Our Appearance at the Carlisle Truck Nationals
We had a great time at the Carlisle Truck Nationals
Rich recently attended the Carlisle Truck Nationals in Pennsylvania with several other Smyth Ute owners and the creator of Smyth Performance himself, Mark Smith. Check out some of the pictures and read the write-up about the Smyth Ute contingent. This year's Carlisle Truck Nationals had 2,994 trucks in attendance!
#SmythUtes #Utes #CarlisleNational #BeetleUte #ChargerUte
Smyth Ute Club at Carlisle Truck Nationals
The Island of Calm by Mark Smith, August 7, 2025
- Given that Smyth will discontinue all classic models soon (Jettas, Jeep, Audi, Subie), it makes sense that Carlisle happened to be all Beetle and Charger Utes
- As the show raged around the Smyth Club, people were drawn into an open and spacious Smyth Ute display.
The Carlisle Truck Nationals was wild—a full-throttle celebration of big, loud, lifted 4x4 modern and classic trucks, rolling coal and revving to the redline in a legal, chaotic street takeover vibe across the massive show fields and swap meet. Picture a sea of $100,000+ custom rigs: Carolina Squats, lowered S10s, perfect classics, lifted giants with neon underglow showing off powder-coated suspensions, and frame scrapers... all rolling through the acres of fairgrounds 90,000 strong like a scene from Mad Max.
Amid this high-octane (and cetane) frenzy, Smyth Performance Utes stood out in the best way possible. Up on a hill for all to see, three perfect Smyth Beetles and three gorgeous Chargers were spaced out perfectly and gleaming under the sun. No trailers needed—these Utes drove in from as far as 1,500 miles, cleaned up quick, and were show-ready. Under a shaded tent, the Smyth crew—Carl Johnson, Andy Hesterman, Dave and Mike Ward, Guy Gauthier, Rich Popper, Steve Shelley, and myself—kicked back on a perfect 75 degree day, chatting about Utes, life, and teardrop trailers.
The setup was the polar opposite of the show’s roar, yet it pulled people in from all over the fairgrounds. They were drawn to the understated cool of Smyth Utes—functional, road-ready show cars that don’t need the flash yet steal the spotlight.
As we wrap up the production schedule for the year with the last of the legacy kits, it is not lost on me that the Smyth Utes past and future have the ability to stop people in their tracks no matter the venue. Great friendships flow from these projects and I can't help but think that as we give these old and new donor cars a new life, maybe we are giving ourselves a shot of a new vibe too.
Onward Uters!
Mark Smith
508-801-5871
Posted: 8/7/2025
