SIDeTRACKED SOAPBOX

We saw this on Instagram, obviously, a few hours ago and it really struck a chord with us.

The diesel truck scene is unfortunately saddled with a reputation for douchebaggery fueled by a seemingly endless supply of clowns engaging in obnoxious behavior. They seem to have a limitless supply of cash, time on their hands, piss & vinegar, and a belief that they are the only humans with it goin' on.

We really wonder who their influences are. It certainly isn't anyone at the top of the diesel truck industry. Guys like Tony Burkhard, the Fleece Brothers, and Shawn Baca are too busy wrenching towards the next big thing and being purebred hotrodders to have time to waste on pursuits of assbaggery. There's scarce time for anything else.

Yes, Shawn Baca projects an image. The sleeveless shirts, the tattoos, the ear gauges, the sunglasses, the whole bit. However, we met him at UCC last year in between transmission swaps and found a soft-spoken, knowledgeable, humble (shy even?) fella who loves to make insane power. That he handwrites responses to fan mail isn't surprising to us. What is shocking is that most guys cannot string together 2 sentences except to be an asshole online to someone they'll never meet.

There'll be a bunch of Shredder-engined trucks at UCC in a few weeks and we hope they all run well. Their builder already is.

New Sidetracked drops Thursday morning.