FONTANA >> There was no speeding at Auto Club Speedway on Saturday, but drivers still had a tight competition as they maneuvered through conditions designed to test their ability to drive safely.
More than 400 truckers participated in the Southern California Regional Truck Driving Competition, facing sharp turns and precise directions as they competed for the title of safest truck driver in Southern California.
First, second and third place in each of nine divisions qualified to compete in the state competition in May and then, they hope, in a national competition in August at the America’s Center in St. Louis.
“This competition puts drivers through real-life courses where sometimes they’ll be facing certain courses and certain challenges,” said Sherry Vang, spokeswoman for the California Trucking Association, which runs the annual competition. “It does help with not only the safety training but it also goes to show we do have some of the safest drivers.”
Thirty companies competed Saturday, many bringing crews of drivers. Also along for a day of fun were many families and other supporters, barbecuing and enjoying themselves next to a course marked with traffic cones and paint.
Including spectators, there were probably 800 to 1,000 people at the speedway, Vang estimated.
To participate in the national competition, which has been held since 1937, drivers must be accident-free for at least one year prior to the competition, according to the American Trucking Association.
