id this month’s title catch you off guard? Don’t worry, this is the last place I use to discuss anything political unless it’s directly related to our hobby/industry (and yes, I realize the current tariff situation does have a drastic effect, but it’s not what I’m going to discuss).

Believe it or not, there are politics when it comes to the content in this here fine publication you’re currently reading. Maybe not so much with the tech stories but definitely with the trucks we feature. Let me explain. Unlike numerous other niche market automotive publications, due to the extreme popularity of classic trucks here in the U.S., Classic Truck Performance has more than its fair share of competition. That being said, we have to be somewhat selective when it comes to the trucks we ultimately feature each month—and I’m not just referring to meeting certain standards, though I will touch on that shortly.

With the number of “new” builds on the scene—and the number of competing magazines—we try our best to keep the content as fresh and different from the others. Of course there will be trucks that are featured in multiple titles on occasion, but if we know that beforehand, well, more than likely we’re going to pass on the opportunity—the rare situation where that’s overlooked being a Triple Crown/Grand National Truck Show winner where we’re kind of committed in the first place. I feel bad letting owners/builders and even our photographers know of the politics prior to a double-dipping situation, but again, just want to provide the freshest content we possibly can.

ack in 1993, right as I was beginning my magazine career, New Smyrna Beach Chevrolet sold a brand-new C/K1500 77th Indianapolis 500 Pace Truck to New Smyrna Speedway for just that purpose: to serve life on the half-mile oval, aka Clyde’s Place, as a pace vehicle. Eventually, the now-OBS ended up being sent out to pasture, as it were, sitting dormant for years before pace truck collector Mike Autry ended up adding the Chevy to his collection in Kentucky.

had seen Derek Bumgardner’s Task Force Chevy a number of times—on the socials and in person—before actually spending some time with him and the truck at last year’s C10 SLO Down. Even after that, I still was none the wiser to the fact that the entire Stepside build was based almost entirely off aftermarket components! From the Premier Street Rod cab to the (now-defunct) Mar-K bed with boat deck flooring, the GSI/AccuAir chassis to the GM Performance LS3 and the Snowden bucket seats, it’s all stuff you or I or anyone else can pick up the phone or click the mouse and buy!

Before I get into the abovementioned particulars, I asked Derek to give us a little surmisal of his Stepside—and just how he came about its name, “Destitute”!