Posted: 06 Mar 2010 08:02 PM PST

Flat-screen TVs, outdoor kitchens, sliding glass doors and fireplaces are amenities in nicer homes - and in some of the more than 70 campers at the Central Illinois Recreational Show this weekend at the Peoria Civic Center.

Full-size motorhomes, campers and trailers from various recreational vehicle dealers surrounded ATV and auto dealership vendors, campground information booths and other recreation-releated retailers at the 28th annual show, which runs through Sunday.

"Some of these things are bigger than my first apartment," said show producer Denny Johnston.

With exhibits from the expandable trailer just more than 17 feet long to the 42-foot motorhome, the show typically draws between 7,500 and 10,000 spectators, Johnston said.

"RV-ing today is modernized," he said. "But you still get all the enjoyment of the outdoors."

Quiet campgrounds are what Barry Kelley from Springfield said he enjoyed the most about taking his RV on trips.

"The phone doesn't ring, it's relaxing, and you get all the comforts of home," he said. "It's no work to go camping with an RV. You just duplicate exactly what you have at home, because there's room in these things."

Pontiac RV sales associate Darcy Rigsby said the draw to RVs is just that - convenience and the comforts of home, packed into anywhere from 160 to 300 square feet of portable living.

Rigsby said modern RVs feature outdoor kitchens with refrigerators and stoves that pop out of the side of the unit, satellite capabilities, outdoor speakers and amenities that make setting up camp a breeze.

"You can pull in and hook up and be sitting having a beer in about five minutes," he said. "It all makes it very simple."

All RVs at the show are open for walk-throughs, showing just how much these rolling beasts resemble home.

"We get our own bathroom, our own bed, our own sheets and air conditioning," said Ben Donahue of Streator. Donahue and his family camp about seven to eight times a year, he said.

Terry Justice of Peoria visited the show to research RVs before her family purchased one.

"(RVs) are better quality now," she said. "They look nicer."

But for all the improvements and modernizations to RVs, Johnston said it's the simplicity and friendliness of camping that draws folks to homes on wheels.

"It's old-fashioned," he said. "When you go to a hotel and you see someone else in the hallway, you don't stop to talk to them. But when you go to a campsite, all the neighbors will be around to help you set up. It's a whole different perspective - not fast-paced, rush, rush, rush . . . you know your neighbors when you camp."

And though the RVs on display were technologically cool, kids at the show didn't mention their amenities when they talked about their favorite parts of camping.

"The campgrounds are the best," said Luke Mathis, 13, of Mackinaw. "We went to one with a swimming pool and a bike trail."

Johnston said he's seeing more RV owners in their 30s with young children.

"They can't take a two-week vacation, but they can still get together as a family and go camping on weekends," he said. "Within three hours of Peoria there are beautiful campgrounds with resort amenities."

Lauren Rees can be reached at 686-3251 or lrees@pjstar.com.

28th annual Central Illinois Recreational Show

What: Display of recreational vehicles including motorhomes, fifth-wheel trailers, travel trailers and light-weight trailers. Representatives from various campgrounds, golf cart and ATV dealers and other retailers also will be present.

When: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday

Where: Peoria Civic Center's Exhibit Hall

Admission: Tickets are $7 for adults and $2 for children between 6 and 12. Kids younger than 6 are free. A coupon for $2 off adult admission can be printed from www.eventsltd.org.

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RV, Sports, Boat & Travel Show this weekend - 9News

Posted: 06 Mar 2010 09:18 AM PST

DENVER - The 53rd Annual Colorado RV, Sports, Boat & Travel Show runs through Sunday, March 7 at the National Western Complex.

Show hours on Saturday are 9 a.m. until 8 p.m. and 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Sunday

Tickets can be purchased online at www.cosportsshow.com for $7 or at the door for $10. Children under 12 are free.

The Colorado RV, Sports, Boat & Travel Show features giant exhibits of the latest RVs, boats, house boats, personal watercraft and off-highway vehicles from hundreds of dealers. Anyone who enjoys fishing, camping or observing wildlife will want to check out the show where they can see the latest equipment, gather vacation ideas and see cool exhibits and demonstrations.

This year's show highlights include ComicBots which are 8-foot-tall robots made from a variety of materials, including auto parts commonly used in RVs. These guitar playing, joke cracking, dancing robots made quite a sensation last year on NBC's America's Got Talent. Comedians Pat Mac and Mike Faverman are also offering hilarious tips on hosting the Ultimate Camp Cook Out. And the El Jebel Mariner's are once again offering a free Kids' Trout Fishing Pond.

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Foster, Gue Grab Front Row Starting Positions - The Auto Chanel

Posted: 06 Mar 2010 08:35 AM PST

DAYTONA BEACH, March 6, 2010: The last two times Joe Foster started from the pole position in a GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Grand Sport (GS) race, he and Scott Maxwell went on to win.

The pair will look toward another such accomplishment Saturday when Foster leads the 37-car GS starting field to the green flag at 1:05 p.m. ET at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the Homestead 200. Foster was awarded the pole position following post-qualifying technical inspection, his fifth career pole and first since 2008.

Original fast qualifier Jack Roush Jr., seeking his first pole position, had his time for the No. 61 ROUSH Performance Products Ford Mustang GT disallowed after officials found an unapproved part on the car. Ian Baas, who qualified third in the No. 01 APR/BBS Audi S4, also had his time disallowed for ride height. Roush's co-driver Billy Johnson won last year's GS race, the fourth closest in series history - 0.133 seconds.

Foster won pole positions in 2008 at Mosport International Raceway and Barber Motorsports Park, and Maxwell took the checkered flag first both times en route to winning the GS championship. Foster's No. 15 Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang Boss 302R toured the 2.3-mile, 11-turn stadium road course in a time of 1:26.555 (95.661 mph).

"It was exciting at the beginning," said Foster, who is looking for his fourth career series victory. "It's was great to have so many cars out there. It's a great thing for the series and sponsor, Continental Tire. The Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge has a great gird in ST and GS."

Moving to second was James Gue, who normally finishes races for regular starter Bret Seafuse. Instead, Gue, who will pull double duty with Saturday's Grand Prix of Miami for the Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16, in the No. 37 Trumansburg ShurSave Ford Mustang Boss 302R, turned in a time of 1:26.781 (95.413 mph).

Third was Steve Cameron in the No. 57 Uncle Joe's Ford Mustang GT, with a time of 1:26.801 (95.391 mph); he'll share the car with nephew Dane Cameron and longtime co-driver Rob Finlay.

Fourth was Foster's teammate, Frankie Montecalvo, in the No. 16 Bayshore Recycling/Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang Boss 302R he shares with Gunnar Jeannette; he earned a time of 1:26.871 (95.314 mph). Fifth was Charles Putman in the No. 48 Fall-Line Motorsports BMW M3, who shares the car with Charles Espenlaub, with a time of 1:26.899 (95.283 mph).

In the Street Tuner (ST) class, Sarah Cattaneo led an abbreviated session and will lead 33 cars to the green flag for that race.

Cattaneo drove the No. 197 Cruise America/Four Winds RV Mini Cooper S to a time of 1:31.810 (90.186 mph). Her time came midway through the session, which ended prematurely when Gunter Schmidt - driving the No. 22 Sick Kids Foundation/C&P Cross Border Chevrolet Cobalt SS - hit the wall in Turn 1, causing severe front end damage to the car. Schmidt was not seriously injured in the incident.

Cattaneo, who is in her first full season with RSR Motorsports, becomes the first female driver since Valerie Limoges to win a pole position in the series since 2007. Limoges also accomplished her feat at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Cattaneo's co-driver is VJ Mirzayan, and the duo's car was among the fastest in morning practice.

"RSR Motorsports put together a great car for me," Cattaneo said. "I got a great tow off of one of the Jettas. He took me all the way through three and four. That's basically how I got my fast lap."

Joining Cattaneo on the front row is Zach Lutz at 1:32.314 (89.694 mph), who made his series debut in the Fresh From Florida 200 in January, in the No. 75 Skunk2/HPD Honda Civic Si. Compass360 Racing, Lutz's team, won the race last season, and Lutz - teaming with co-driver Ryan Eversley - was expecting another strong performance after he and Eversley finished fifth in the Fresh From Florida 200.

"Compass360 Racing puts together a great car for us," Lutz said. "Everybody helps out so much. I put together a really good flyer. I had David Thilenius in front of me, and with him, put together a great lap."

Third was Lutz's teammate, David Thilenius, in the defending race-winning No. 74 Skunk2/HPD Honda Civic Si, with a time of 1:32.668 (89.351 mph). Fourth was Fresh From Florida 200 polesitter Derek Whitis in the No. 25 Mazda/Aventura Technologies Mazda MX-5 at a time of 1:32.767 (89.256 mph), while Gene Sigal was fifth in the No. 86 Royal Purple Porsche Boxster with a time of 1:32.839 (89.187 mph).

A final 30-minute practice session for the series is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. ET. The two-and-a-half hour Homestead 200 is scheduled to start at 1:05 p.m. ET Saturday.

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