Bandas Y Trocas translates simply to “Bands and Trucks,” but the event has grown far beyond what its name suggests. Now in its 10th year, the Texas-born gathering combines custom trucks, regional Mexican culture, food, vendors, burnouts, and live entertainment at Texas Motor Speedway.

The organization’s massive Memorial Day weekend show remains its flagship event, while October Madness serves as its fall sister show. This event expands into a two-day format on October 9 and 10, letting builders and vendors create something closer to a full automotive festival than a traditional one-day truck show.

During the day, access was limited to vendors and registered infield participants. This gave them time to unload, arrange displays, visit vendors, and take a closer look at the trucks before the public arrived.

Friday night is open to the public, starting with the Outlaw Showdown Presented by Flowmaster. A burnout pit inside turn 4 of the speedway. The show is never stagnant, with burnouts followed by music, and then finally, the night’s headliner, Herencia de Patrones.

Saturday was an all-day event, with the final run of the Outlaw Showdown, truck show throughout the grounds, vendors, food, and a huge main stage on pit road facing the front stretch.

The show field reflected nearly every corner of modern truck culture. Meticulously detailed customs sat beside lifted late-model pickups, lowered regular-cab street trucks, classic C/Ks, and machines built specifically to destroy tires.

That variety remains October Madness’ greatest strength. It brings together builders, families, vendors, performers, and fans who may arrive for different reasons but share the same appreciation for Texas truck culture.

Holley’s New Cateye Was Built to Make Smoke

Holley’s new Bandas Y Trocas booth truck wasn’t built to sit quietly behind velvet ropes. This specially prepared 2005 “Cateye” Chevrolet Silverado was created by the Bandas Y Trocas crew for one purpose: entering the burnout pit and putting on a show.

It's powered by a 5.3-liter LS with a 100-shot of nitrous and sends power through a B&M-built 4L60E. A Holley Dominator ECU manages the combination, while MSD coils mounted on Holley valve covers and a Holley Mid-Mount Race Spec accessory drive keep the engine compartment clean and competition-ready.

Underneath, IHC Suspension provides the stance, with additional help from Big Boys Customs and Marca Car Wraps. Gold Pro Wheels complement the truck’s custom finish, sprayed using specially mixed paint from The Perfect Color.

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Inside, there are no unnecessary comforts. A rollcage, RaceQuip seats, and matching harnesses prepare the Silverado for the punishment of the burnout pit.

Keesee Auto Parts Brings a Sea of Red Chevys

Few displays at October Madness made an impression quite like the lineup from Keesee Auto Parts. Robert Keesee hauled 17 matching red-and-black, regular-cab Chevrolet C/K and Silverado pickups nearly five hours from Midland, Texas, creating a timeline that represented almost every generation.

The trucks were only part of Keesee’s growing collection. He owns approximately 30, including several square-body models and earlier Chevrolets that remained at his shop. His ultimate goal is even more ambitious: “I want to have one every year,” he said.

Keesee operates a used-parts business specializing largely in GM trucks and SUVs, along with his own body shop. Rather than locating 17 already-matching pickups, he painted them to create the coordinated display. Several are also family vehicles belonging to his wife and daughter, and at least one is still driven daily.

The goal is simply to continue building the collection—and eventually have enough Chevrolet history to fill his large Midland shop.

Steven Sandoval Wins the Outlaw Showdown

The Outlaw Showdown presented by Flowmaster wasn’t intended solely for purpose-built burnout cars or professional drivers. Bandas Y Trocas wanted to reward an amateur willing to put on the best show, and Steven Sandoval delivered.

Sandoval traveled from Atlanta to Texas Motor Speedway with his 2017 GMC Sierra 1500. The truck uses a GPI Stage 3 camshaft, ported intake, 3,000-rpm torque converter, upgraded radiator, and transmission cooler. It still runs its factory ECU and drinks 93-octane pump gas. Up front are 22-inch wheels; out back, Sandoval installs “whatever we can find” before sending another pair of tires to their death.

He wasn’t intimidated by the better-known competitors, either.

“I wasn’t scared to get with one of the big influencers,” Sandoval said. “Whatever he did, I was right there with him.”

Sandoval had traveled from a Colorado event the previous weekend before heading south for October Madness. That long haul ended with a win earned through commitment, practice, and a willingness to keep the throttle down.

He won this specially engraved NOS Nitrous bottle from The Artisan Dealer, aka Artisan Engraving.

Ramiro Villarreal’s Wild Silverado Wins Best of Show

Ramiro Villarreal’s 2020 Chevrolet Silverado arrived at October Madness representing his Rolling Rods brand—and left Texas Motor Speedway as Best of Show.

Purchased new in 2019, the truck spent three years under construction before making its debut in 2022 (the truck only has 342 miles on the odometer). Alamo Customs fabricated its one-off front end, matching rear bumper, sheetmetal engine compartment, and custom bed. A repeating V-shaped detail appears throughout the bodywork, dashboard, seats, bed, and engine bay.

The Silverado rides on a fully fabricated frame that allows it to lay flat over 28-inch Billet Specialties wheels. Behind them are massive 16-inch Wilwood brakes. Shaved door handles, relocated mirrors, brilliant “Pull Me Over Red” paint, and a contrasting Lamborghini-blue leather interior complete the transformation.

“It’s been everywhere across the United States, and it’s won a lot of trophies,” Villarreal said.

Its latest may also be its wildest: a polished Holley Hi-Ram intake transformed into the Best of Show trophy with more than 300 hours of hand engraving by The Artisan Dealer, aka Artisan Engraving.

From Burnout Smoke to the Main Stage

October Madness’ new two-day schedule gave Bandas Y Trocas room to spread the action across Texas Motor Speedway. Friday evening began at the burnout pit, where the Outlaw Showdown presented by Flowmaster brought tire smoke and noise before the focus shifted to live music.

Herencia de Patrones, Esteban Gabriel, Kane Rodriguez, and Foemob carried Friday night with a mix of regional Mexican music, corridos, and rap. It was a natural transition for an event where music and automotive culture share equal billing: first the sound of engines against the rev limiter, then the performers taking over after the smoke cleared.

Saturday brought the main show to the large stage positioned along the speedway’s front stretch. A huge crowd packed the area for Los Primos del Este, Tito Torbellino Jr., Moneybagg Yo, and headliner Tito Double P.

The scale of the turnout made the main stage feel less like entertainment added to a truck show and more like a full concert festival unfolding inside one of the country’s largest speedways. After two days of polished trucks, vendors, food, and burnouts, the Saturday-night performances gave October Madness a fitting finish.