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We told you about the MuscleKingz Car Show and Concert a while back. In that article, we talked about all the tire shredding goodness that would be going down at Kern County Raceway Park (KCRP) in Bakersfield, California.
We’re here to tell you – the show did not disappoint! From the amazing cars and drift demo, to the General Lee and Kip Moore, the entire day was filled with excitement and good times.
As soon as we got our press passes and made our way into the raceway, we could hear tires being punished. The subsequent smoke was billowing in the air – ah, the glorious sights and sounds of a racetrack. Like any journalist worth their salt, we knew where there’s smoke – there’s fire. So, we made our way to the drift demo area to meet up with Ken Johnson of MuscleKingz, and Brad DeBerti, resident tire slayer.
Brad’s signature smile was on display all-day. We could really tell this guy loves what he does. Hell, who wouldn’t when you’re there to slay tires, and hang with your buds?
Brad couldn’t have been in better spirits. If you have seen him on television, you know he has more energy than a jackrabbit on 5-Hour Energy. That’s not an act – he was every bit as jovial in person. With his signature smile reaching ear to ear, he slid his 1,000 horsepower drift truck around the steep banks of KCRP, right alongside his cohorts, Jimmy Burnouts, and Blake Wilkey.
It was certainly a sight to behold – for as long as we could. It didn’t take long for us to lose them in the cloud of smoke, but we did manage to grab some great shots and video of the chunks of rubber flying around.
We caught up with Brad, Jimmy, and Blake after the demo to give us the rundown on their respective rides.
Brad DeBerti’s 1000 Horsepower Silverado:
No freakin’ mercy! Brad DeBerti shredded every tire at the track.
Brad broke down his truck for us in between drift demos – you can see the full interview, here. This truck is a beast. When we talked to him after the second of three demos, he said he’d already burned down 8 sets of tires, and they were only lasting him about 30-40 seconds. If that doesn’t give you an idea of how much power his Silverado puts down, just refer to the picture above.
If your’e wondering why Brad’s truck looks a little smaller than your average Silverado, Brad told us “We built this whole truck on our show, Twin Turbos. From the frame up, everything you see on this, we built. In fact, this thing is way shorter than a regular single-cab Silverado. We shortened the wheelbase by using a crew-cab style bed. We built it to Formula Drift spec – the only difference is my truck is about 3-inches longer than any Formula Drift car, but it still retains 74-degrees of steering angle.”
“The truck puts power to the ground with an LS3-based Whipple supercharged monster! We built it specifically for forced-induction, so there’s a lot of stuff going on internally.”
When we asked Brad how he became so proficient at sliding his truck, he explained “As you know from the show, my dad is my best friend. Whether we’re practicing drifting, racing NASCAR, asphalt, or rally cars, we just like having fun. He and I go out all the time and practice. It’s basically just like this [drift demo], but no one else is around. Having a crowd makes it that much better, but really it’s just me and my dad sharing some father/son bonding time, shredding tires, and having a good time.”
Jimmy Burnout’s Indian Scout & “Slide Glide” Harley Street Glide:
Yup, he slides that Indian around in cowboy boots…
Jimmy brought out his Indian Scout Sixty, but couldn't leave his original "Slide" Glide out of the fun.
Jimmy Burnouts has been killing tires on two wheels for some time now. If you follow him on his social media (@jimmyburnouts), you know he’s no slouch in the saddle. You can always tell which one is Jimmy by his signature cowboy hat and accompanying boots. Yes, he wears both while smashing the rev limiter on his motorcycle.
Jimmy became known for tearing it up on his big-wheel Harley Davidson Street Glide. When we talked to him about what he brought to the MuscleKingz show, he told us about his new Indian Scout Sixty. “Riding this little Indian is like having a NASCAR between my legs. It’s got over 100 horsepower off the showroom floor – it’s ridiculous!” He went on to explain he’s still learning the bike, and all its nuances, so watch out for big things from Jimmy and his Indian.
Blake Wilkey’s Class Fun Buggy:
Not to be outdone by his cohorts, Blake Wilkey was smashing wheelies, and shredding tires too. His “class fun” buggy was sheer insanity with the front wheels in the air!
Blake Wilkey’s story is not unlike Brad and Jimmy’s. Known for shredding, Blake has made quite a name for himself in the off-road world. His LS3 powered buggy enables him to do stunts others can’t – namely getting the front end up in the air frequently. He spent almost as much time on two wheels as Jimmy!
We asked Blake about his truck, and you can watch the full interview, here. The Cliff’s-Notes version is this: it’s powered by a built, Magnuson supercharged LS3, a Mendeola S5D trans, and sports full King suspension. When we asked Blake what class he runs in his buggy, he said “It’s a class fun buggy. It would be like a Class-1 truck, but because of the short wheelbase, I like to keep it in the fun-having category.”
The Muscle:
Those guy’s rides and skills were all well and good, but we know the show’s muscle is the real reason you’re reading this, and trust us – there was no shortage of amazing metal at the show. Between the tire shredding, awards ceremony, and Kip Moore concert, we had a chance to walk the raceway and snag some interviews and pics of some of our favorite muscle at the show.
As soon as we started our march around the sunny grounds of the raceway, one car immediately stood out, which is saying quite a bit considering the General Lee was calling our name. Alexander Gilbertson drove his 1965 Impala all the way from Seattle, Washington, through pouring rain just to make it to the MuscleKingz show.
Alex Gilbertson’s Impala immediately stood out because of that wild paint job, he did himself!
It’s easy to see why it caught our eye – with it’s bass-boat-inspired paint-job. Alex told us his ’65 was a factory 283 car, bought by his grandpa in the ’90s. As a kid, Alex’s aunt and grandpa used to pick him up from school in the shoddy Impala, so he always had a fondness for it.
Alex inherited the car after it was in an accident. He and his grandpa set out to restore the car, but unfortunately, his grandpa passed away before they could make that happen. Since then, Alex has put in tons of work restoring the car as a tribute to his grandfather.
That included the unique body, paint, and engine work. As you can see, the car no longer has the factory 283. It has been swapped for a “slightly” larger 468-cubic-inch lump. Alex runs his car at Evergreen Speedway, in Snohomish, Washington, if you want to catch a race.
What better way to remember a husband and father, than to drive his cars as much as possible?
The two Pentastar beauties pictured above were brought in by a mother/daughter duo. The GTX in the background is piloted by Carol Newkirk. It was purchased by her late husband to replace his high-school hot rod. His car sports the same 440 powerplant and 727 trans. The Roadrunner in the foreground is now driven by her daughter – another car purchased by Carol’s late husband.
These were just some of the great cars with enthusiastic owners we came across. Just glancing at the photos below, it’s plain to see there was no shortage of exquisite muscle at the show. Take a look at the gallery, and try not to drool on your keyboard, phone, or tablet – saliva and electronics aren’t a great mix.
Yet another amazing Charger in attendance at the MuscleKingz Car Show and Concert.
The General Lee:
As if the fantastic cars, and epic drift demo weren’t enough, the folks at MuscleKings went above and beyond by linking up with the guys at Chrome Cars. They brought the only real surviving 440 R/T Charger used in the filming of the Dukes of Hazzard – wait for it – all the way from Germany!
There were several General Lee replicas on display, but you could easily tell the Chrome Cars Charger from the rest. For starters, it was ensconced by a contrastingly luxurious velvet rope, and it definitely showed signs of a well-lived life, full of moonshine and J-turns.
You wanna talk about rare muscle? How’s about the only real surviving ’69 Dodge Charger 440 R/T used in the Dukes Of Hazzard?
The Concert:
What a way to cap off the night! Kip Moore headlined an amazing show, and the stands were full until the final song.
After a long day of watching tires being turned into confetti, and mingling with some badass streetcars and their owners, it was nice to enjoy an ice cold beer, and watch Kip Moore do his thing. If you’re a fan of country music, or just music in general, it was a great show – the guy really performs his butt off. You can tell he’s putting everything he has into it.
The crowd went wild as soon as he stepped on stage, and the stands were packed!
If we can summarize the experience of the MuscleKingz Car Show and Concert, it’s this: It had everything a car person could want from a car show – amazingly talented performers behind steering wheels, handlebars, and microphones, gorgeous cars, and an amazing atmosphere. We couldn’t begin to do the show justice with our words and photos, so make sure you’re there at the next one.
You can find out more about what the MuscleKingz have coming up on its website, here. For now, check out the gallery below.
