Carl Edwards Wins Both Nationwide and Cup Races; Hauler Driver Wins the Prize

Carl Edwards has had an amazing race weekend.  In the NASCAR Nationwide race in Memphis on Friday, Edwards dominated the field to win the race.  The win put Edwards within 80 points of Nationwide championship points leader Clint Bowyer. 

Then it was time for Cousin Carl to get behind the wheel of the number 99 Office Depot in the Cup race at Atlanta.  Again, Edwards secured this critical win at the site of his very first Cup victory.

Edwards was also the biggest mover in the championship points standings.  By virtue of his victory, he pulled within 183 points of Cup chase leader Jimmie Johnson.

But this week was also a big one for one of Carl's loyal crew members.  Bob Decker, Edwards' number 99 hauler driver, was recognized as the winner of the 2008 Pilot Truck Driver Challenge this week as well.

The challenge, presented by Pilot Travel Centers, is the most prestigious award that any hauler driver can achieve.  The purpose of the challenge is to promote safety and responsible driving on the highways.

Participants in this year-long challenge are judged by their safety performance on the road, driver quizzes, chicane courses to test driving abilities, and a Department of Transportation check.  The prize for winning the Truck Driver Challenge is $50,000.

Bob Decker, the hauler driver for Carl Edwards, was the top performer in three of the four chicane courses.  He also achieved the highest scores in the three safety quizzes administered.

When Decker accepted the award this week, he did not imitate his driver Carl Edwards' signature back flip.  Instead, he humbly broke down in tears, sharing with the other competitors and the audience just how much this honor meant to him.

He talked about how he had watched other drivers win this challenge, sitting at home as a young boy in front of his television set.  He always hoped and believed that one day that coveted honor would be his.

Through his tears and with a catch in his voice, he continued to share how important the year’s challenge had been to him.  You see, his wife had also been involved in a competition of a different sort, a fight against breast cancer which she was winning.

So, while Carl Edwards celebrated his amazingly successful weekend, hats off to Bob Decker, a faithful crew member that reminds us of the true meaning of being a winner.