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Great Food Truck Race makes pitstop in Williams

Williams Police direct traffic around cameramen as food trucks from the Great Food Truck Race roll down Williams’ main street May 13. Ryan Williams/WGCN

Williams Police direct traffic around cameramen as food trucks from the Great Food Truck Race roll down Williams’ main street May 13. Ryan Williams/WGCN

WILLIAMS, Ariz. - Williams Police Department re-routed traffic along Williams' Main Street last week as Travel Channel's Great Food Truck Race rolled down Route 66.

On May 13 film crews documented the trucks traveling along Williams' stretch of the historic mother road. The footage will be included in the upcoming season of the Great Food Truck Race.

The reality TV show highlights Route 66 and cities along the famous road as the truck's race to their undisclosed final destination.

"We started in Santa Monica, which everyone knows and we are following Route 66 to a destination unknown," said Steve Koontz, a producer with the show.

After leaving Santa Monica, the crew, with seven food trucks in tow, wrapped up a weekend of filming in Lake Havasu, Arizona before continuing on to Flagstaff.

Jeff Watt, a cameraman with the Travel Channel and son of Williams' residents George and Katie Glen has filmed two seasons of the show and was excited to stop in Williams to help highlight the smalltown charm of the town.

"I'm digging it because - first, I get to see my mom, but also going through all of Route 66's little tiny cities that nobody gets to see anymore - that people, I think, forgot about," he said. "This show brings that back a little bit - plus food, people love food."

During the race, the food trucks make stops at locations across the U.S. and cmpete for first place, highlighting culinary expertise and showmanship..

"At every location somebody gets eliminated and they go home," Watt said. "In the journey you kind of see the response to what foods that dictate whether they stay on the show or not."

Each food truck features a variety of flavors and cuisine that is unique to each truck and its crew.

"There's burgers, there's Asian food, Central American food, waffles...all sorts," Watt said.

So far crews on the race have had only minor setbacks, including a breakdown on the Pho food truck.

"They've been towed by tow truck all through (Lake) Havasu," said Watt, who films with the Pho truck.

Despite the set back with the Pho truck, Koontz said the crew persevered and continued to cook their way through Lake Havasu.

"It did (affect them) a little bit, but they did okay," Koontz said. "It showed what moxy they had.

After leaving Lake Havasu the crews stopped briefly for footage in Kingman and Seligman.

Koontz said footage shot in towns along Route 66 will be included in transition shots for the show.

"That will be the episode, which will be the transition shots going through Route 66," he said.

During their brief stop in Williams the crew was welcomed by the mayor and filmed the trucks along Main Street.

"Visually, to me, this place (Williams) out does all of them," Watt said. "It's fantastic, the mayor came down and opened his arms for us and everything."

The food trucks stayed overnight in Flagstaff before continuing on to the next location.

Previous winners of the Great Food Truck Race received a food truck and $50, 000 in grand prized winnings.


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