On Wednesday September 24 on the Bader Field airstrip behind the old Surf baseball stadium, 15 contestants stood eagerly waiting for their opportunity to compete in the 1st Annual Greater Northeast Motorcoach Association (GNEMA) Driver Safety Competition. Drivers representing 15 different companies were competing for cash prizes, trophies and of course, bragging rights.
The contestants were broken into teams of five where each team participated in the three main events. One event was a 25-question written test, another event was the pre-trip exercise, and the third event was a road course, which consisted of multiple obstacles.
The road obstacles included Serpentine; Parallel Parking; Right-Hand Reverse; Forward Off-Set; Left-Hand Turn and Stop Line. Judges were posted at each obstacle tallying the points earned and deducting any penalties (hitting cones). On the coach with each motorcoach operator was another judge who observed the smoothness of the overall operation of the coach and kept time (used only in the event of a tie in points).
When all was said and done, Angelo Concert of the Martz Group took first place with an overall score of 568. For his effort, Mr. Concert won $300 cash and a handsome trophy. However, the win didn’t come easy as Tony Wilson of Peter Pan Bus Lines finished just a point behind at 567. Mr. Wilson won $150 and a trophy while Chris King of Krapf’s Coaches took home the 3rd place trophy and the $50 cash prize.
Clive Wallace of DATTCO, Inc. and Kendall Rohan of Trans-Bridge Lines placed 4th and 5th respectively and both earned $50 cash prizes.
Breakfast was served to all contestants, and the awards were presented after the competition at the GNEMA Annual Meeting at Resorts Hotel Casino in Atlantic City. Drivers also received branded ballcaps, pins to commemorate the occasion and t-shirts.
Overall, the 1st GNEMA Driver Safety Competition was a success thanks to the many sponsors and volunteers who gave of their time. This event would not have been successful without a group of professional drivers who demonstrated their excellent driving skills while focusing on safely operating their motorcoach.
Competition winners pictured left to right below. 2nd Place Tony Wilson, Peter Pan Bus Lines; 1st Place Angelo Concert, Martz Group; 3rd Place Chris King, Krapf Coaches; 4th Place Clive Wallace, DATTCO; 5th Place Kendall Rohan, Trans-Bridge Lines.
View more competition photos here.
GNEMA extends a heartfelt thank you to Sal Caccavale, Martz Group for chairing the GNEMA Safety & Risk Committee and for writing this announcement.
THANK YOU TO OUR AMAZING COMPETITION SPONSORS!
