ATLANTA — When Shell Rotella SuperRigs 2025 held its Friday night festivities — which included a truck light show, live music and fireworks — many from the community of Hampton and McDonough, Georgia came out to marvel at the trucks that were on display and enjoy what the Shell Rotella event had to offer at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.
One of those was Mary Elliott, 89, from McDonough saw local news coverage on Friday morning, May 30, and decided that she wanted to come out and see what the fuss was about.
SuperRigs is a yearly event where competitors compete for awards including Best Chrome, Best Lights, and of course, Best of Show. Hard working owner/operator truckers from across the United States and Canada compete annually for more than $25,000 in cash and prizes. Twelve deserving drivers will be selected to have their truck featured in the 2026 Shell Rotella SuperRigs Calendar which will also feature unique settings from Atlanta
“Look at those beautiful trucks,” she said.
Elliott said she had worked for an automotive paint company for the last 25 years of her working life before she retired in 1999. It was the painting designs of the rigs that she saw on television early Friday morning that caught her eye and compelled her to make the trip to the speedway.
“I saw that paint and it was done so beautifully on all of these trucks,” she said.
One thing that Elliott said she wasn’t expecting was the people she encountered.
“I didn’t know I would get to meet drivers,” she said. “It has been a wonderful evening.”
Until Friday, the event had been marred by inclement weather including a severe storm that spawned a tornado that touched down just a few miles east of the Atlanta Motor Speedway.
That did not hamper Elliott’s desire to attend the event.
Being an adventurous type has always been in Elliott’s DNA.
She is a world traveler having visited 25 countries and 47 states, and has recently returned from a trip to Greece and Turkey. Some on personal trips and others on missions for Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief and Builders for Christ.
Shell Rotella rolled out the red carpet when the learned of Elliott’s presence allowing her to utilize a golf cart to help her easily navigate through the nearly 50 trucks on display.
“Everybody is so welcoming,” she said. “It just seems like you are in a family reunion.”
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
