Inspired by NASCAR

By George L. Nitti
Some tow trucks are harder to replace than others, especially as they get older and the make and models disappear from the marketplace. Fox City Towing of Appleton, Wis., has a 1999 Ford F-550/Vulcan 892 that falls into this category.
"It would be hard to find another one like it," said owner Nicholas Van. "After 18 years, they rust out and become harder to find."
This beautiful electric-blue unit was purchased in the south where the paint job was customized, and then brought back to Wisconsin where its clean and elegant appearance now turns heads.
"It's a workhorse and my oldest truck and that's why we keep it up pretty well," Van said.
The unique flames on the hood turn gold, purple or blue depending on the sun. Coated with a special DuPont paint called Chrome Illusion, the colors change in the light.
"I'm a huge Jeff Gordon NASCAR fan," Van related. "He had a race car and it was done up in a Chrome Illusion paint. I call this unit the 'Jeff Gordon Edition Tow Truck.' "
"Most tow trucks are not painted like that because it is absolutely expensive," said Van. "It's about 250 bucks for a quart of paint."
As a result, it catches most eyes.
"It's a pretty sharp looking truck," he said.
As for Fox City's logo and the quarter-like moon that sits just under it, that inspiration stemmed from Van's stock-car racing hobby.
"I race stock cars in Wisconsin," Van said. "I sponsor myself. I wanted something to fit under the corner panel and I used that logo design, which has carried over onto this truck."
Van has his MBA, and decided he enjoyed towing for a living and has stuck with it since he bought his father's company in 2015.
As a result of Van's business background and other factors, the company is growing beyond expectations. He said that the American Towman ShowPlace-Las Vegas in May will be one of the targets in growing his company.
"A lot is happening in a short period of time," Van said. "I'm reinvesting and buying more equipment. Now I'm looking for our first purchase of a heavy-duty truck."
Brag @ TIW!Should your truck be featured here? Send a few pics and your contact information to the editor at bdooley@towman.com. You might even be selected to go in print, too, in American Towman magazine!