The sky's the limit for Michael...
The sky's the limit for Michael Gartner's Chevy Blazer
Portland, Oregon, is the second to last stop on the Lowrider Tour before the last dance in Las Vegas, and the Hop takes on extra importance. The Single-Pump Hop pitted Shayne Atterton, Bladimir Cudena and Dirk Morris against each other before Dirk was DQd. Shayne came out on top and put his stake in the ground for his place at the Super Show.
The Double-Pump Hop saw a similar situation as Rob Myers, Timothy Turcotte and Sergio Gonzalez battled for First, Second and Third Place. And they wound up winning in just the order they went with Rob, Timothy and Sergio finishing First, Second and Third.
Rob Myer's 31 inches was good...
Rob Myer's 31 inches was good for First Place.
The Truck Hop featured Peter Perez and Michael Gartner fighting it out for the top spot and the spoils went to Michael with 58 inches between his front tire and the ground. Michael's a hometown favorite who has steadily improved his vehicle for the past couple of years and his win was the fruit of his labors.
The Radical Hop class saw some pushing and shoving for position and Manuel Vasquez and his '79 Chevy Malibu wagon took the top spot with 66 inches. Manuel then switched cars and proceeded to snatch Second Place with his '84 Olds Cutlass at 63 inches. Another 9 inches separated Carlos DeLatorre in Third Place.
The Street and Radical Dance classes each saw only one competitor with Juan Chavoya taking Street and Joe Casillas rocking it in Radical. Juan's win set him up for a trip to the Super Show.
What happens next is anyone's guess, as the next show in San Mateo, California, will shake out the rest of the competitors for the Super Show. When the dust clears, we'll have a crystal clear view. Stay tuned.