2018 Texas Lone Star Jamboree

Details: By Phillip Jones

By Saturday, May 5, a record-setting 440 Toyota 4x4 trucks had descended on the East Texas wander known as Barnwell Mountain. The sprawling forest riddled with hillside trails is home to the annual event, now in its 13th year. With over 800 people in attendance coming from all over the U.S., this was truly a significant gathering of Toyota brand enthusiasts. Vendor attendance was also at an all-time high.

Friday was dominated by rains leading to an automatic increase in difficulty levels on every trail. As the rains ceased in the late afternoon, a brilliant rainbow greeted drivers as they emerged from trails in their mud-adorned rigs. Night runs on Friday evening thrilled drivers with uncommon slushing and sliding.

On Saturday, the unblocked sun started the evaporation cycle, but not fast enough. Coordinated Saturday morning trail runs resulted in more slippery fun. By lunchtime, any clean trucks stood out against the herds of muddy Yotas.

Following the group photo, crowds lined up on both sides of the rock garden for the timed competitions. Entrants are placed in classes based on tire size. Each competitor is permitted to have a spotter, but some competitors opted to run without guidance, and this event is always a crowd pleaser. Occasionally a truck will get tippy and the crowd reacts with gasps and shouts of ͞whoa!͟ One 1980’s crawler was driven to the finish by the man who built the rig, he seemed pleased with his time. Then his wife asked if she could enter the competition. With a determined look on her face, she bounced the crawler across the rock garden at a rapid pace, ultimately shattering her husband’s time. The crowd celebrated with her.

The next competition was the timed obstacle course. This year the track was enhanced with an early ramp guaranteeing airborne launches, and a series of bumps at the end to slow down the rigs and force them into flexing or bottoming out. Equipped with a P.A. system, Jason Demello commentated the sport, and encouraged drivers to take flight on the ramp. The competition quickly turned into an exciting show as truck after truck took to the air.

The massive prize giveaway on Saturday night followed the catered Texas BBQ dinner. Over $60,000 in prizes were handed out to eager holders of winning raffle tickets. From there, the group moved to the bonfire for a final night of telling tales of trail experiences.

Intrigued? Follow Lone Star Toyota Jamboree on Facebook to see photos and videos from previous events, and announcements for the next event. Don’t miss out on what has become the largest Toyota 4x4 event in the USA, and it still growing.