Check out some of the coolest Ford trucks from one of the biggest all-truck shows in the world.
The 2018 Carlisle Truck Nationals were held earlier this month in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and as is generally the case, hundreds of trucks of from every brand poured into the fairgrounds, but Ford trucks were among the most prevalent and the most impressive. If you didn’t make it to Carlisle this year, the huge gallery of images from the show organizers offers up a look at the sheer scope of the event, but we have gone through all of the pictures to pick out a spread of the coolest Ford trucks.
The F-Series Rules
Among the many rows at the Carlisle events grounds there were countless numbers of Ford trucks, vans and sport utility vehicles, but the F-Series is one of the most common trucks in the field. The All-Truck Nationals offer an solid field of Rangers, Econoline vans, Broncos, and other non-pickup Fords, but the F-150, F-250 and F-350 are the top dogs.
Half-Tons Old and New
In looking through the official gallery from the Carlisle events staff, there are more high-riding custom trucks and many of them are Super Duty models, but within the 16 pages of pictures are a variety of half-ton trucks. This includes some gorgeous F-1 pickups, a collection of F-100s and, of course, several generations of the F-150.
Within the F-150 crowd, there are high performance Raptors and Lightnings, but the most impressive aspect of the Ford truck crowd is the sheer volume of people who fly the blue oval at this sprawling event. Also, as the images here show, there is a tremendous amount of variance in styles, so whether you like lowriders or monster trucks, drag racing or off-roading, the Carlisle All-Truck Nationals has an area for your pickup.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
