Photos: Super Rigs 2011

Shell's 29th annual "Super Rigs" competition took place June 2-4 at the Kenly 95 Petro truck stop outside Kenly N.C. Trucks from all over the U.S. -- and Canada, too -- rolled past the watchful eyes of five judges for a shot at cash and various prizes, along with a chance to win one of 12 coveted spots on Shell's "Super Rigs" calendar.

The logo of the Kenly 95 Petro where Shell held it's 2011 Super Rigs contest incorporates an image of one of North Carolina's signature landmarks -- the Cape Hatteras light house. Built in 1872, it's the tallest light house in the U.S., standing 196 ft high. (Kenly's replica, however, doesn't reach to such great heights)

The gas powered "mini roadshow" truck ranked high on the list of "entertaining sights" at this year's "Super Rigs" contest. Powered by a 6 hp gasoline motor, it's a small-scale replica of the "Shell Rotella T Roadshow" tractor trailer seen in the background.

Larry Koester, champion National Tractor Pull Association driver, again brought his "mini modified" racing tractor team to Shell's annual Super Rigs event -- proudly showing off the 2,700 hp methanol-fueled beast he's trying to pilot into victory lane as many times as he can this year.

Truckers competing in Shell's yearly Super Rigs event often bring their families along to enjoy the festivities. Pictured here are Sean Cielke and his wife Amy (perched on the roof of their 2006 Kenworth W900B's sleeper) out of Haugan, Montana, with youngest daughter Ally sharing shade created by the tractor's raised hood with the family's pet terrier "Sasquatch." Out of view in the cab is the Ciekle's eldest daughter Chloe. Incidentally, they won second place in the Super Rigs tractor-trailer division, taking home $1,000 and some serious bragging rights.

"Mama Cried" is a high-toned 2011 Peterbilt 389 crafted by Jeremy Graves and family out of Anthony, KS. While it may look new, the truck actually started out as a "glider kit," to which the Graves family added a fully restored Caterpillar C-15 diesel and 18-speed manual Eaton transmission. Jeremy's uncle-in-law Dean Wedman (at left) drove the truck to Super Rigs and is reviewing its finer points with Pastor Time Heath (right), who operates the Sunrise Landing Mobile Chapel.

"Show Cutters" worked furiously about the Super Rigs parking area, spending hours prepping trucks for the competition. "Cutting" refers to the process of buffing off tarnish on aluminum components such as fuel tanks, battery boxes, wheels, and the like. To completely detail a Class 8 tractor inside and out for a show takes 20 hours; just detailing the exterior of a tractor-trailer combination takes 18 hours.

The 53 foot long "mobile chapel" operated by the Home Missions & Evangelism Baptits organization provided a place of worship for truckers staying for the three-day Super Rigs event.

The mobile chapel can fit from 35 to 40 people inside and is designed to operate from remote locations for extended periods, particularly areas struck by natural disasters, where church buildings have been damaged or destroyed.

Cat Scales brought its NASCAR racing vehicle to the Super Rigs event

The Caroline Military Vehicle Preservation Association (www.cmpva.com) brought several trucks and one humvee to the Super Rigs show. This one is a 1970 M813 6x6 five ton cargo and troop transport truck, sporting a 178-in wheelbase, Cummins NHC 250 engine generating 250 to 300 hp, and Spicer 5 speed transmission. It's GVW is 22,570 lbs.