Prove yourself as a quality, hard-working, safe, reliable truck driver and get to know as many people in the chain of command as you can. You don’t have to be a kissy-ass, but just get to know them, show them respect, and make sure you do an exceptional job for them.

When you do your job well it makes them look good and makes their lives much easier. But the opposite is also true and don’t forget it. Being a truck driver doesn’t carry any prestige with it I’m sorry to say, not even inside a trucking company. But being a great worker and a good person does. Make those your priorities and life will be much easier on you most of the time than it would have been otherwise I can assure you.

For Example……

I was always an excellent truck driver. I ALWAYS ran hard and ALWAYS on time, ran the lousy loads when they needed me to; I was a given….if you gave me a job to do, you could consider it done.

I was outside of Bristol, TN on a Wednesday morning. I had just gotten done delivering my load about an hour ago and went up the road to the nearest truck stop to get some breakfast while I waited for my next assignment.

Arriving, I noticed that there were a number of NASCAR tractor trailers in the parking lot. Being a huge racing fan I realized that the only two tracks they could be on their way to was Bristol,TN or Fort Worth,TX.

I asked somebody and sure enough they were going to Bristol, about an hour up the road.

Well, I was running in a regional fleet and was going to keep running the rest of the week until I got back home on Friday or Saturday.

But JEEEZ, would I love to take the rest of the week off and stay in Bristol for the NASCAR races! I had been with my company for a few years already and had proven myself as a great driver so I asked my dispatcher what he thought about letting me stay in Bristol for the races.

He told me he didn’t have the authority to approve that, which I knew already but I always ran everything by him first (he was the best dispatcher I had ever had).

He told me to talk to his Boss, whom I also knew very, very well, and I begged and pleaded with the Boss. He said, ?what are you going to do with the truck?? I told him I was going to be sleeping in it every night, of course, and it would be safe.

My rationale: ?Come on man, you know I kick ass out here. Let me stay in Bristol this weekend. You know I’ll take care of the truck and make it up to you.? Of course he knew I was right, and he let me stay.

There are VERY few drivers that would have been able to pull that one off, but I had proven myself and had gotten to know the right people and that was all it took. I rocked the weekend at the races and had a blast.

Everything went perfectly and Monday morning I called back in, they gave me my next load, and I was off and rolling again. Another great adventure on the road as a truck driver.

Six Tundras drivers finished in the top-10 at Memphis: Jack Sprague (second), Mike Skinner (fourth), Aaron Fike (fifth), Ryan Mathews (No. 36 Lilly Company/Toyota Industrial Equipment Tundra, sixth), Johnny Benson (No. 23 360 OTC Tundra, seventh) and Todd Bodine (No. 30 Lumber Liquidators Tundra, eighth). Other drivers in the field were Brad Keselowski (16th), Terry Cook (No. 59 Harris Trucking Tundra, 29th) and Ken Butler (No. 00 Aaron?s Lucky Dog Tundra, 33rd).

Keselowski started, for the first of his NCTS career, on the pole in the No. 9 Team ASE Tundra for Germain Racing and led three times for 23 laps. Skinner led 16 laps, and has now led at least one lap in the season?s first 12 races. As a result, he tied the NCTS record for consecutive races led to start a season (Jason Leffler, 2002).

No. 60 Con-way Freight Tundra driver Jack Sprague said that it was a difficult race. He explains that they were horrible but they did a great job with we made some great adjustments. According to him, his truck was a little loose but cooperated by rotating pretty well in the center. He added that they have to give up something at this race track because it is not going to be perfect on both ends.

No. 5 Toyota Tundra diver Mike Skinner said that the truck was very consistent though each set of tires they put on it was a bit different. He considers the recent race as the best run they have ever had in Memphis.

No. 1 RFMS Tundra diver Aaron Fike said that they were looses the whole race but it was their first top-five of the season. He added that they probably should have had a couple top-fives already this year, but they caught a couple bad breaks. He further said that they been in the top-10 in points all year so it is nice to get a good finish and keep the truck up there in points.

No. 9 Team ASE Tundra driver Brad Kaselowski commented that they had a strong truck all night, but it just did not end how they wanted it to. He said that he used everything he had to get to Travis and pass him. Kaselowski caught a little break in traffic to get by Travis. The two got into more traffic and could not get around a couple lapped trucks, and used the rear tires a little too hard and used them up. Though disappointed, Kaselowski was certain that it was the best run he has ever had.

Toyota’s History in America Motorsports

Aside from making quality auto parts such as Toyota Highlander parts, Toyota is also into the world of Motorsports.

Challenges abound as Toyota prepares to face its biggest motorsports test ever in North America when it enters the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series this year.

In 2006, a pair of manufacturer’s championships, a driver’s title and a win in America’s most prestigious sports car race was all a part of the rich motorsports history. Todd Bodine bagged Toyota’s first-ever NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) Driver’s Championship with three victories. Furthermore, Bodine led a sweep of the top six positions by Toyota Tundra drivers to give Toyota its first Manufacturer’s Championship. For the season, Tundra drivers would achieve victory 12 times in the 25-race campaign.

Many have thought of the Mercury Cougar a simply nothing more than a luxo-bloated version of a Ford Thunderbird. It may well surprise many Ford, Mercury as well as Ford Mustang and Mercury Cougar enthusiasts that 35 years ago that the Cougar “Pony” Car was kicking butt on the Trans-Am circuit.

In its origins, the Cougar was an idea that Lincoln-Mercury had been tossing around, for some time, with the idea of a smaller sporty car. As early as February 1963 this idea of a smaller as well as sporty Lincoln-Mercury vehicle, to be introduced to the North American market, came to emerge within the corporate head office, marketing and design staff.

The success of the Ford Mustang was all that was needed to put the wheels in motion. Indeed the famous marketing reference in regards to the product market popularity and sales of the Ford Mustang ‘Pony” Car was a sign in a donut shop that “Or donuts sell as fast as Mustangs”. Nothing drives the automobile industry more than the potential and promise of fast car sales figures. It is noteworthy that even the name of the vehicle product “Cougar” can be said to be family line generated. After the name Cougar is not only six letters but is another member of a line of fast creatures. Both the names of Mustang and Cougar evoke an image of sleekness and fast speed as well as agility.

Built on a 111 inch wheelbase, the Cougar was three inches and half inches shorter than its cousin – the Thunderbird. Underneath the elegant sheetmetal of the Cougar was a Mustang, so to speak. In actuality the Cougar shared with its cousins – the sporty Mustang, and the more dour family vehicle – the Ford Falcon (which was also known in the Canadian market as the Ford Frontenac product. The Ford Mustang had the greatest fortune of being born from the Ford Falcon product line. Mustang enthusiasts owe a great debt of gratitude to a so called compact “Family” car. The Ford Falcon allowed both the Mustang car project as well as the Cougar car product a quick to develop, cheap to produce as well as a proven and durable base platform. Even the dash of the early Mustangs was a direct copy of the Falcons.

Underneath all of the glitter of its elegant sheet metal the Cougar car was all Mustang, using the exact same Falcon front suspension and a solid rear axle with four-leaf springs. A base 289 cubic inch V-8 made 200 bhp (gross), but the real action came in the guise of a 390 cubic inch V-8 that made 320 bhp. A GT option included a performance handling package and power disc brakes that replaced more standard front brake drums. Finally special GT wheels rounded out the package.

It has been said that Lincoln Mercury’s chief designer had envisioned the Cougar as an elegant European sports car, along the lines of the Jaguar Mark 2. How was it that the Cougar went racing?

In 1967 Lincoln Mercury turned to Bud Moore to be the point man for a shot at the SCCA Trans-Am Championship. Team Cougar made up of drivers, Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Formula 1 driver Peter Revson and NASCAR driver Dave Pearson came in second in Ford Mustang’s team. In 1968 then under the aegis of Moore, driver DeWayne “Tiny” Lund went on to capture the NASCAR Grand Touring Championship.

So where and how did the Cougar go wrong. It seemed that Lincoln-Mercury was never quite sure on how to market the Cougar. This lack of market focus, as well as not knowing and perceiving the needs and desires of the potential Cougar customer market proved to be the Cougar’s undoing. By the 1969 product introduction the Cougar was a little longer and a little wider. From then on it was only a short decent into landau roofs as well as the opera window type styling and options of the day. Once started this downward trend and spiral of the Cougar was inevitable. The halcyon years of the early Cougar – specifically the early Cougar model years of 1967 – 70 remain a time when the Cougar’s roar boomed out of dual exhausts and the sign of a car that had some bite to it.

As a part of AAA Foundation’s campaign to reduce vehicle accidents involving teen drivers ages 15 to 20, David Ragan, one of the youngest drivers in NASCAR is working in conjunction with AAA to educate teen drivers about the significance of safe driving as well as car maintenance inspection. During the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series last February, David Ragan, aged 21 finished the race obtaining the 5th spot.

David Ragan will travel in schools and other institutions across the United States to speak with youngsters and discuss the safety measures and maintenance check tips for their vehicles. Ragan will also share his safe driving techniques and demonstrate them. In fact, Ragan has already visited some high schools in Daytona Beach and in Las Vegas and performed some demo.

According to David Ragan, driver of the No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion in the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series: ?I know the challenges young drivers face. There are a lot of temptations and distractions that can cause inexperienced drivers to loose focus. Managing the driving environment and anticipating what can happen on the road is as important for teen drivers as it is for professional race car drivers. Part of the process is being mentally prepared to drive, buckling up and thinking about the conditions under which you will be driving. It also has to do with not allowing your attention to wander from the road, anticipate turns, change lanes or know when to slow down or speed up. AAA has training materials that can help teens master these skills and become safer drivers at AAA.com.?

?In racing, we rely on trained professionals to prepare and maintain our vehicles. Teens also need to have their vehicles inspected and maintained by qualified technicians. Many young people start by driving older cars and trucks with a lot of miles on them. They need to have brakes, steering components and suspensions checked. Tires, lights, fluid lines and other items that can wear out need attention too. That?s something AAA?s Approved Auto Repair program can help them with. By driving for AAA and its 50 million members this year – and taking the opportunities they are providing to speak with teen drivers – I?m hoping I can shorten the learning curve and improve the margin of safety for people not much younger than myself.? he continued.

Meanwhile, according to a research conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there are mote than 300,000 teens aged 15 to 20 are injured in car crashes every year and nearly 8,000 are involved in fatal crashes. NHTSA also said that more than 3,500 teens are killed in these car crashes each year. Moreover, NHTSA also said that young drivers “are more likely to speed, run red lights, make illegal turns, and die in SUV rollover.” Teen drivers should get the Jeep Patriot SUV with quality Jeep thermostat and Side Occupant Protection System to avoid injuries during rollover crashes.

For the first time this season, Toyota has earned its NASCAR Nextel Cup pole position, thanks to Dave Blaney, who drove his No. 22 Caterpillar Toyota Camry and set the fastest lap time in the recent practice test that took place at the New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon.

Blaney pushed his Toyota “Car of Tomorrow” Camry equipped with Toyota Sway Bar Link to reach a maximum speed of 129.437 mph, and clocked in at 29.426 leaving other drivers behind. Blaney’s achievement is a milestone for Toyota Racing team as this is the first time that a Toyota car obtained a pole finish. Dave Blaney will put his Toyota Camry in the number 1 starting position at the upcoming Lenox Industrial Tools 300 race this coming July.

Check out what Dave Blaney said after the qualifying race.

“It feels good to get the first pole for Toyota and hopefully this is the first step in many successful days of poles and wins. We’ve been good all day and been getting a lot of speed out of the car. All of the Toyotas have been real good lately and Brian Vickers has had some good runs lately too. The Toyota side is definitely working hard and I just can’t thank everyone at Bill Davis Racing enough. Especially Tommy Baldwin, Bill Davis, Mike Brown and everybody. We’ve had a trying year with problems and DNFs. It’s been tough being out of the top-35 because it’s hard to concentrate on the races when you have to concentrate on getting into them. This is a big confidence booster for the whole team and any day where you can build confidence in your entire team and driver makes for a good day.”

The press asked Blaney if he already had the feeling that he would grab the pole, and he said:

“I watched everybody early and I saw that some of their speeds were falling off some from practice. I wasn’t sure what we could run and I knew we didn’t really change anything from practice. But in my situation I have to focus on getting into the race more than going for the pole. I can’t make a mistake and risk not getting into the race. I was a little conservative on my first lap, but when I found out that it was fast enough to get into the show — I gave that second lap a little more and I was able to put it on top of the board. It’s a tough position to be in because you have to be cautious enough to get it, but aggressive enough to get in the race. But yeah – I thought we could get the pole.”

NASCAR fans will surely watch out for the upcoming race in Loudon and see if Dave Blaney can give his Toyota team its first NASCAR victory.

The 2007 NASCAR Nextel season came to its end Friday evening with NASCAR Award banquet at New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel where the driver, Jimmie Johnson who had a record breaking season, pilling up 1,663 points during the 10-race Chase Cup received the championship?s trophy. No less credit received the other Hendrick driver, Jeff Gordon who also posted numbers that would have been a sure ticket to Title Town in any other year, winning six races. A record money amount ($32.8M) was distributed between the top 10 drivers (over $1 million each).

Besides the recognition, Johnson definitely got the hang of being the champion for a consecutive year; he earned $7,317,499 from the Nextel Cup point?s fund, bringing his season winnings to $15,313,920; it also brings his career earnings to a $59.5 million. In addition to his winnings, he also received $350,000 for winning four special awards (The Goodyear Gatorback Fastest Lap, The Dow Automotive Strategic Call of the Race Award, the Sunoco Diamond Performance and the Goodyear Award).

Moreover, the 48 Lowe?s Chevrolet driver is now listed for the 2007 USA Sports Academy Athlete of the Year award presented by USATODAY.com and MSNBC.com. The chance for him to acquire another title this year is worth thanks to his four straight victories beginning in Martinsville and 10 victories through the post-season, a two digits record not seen since 1998.

The 2007 poll for male athletes includes: pitcher Josh Beckett (Boston Red Sox), quarterback Tom Brady from the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre, Swiss tennis player Roger Federer, U.S. sprinter Tyson Gay, Ethiopian runner Haile Gebrselassie, Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker, U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps and golfer Tiger Woods.

Fans worldwide select the athletes by voting online beginning December 1 and ending December 25. An overall winner is selected, along with male and female athletes of the year. Federer was the 2006 overall winner; Woods the ?06 male athlete of the year. Johnson finished third in last year?s voting. Hopefully, he will close his season with another award.