Joe Drennan
Staff Writer

An ice racing ice cream truck isnít something a normal person would think of building, but thatís exactly what Cary Kendall built when he appeared on the Discovery Channelís Monster Garage.

Monster Garage contacted the International Ice Racing Association and told them of their idea to take a 1977 Chevy ice cream delivery truck into an ice racer. The IIRA contacted some it itís members and asked them to fill out applications to appear on the show.

Kendall of Columbus Township, and part of ACR Motorsports was one of the IIRA members who filled out an application. He heard he was chosen to be on the show, then about a week later on Nov. 28 he was flown out to Long Beach, CA, for filming.

ìGoing out there all I knew is the build had something to do with ice racking,î Kendall said. ìI didnít really think it was going to be an ice cream truck.î

Kendallís racing partner Scott Friberg said one of the ACR Motorsports mechancics jokingly said heíd be building a snow cone maker.

ìHe was very close,î Friberg said.

Right before filming began, the build team of Kendall, Dave Kapaun of Centerville, a representative from Coldstone Creamery from Ohio, two fabricators from California, and a fabricator and welder from Alaska.

ìWe looked at them with the look on our faces of, ëyou want us to do what,íî Kendall said. ìAn ice cream tuck isnít the best racer in the world.î

The build

Once the build team knew what they were going to build, a select few were selected to the design team to coordinate what was going to be done. Kendall was part of the process as the ice racing specialist.

When the plan was finalized, the crew got to work on converting the old í77 Chevy ice cream delivery truck into a powerful ice racer.

ìWe all worked well together,î Kendall said. ìPart of the show is to create controversy, but we got along really well.î

With all the build team members miced up, Kendall said that once producers heard a curse word they were sure to have a camera on them to find out what was going wrong.

ìIt was just like ringing a bell and they were on you,î Kendall said.

Those cameras did get in Kendallís way at times.

ìThe first day Iíd be working and turn around quick to grab a tool and Iíd knock into the camera,î Kendall said. ìI learned to turn slowly.î

A little hard work helped the build team finish the ice racing ice cream truck ahead of schedule which had to have the people at Cold Stone Creamery happy since any build that doesnít meet its deadline is destroyed.

After finishing, Monster Garage host Jesse James took the truck out of the shop for a test drive. James though heíd give the truck some gas and do a wheelie, but as Kendall noted, the truck had a little more power than James anticipated and it simply took off.

ìI think he thought he was going to burn out and it took right off,î Kendall said.

The truck was then taken to be painted with the Cold Stone Creamer logo and hauled to Mille Lacs Lake where it competed in a race that featured Kendall in one of his ACR Motorsports cars.

The ice racing ice cream truck wasnít able to finish the race as it started to have engine troubles, but it did make a few laps. Kendall said snow dust made itís way into the engine, causing it to have problems.

ìIt was impressive to see the truck go by at 100 miles per hour,î Friberg said.

ìThe funniest part about it all was, being an ice cream truck, it had the music playing. We would be standing inn the pit and youíd hear this loud music, then youíd see the truck barreling by. Once by, all you would hear was the loud engine.î

James said that despite being a big and heavy vehicle, the truck handled will on the ice.

The prize for finishing on time was a Mac tool box, a 28 volt Milwaukee cordless combination took kit and Mac hand tools.

ìIt was just like Christmas,î Kendall said. ìOne box showed up one day, then another, then the big tool box at the end.î

To view the show Monday night Kendall was joined by his family, friends, ACR Motorsports colleagues, sponsors and other racing friends at the ACR Motorsports garage in Columbus Township.

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