The TA Truck Service Challenge is heating up after yet another great competition between NASCAR hauler drivers. On July 11, 2019, Josh Collins, hauler driver for Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series car, took home first place at the Kentucky Speedway for the second year in a row.
“This win means a lot to me because I won here at Kentucky last year,” Josh said. “The Kentucky chicane course was tough, really tough. The turns were so tight I worried about getting offline, but I guess I held it together for the win.”
Held it together he did, as there were a total of 23 hauler drivers competing and nine perfect DOT quiz scores for the day. With 88 cones on the course, Collins managed to only displace one during his obstacle course run, whereas other top competitors displaced dozens. Josh explained that he competes not only for himself and his family, but for his racing team and sponsors as well.
“My car sponsor, FedEx, employs so many drivers, and I really wanted to do well in this competition for all of them too,” Josh said. “I called home to tell my family I won and they were thrilled,” he added. “My son is 11 years old and very, very competitive, so when I win he is really excited!”
Although the Challenge is an individual competition between hauler drivers and there is ultimately one grand champion at the end of each season, the drivers’ support and solidarity for one another still shines through after each event.
“When the official results were released I got a call from my teammate Tom McCrimmon, the current reigning champion of the TA Truck Service Challenge, saying congratulations,” Josh said. “And that meant so much.”
The top season standings in 2018 consisted of all Joe Gibbs Racing hauler drivers, and Josh Collins has a plan to join them this year.
“My strategy looking forward to Vegas is to just stay in the top five,” Josh said. “Last year I had one really bad run and it killed my chances of winning, so this season I’m just trying to finish top five each week and if I’m really lucky I will get a win like I did here in Kentucky. It’s a great win for my whole team!”
Congratulations to Josh on his second first-place win at the Kentucky Motor Speedway, as well as our second-place winner, Michael Hutton aka Cowboy, and our third place winner Brendan Greene.
Come support these NASCAR hauler drivers at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sept. 12 and at the Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sept. 26.