Produced and directed by Mark Chodzko and sponsored by Pennzoil, “Big Rigs Rollin'” (1978?) celebrates the romance of the open road, big rig truck drivers and their trucks. It features trucks built by Peterbilt, Mack, Kenworth, and others. The film profiles various truck drivers, owner-operators and their families. The film introduces Don Pascuzzo Jr., a third-generation trucker, detailing his journey to owning his dream truck and the financial hurdles he overcame. Don Pasco Sr. expresses pride in his son’s achievements and their partnership. Don Jr. discusses his meticulous care for his truck and the pride he takes in its appearance. The film also shows a truck show and a big rig drag race event at Orange County Speedway. It includes participants like Kelly Dono and Stan Adams, who share their experiences and the modifications made to their trucks. The challenges and financial pressures of maintaining a truck are highlighted, along with the rewards and camaraderie of the trucking life. The excitement of the “King of the Road” competition and Cindy Schultz’s participation as a female trucker are also covered. The film concludes with the judging criteria for the beauty contest, the atmosphere of the event, the final races, and closing remarks, including another Pennzoil advertisement. The film was written by Jim Rawitch, narrated by Lance Le Gault, and photographed by Virgil Harper and David Boyd.
0:00 – 0:11: Introduction with music.
0:11 – 0:48: A description of a beloved truck named Honey Sue Rose, highlighting its features and the joy of driving it.
0:48 – 1:15: Advertisement for Pennzoil motor oil emphasizing its gas-saving benefits.
1:15 – 2:28: Introduction to Don Pascuzzo Jr., a third-generation trucker, and his journey to owning his dream truck.
2:28 – 3:48: Don’s story about purchasing his truck and the financial challenges he faced.
3:48 – 4:45: Don Pascuzzo Sr. talks about the partnership with his son and the pride he feels in his son’s achievements.
4:45 – 5:21: Don Jr. explains his meticulous care for his truck and the pride he takes in its appearance.
5:21 – 6:07: Description of a truck beauty show and drag race event at Orange County Speedway.
6:07 – 7:00: Participants preparing their trucks for the beauty contest and the excitement of the event.
7:00 – 8:00: Kelly Dono’s story about her truck and the modifications made to it.
8:00 – 9:00: Stan Adams discusses his 1945 Peterbilt and the restoration work done on it.
9:00 – 10:00: Description of another truck, Iron Sides, and its luxurious interior.
10:00 – 11:00: Bob Wilson’s show trailer and the pride he takes in his truck.
11:00 – 12:00: The challenges of maintaining a truck and the high costs involved.
12:00 – 13:00: The financial pressures of trucking, including fuel costs and road taxes.
13:00 – 14:00: The rewards of trucking and the joy of being on the open road.
14:00 – 15:00: The camaraderie among truckers and the excitement of big rig drag racing.
15:00 – 16:00: The King of the Road competition and the excitement of the races.
16:00 – 17:00: Cindy Schultz’s experience as a female trucker participating in the drag race.
17:00 – 18:00: Judging criteria for the truck beauty contest.
18:00 – 19:00: The atmosphere of the event and the enjoyment of the spectators.
19:00 – 20:00: The final races and the crowning of the King of the Road.
20:00 – 21:00: The pride and challenges of being a trucker, as expressed by Don Pasco Jr.
21:00 – 22:00: Closing remarks and another advertisement for Pennzoil.
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