What a blast!

Florida wins again in America’s Best-Looking Cruiser contest with shot of Delta IV Heavy rocket background.


The FHP contest entry photo by photographer Sean Stoltz was taken at the Space Launch Complex at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on April 28.

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Posted July 30, 2024 | By Andy Fillmore, [email protected]

A black and tan Florida Highway Patrol 2019 Dodge Challenger has again snagged bragging rights for the Sunshine State in the America’s Best-Looking Cruiser contest.

A photo of the cruiser backdropped by the final launch of a Delta IV Heavy rocket was voted to first place over photos of state trooper vehicles from 48 other states.

According to the American Association of State Troopers, the sponsor of the annual competition, the FHP cruiser garnered 28,995 votes to take first place over the Kentucky cruiser, which had 26,091 votes. Third place went to Nevada with 17,511 and fourth place went to West Virginia with 14,562 votes, according to AAST voting results.

This year’s winning photo was taken April 28 at the Space Launch Complex at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station by photographer Sean Stoltz at the moment of the final launch of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy, which has lifted national security payloads for more than six decades, the press release stated.

A photo of an FHP cruiser with a large alligator in the foreground took first place in last year’s contest.

This year’s winning FHP cruiser photo will be featured on the 2025 AAST calendar. This is the 11th year for the calendar and the 13 top voted state cruiser photos will be featured.

The other states to be pictured on the calendar, in order, are North Carolina, Mississippi, Texas, Arkansas, Michigan, Georgia, Alabama, Iowa and Nebraska.

An AAST Facebook post gives the complete results and states that 276,000 votes were placed overall and that the AAST social media site had 1.2 million visitors during the nationwide competition, which ran from July 15-29.

Proceeds from the calendar sales will support the AAST Foundation, which provides educational scholarships for member troopers’ dependents, according to a Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles press release.

To learn about, go to statetrooper.org

 

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