in 1984 and 1986.
The fact is after the cookout for drivers on Friday night and the day spent as hosts for the Show & Shine the Metzger's are probably not in top form by the time the pull event starts.
But the truck show and the pull event are a labor of love for the Metzgers, proceeds go to the fair board, and is biggest money-maker for the fair.
Metzger Trucking, Silver Lake, is a family operation now in its third generation. Seven of Mike's nine children - Matt, Dan, Susanna Wolfe, Tim Micah, Cara and Ben - work at the family-owned business.
The late Ernie Metzger, Mike's father, began the business in 1938. He also started the Metzger's tradition of truck racing, pulling and drag racing trucks.
Dan and Micah are relative newcomers to the showing pulling aspect Dan began in 1994, and Micah began in 1997.
Metzger Trucking hauls for Chore-Time Brock in Milford and ParKan in Silver Lake. Their fleet includes 25 trucks and 70 flat bed and van trailers.
