The entry date for Cover Quest 2010 has passed, and we are now scrambling to select the best trucks from the entries so we can present them to you on the pages of 8-Lug. Response has been humbling-apparently there's a strong desire to be on the cover of this magazine. We'll continue to show the best trucks through the December issue and then make arrangements to set up a cover shoot of the winner's truck, which will run sometime in 2011. Next month, the winner of the 2009 Cover Quest gets his moment of glory with a cover shot.
The Panel
If you haven't realized it yet, Cover Quest is in the hands of the critics you see here. Their decisions are final and you can count on their comments to be brutally honest or sincerely encouraging.
Each reviewer has a different specialty, but in the end, two or more judges must agree on the worthiness of each CQ truck for it to move into the final round of elimination. Typically, selections for publication have been a confidential thing, handled behind the scenes of a magazine like 8-Lug. But for 2010, we're showing you the people behind the curtain. Well, most of them, anyway.
Bob Carpenter
His career with automotive magazines dates back to 1982 when he was an editor of Dirt Rider magazine. After the stint with motorcycles, Bob subsequently took the reins of magazines like Custom Classic Trucks and Truck Builder and never looked back. He's contributed to more than 20 other automotive publications as well.
Bob knows what it takes for a truck to be good enough to make it onto the cover of 8-Lug, and he doesn't hold back.
Larry Saavedra
With 20-plus years covering custom trucks and cars, Larry is a Telly Award-winning producer of Four Wheeler TV and most recently the editor of RV magazine.
His career started in 1985 at Truckin' magazine and he was responsible for launching niche titles like Mini Truckin' and 4 Wheel Drive & Sport Utility Magazine. With his insight of the aftermarket and a lifetime of automotive culture under his belt, Larry will be one tough judge to please. But you can count on him to be encouraging, no matter how you rate.
Mystery Judge
Much like Simon Cowell has defined American Idol, our mystery judge has wreaked a lot of havoc in the pages of 8-Lug.
People have gone out and spent lots of money to change their trucks after the mystery judge ripped them for this or that.
With the benefit of anonymity, the mystery judge can let the opinions fly without having to worry about answering to anyone.
This is the one judge the trucks are going to have to impress the most to get a thumbs-up.
SPECS
The Truck: 1998 GMC Sierra
The Color: Olive Drab
The Owner: Rob Brown
The Location: Spruce Woods, Manitoba, Canada
The High Point: Military theme
The Lift: 6-inch IFS
The Engine: 5.0L (still, it barks the tires)
The Wheels/Tires: 20-inch KMC Rockstars/40-inch Toyo M/Ts
The Sound System: Custom, with JL/Kicker/Infinity Pioneer included