The Miller Motorsports Park out in Tooele Utah was the event site for the first ‘Cruiser Fest’, an idea brought on by Greg Miller, who took the helm of the dealership enterprise started by his deceased father, Larry H. Miller.

Larry’s passion of fast cars drove him to seeing the completion of a state-of-the-art racetrack through to the end. Greg? He has a thing for Toyota Land Cruisers. His stable is home to legendary Toyota vehicles such as a beautifully restored FJ55 & FJ45 Troopy, several FJ40’s, an FJ60, an extremely customized rock-crawler that somehow still resembles a Cruiser from the outside, and my personal favorite – an imported HZJ78 Pickup.

From my perch at the Cruiser Outfitter booth, amidst the roar of NASCAR racing behind me, I watched as participants showed up at the northeast corner of the motorsports park’s 4×4 course to enter their Land Cruisers up until around noon. As I held down the fort at our booth, my partner in crime Paul Rossiter went with John Williams (originator of Mount Logan Offroad) to judge the rigs. All the while Land Cruiser owners and enthusiasts alike shmoozed over the old iron, and stories from decades of adventures.

Once the drivers all walked the course, it was time for those brave enough to throw down in a competition of driving skills on the custom 4×4 course. The shiny, more restored rigs seemed to shy away from this portion of the party. But when you own a 1973 FJ40 with 33,000 original miles… Nobody blames you.

Some of the non-cruiser Toyota vehicles hit the course as well. One Toyota mini truck didn’t fare well; it required a tow from an even bigger 4runner. Dodging the cones, or blatantly mowing them down, 4runners, an FJ80, a mini truck or two, A buggied FJ40, and last but not least Greg’s monster of a rig hit the course. It was a great show of capabilities for both driver and vehicle. An RTI ramp session to test articulation of suspensions concluded the competition, followed by handed the handing out of trophies.

All in all there was about 25 rigs, 6 of which were Greg’s.. Because he can. The next Cruiser Fest is planned to have more than a 3 week lead time for advertising. Despite the short notice this time around, it was a lot of fun to be a part of. This will be the first of many Cruiser Fests to come, and I look forward to the next one.

Photo courtesy of Jason Goates

Well known for extreme reliability and durability, Toyota Land Cruisers have an almost cult like following of four wheel drive enthusiasts worldwide. Here in Utah, Cruiser Outfitters is the premier source of parts for Land Cruisers and Toyotas since 1992. Kurt Williams, owner of Cruiser Outfitters, is an avid advocate for motorized access and general statewide exploration. On Friday, July 10, 2009, Kurt organized a barbecue and Toyota Land Cruiser ‘Show & Shine’ to demonstrate his appreciation to Cruiser Outfitter’s customers.

The show was a big hit, with nearly 50 Cruisers and many other Toyotas at the show. There were cruiser heads both young and old, some with over 16 years ownership , and 600,000 miles in the seat of a single rig. It didn’t matter what the cruisers looked like, whether they were rusty or shiny, everyone had a good time and there were awards for everyone; including: Rustiest Relic, Dirtiest Cruiser, Best Cruiser, Closest to Stock, Least Stock, and Best Non-Cruiser Toyota. I usually don’t like to use clichés, but I feel all in all, the event is best described as good food, good people, good times. Thanks to all who worked hard to pull it off.