GARY | Craig Strong was so excited by Tuesday's display at Speedco Lube and Tires that he pulled out his camera.
Within minutes, the Gary resident had numerous photos of Speedco's 80-foot-long trailer, the company's race car and the motorcycle inside the trailer. He took photos of his wife Elia with the cycle and with the car. He approached bystanders and had them take pictures of him with the car, cycle, and trailer as well as he and Elia with the vehicles.
"I've never been close to anything like this," said a Strong. "I'm thrilled to see it. This is the kind of excitement that Gary needs."
The display at 5225 W. 26th Ave. was part of Speedco's nationwide tour to create awareness for the company and raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. According to Dave Siipola, whom Speedco has hired to drive the trailer, the exhibit is on display 42 weeks per year at drag racing events, truck shows, and Speedco facilities.
The highlight of the display is the motorcycle. Built to honor the American trucker, the Orange County Choppers', custom-built Speedco Chopper remained inside the trailer because of rain forecasts and the probability that it would take hours to clean the $125,000 bike if it got soiled by rain.
The vehicle was built by Orange County Choppers in California. The company is featured on the Discovery Channel television program, "American Chopper."
The 561-pound cycle impressed a couple of truckers who saw it in the late morning. It was on display from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is at a Joliet racetrack today.
"Man, that's a good-looking machine," said an awed John Tener, a trucker from Nappanee.
Siippola and Scott Forthmann have taken the motorcycle around the nation for the past 18 months. It is displayed outside 90 percent of the time and is a popular attraction.
"When we go to Speedcos in the West we get the whole town (there)," said Siippola. "At racetracks, the interest level is high. We put as many as 6,000 people through the trailer in three hours."
The cycle has raised $128,635 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It particularly is popular among truckers although Siippola joked that it's difficult to get heart-felt reactions from them. Tener's enthusiasm seemed to belie that observation.
Although it was sunny, the visitors saw the motorcycle inside the trailer. While inside, they also saw an exhibit that included a summary of Speedco's history, photos of race car, and an explanation of the genesis of the construction of the cycle, which "resembles an 18-wheeler, but on two wheels," said the display.
"We want people to walk through the trailer anyway," said Siippola. "Not only is the bike neat, but so is the trailer."
