Tuner Galleria Chicago Recap and Results!
The Windy City gets its dosage of Tuner Galleria
TUNER GALLERIA hits up Chicago's World of Wheels event and assembles some of the most competitive cars in the nation on its show floor. Chi-town, known for many things like shopping along the Magnificent Mile, deep dish pizza at Giordano's, Vienna style hot dogs, the Navy Pier, and the Skydeck at Willis Tower to name a few...all of which the TG staff never got to experience. With that said, we did experience an amazing car show at the Donald E Stephenson Convention Center.
After a long winter, Chicago-land car enthusiasts were anxious to display their latest vehicle mods at the season's first event. We extend our gratitude as they came out to support the TUNER GALLERIA show-within-a-show concept. Car crews and local shops like Paul Tolson's Team EST, Europrojektz, FIZZ, Topspeed, Benchmark, and Autowerks brought out their sick rides.
2009 SEMA concept vehicles built by Rick Bottom Designs were also on display...Rick's Chevrolet Camaro and Lincoln MKT were definitely show stoppers. Ultimately, as the weekend came to a conclusion and the competitor score sheets were tallied, one individual and his team dominated. It comes as no surprise that Best of Show Overall went to the Lexus GS400 modified by Paul Tolson. Team EST also took home the Outstanding Team Overall award.
The TUNER GALLERIA Chicago event did not disappoint with the entertainment aspects either. Import Tuner, Super Street, and D Sport cover models like Michelle Banzer, Nicolette Lacson, and KimLoan were in attendance, as well as Performance Auto & Sound featured model, Mariel Mendoza. The models put on several fashion shows throughout the weekend to the delight of the entranced spectators. Keep an eye out for new faces like Michelle Tomniczak, as she is an upcoming cover model for Import Tuner. Just like with the cars at TUNER GALLERIA, the same philosophy applies to the models...it's all about the quality, not the quantity. Aiko Hana, from Prestigious Models was crowned Miss TUNER GALLERIA Chicago!!!
BEST OF SHOW OVERALL
Paul Tolson / 1998 Lexus GS400
OUTSTANDING OVERALL AWARDS
Outstanding Import/Sport Compact Overall: Paul Tolson / 1998 Lexus GS400
Outstanding European/Luxury Overall: Stefan Sajic / 2002 BMW M3
Outstanding Domestic/Modern Muscle Overall: Sixto Robles JR / 2004 Hummer H2
OUTSTANDING RISING STAR AWARDS
Outstanding Import/Sport Compact Rising Star: Michael Hoerth / 2002 Honda Civic
Outstanding European/Luxury Rising Star: Michael Kaiser / 2002 Volvo S60
Outstanding Domestic/Modern Muscle Rising Star: 2004 Dodge Neon SRT4
OUTSTANDING SPECIALTY AWARDS
Outstanding Body Work: Paul Tolson / 1998 Lexus GS400
Outstanding Engine Aesthetics: Paul Tolson / 1998 Lexus GS400
Outstanding Interior: Dennis Valentin / 2000 Toyota Camry
Outstanding Paint Finish: Rick Bottom / 2010 Lincoln MKT
AUDIO/VIDEO AWARDS
Outstanding Mobile Entertainment: Sixto Robles JR / 2004 Hummer H2
CLUB / TEAM AWARDS
Outstanding Club/Team Overall: Team EST