Poway woman sets sights on male-dominated world of auto shows

By: GARY WARTH - Staff Writer | Saturday, June 26, 2004 9:51 PM PDT ∞

Modifying a truck to show-quality level is expensive, so one Poway resident took the not-uncommon approach of seeking funding through sponsors and publicity.

Then came the discouraging rejections. "You've never done anything like this before." "You don't have any other sponsors lined up." "You don't seem to know what you're doing."

On top of all that, "You're a woman."

But Jessica Davis of Poway kept trying, and so far she's lined up 20 sponsors to help her customize her 2002 black Toyota Tundra.

"The editor of Truckin' Magazine said I would be the first woman they would have written about," Davis said about the possibility of being featured in the 280,000-circulation magazine.

Davis, 21, also hopes her custom truck will be entered in shows this summer and featured in other automobile magazines. She doesn't have a mentor to guide her, so the project has been a crash course in mechanics and marketing as she's learned the steps herself.

"I've always wanted a truck," she explained. "I like being high off the ground. After seeing everyone else's truck lifted and tricked out, I decided to do it myself."

'It's definitely a male sport'

Sean Holman, associate editor of Truckin' Magazine in Anaheim, said that if Davis' finished truck looks as good as her proposal, he would like to feature it in the magazine, which is the No.1-selling automotive publication on newsstands.

"It's definitely a male sport," Holman said about truck customizing. "There are females who participate and who are in the scene, but it's definitely male-dominated as far as people who build things."

Indeed, attractive young women usually appear in such magazines only as scantily clad models standing next to the tricked-out trucks. But Davis is more interested in being behind the wheel.

"I've always been intrigued by classical cars and off-roading," she said. Her father has a classic 1959 Ford truck and some family friends are into cars, but Davis said the interest is largely her own, and she has had to learn much about the process by herself.

That meant some humbling experiences early on.

"Editors and people in the industry said, 'You've just got a stock truck, no sponsors, no modifications, and you're a girl,'" she said.

A business challenge

But Davis took it in stride, conceding that she still had a lot to learn. Believing that persistence would make up for experience, she kept asking questions. A marketing student at San Diego State University and owner of her own airbrush tanning business, Davis saw the challenge as a way to hone her business skills.

She sought an affordable graphic artist who could help her envision her finished truck and found Jeremy Asmus of Infusion Designs of San Diego. His sketches show tinted side windows with blue flames streaking toward the back, and matching flames on the dashboard, hood and a compartment near the center gearshift. The sketches also show an interior with custom seats.

Davis included the pictures with proposal letters to potential sponsors.

"I see this project as a challenge in many ways," she wrote about being a woman in the auto world. "I see these barriers as a chance to prove society's standards wrong as well as expose my sponsors in a different, intriguing light. Who will consumers be more interested in gaining product information from: a cute blonde in a bad-ass truck or an old guy with traditional mods on his ride?"

Who could argue with that logic? Her proposal seems to have worked, and she started to get replies and offers for publicity.

House of Tint customized her windows with flames for a reduced charge of $400, with the understanding that she would put a sticker on her car promoting their business.

Gibson Performance, which makes exhaust systems, headers and mufflers, agreed to be a sponsor if Davis would have her truck ready in time to enter in a July 23 show in Fontana.

Other sponsors who have agreed to help are Amp-Research, Wood and Parts, IntroWheels, NuImage, Trenz, Tuffy, Warn, Accent Signs, Parker Airbrush Artistry, Corbeau, Leer, Parts Gallery, Dok Tech, Westin, American Racing, Skid Row Automotive and Dakota Digital.

With sponsors absorbing most of the cost, Davis said she expects to spend about $1,000 of her own money on future modifications.

The next modification will be to the truck's body. Door handles will be shaved (removed) and replaced with electrical switches, and fenders will be flared out about 6 inches.

"That kind of gives it an aggressive look," she said.

Growing interest

While Davis may be a lone woman in the car shows, women have become more interested in off-road trucks in general, said Denis Snow, editor and publisher of Off Road Adventures magazine in Compton.

"It does seem to be a phenomenon that's happening more and more," Snow said. "I've received a number of letters from women who have modified their own vehicles."

Those trucks may not be modified for shows, but for practical uses, he said.

"The sport of off-roading is such a family-oriented sport," Snow said, noting that camping and other outdoor activities often are a part of off-roading. More men are taking their wives and girlfriends with them to do rock-crawling and other activities that are relatively slow-paced, he said.

'A lot of drive'

During her summer break from college, Davis said, she will travel to car shows in and out of state. But people who can't make it to the shows can still see Davis and her soon-to-be completed truck. Trucking Times and News has said if her truck is done on time, she will be featured on the September issue.

Holman said Truckin' Magazine usually only features vehicles, not the people behind them, but there are exceptions.

"She has a lot of drive and motivation," he said. "Something like this probably would be of interest to our readers."

Holman said he believes Davis will find all the sponsors she needs to complete the work on her truck.

"I think she'll have success in finding people who are interested in helping her out," she said. "They see a young woman who's a real go-getter."

Contact staff writer Gary Warth at gwarth@nctimes.com or (760) 740-5410.

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