When veteran Frito Lay driver Tony Johnson heard his name announced as the Grand Champion at the Georgia State TDC Banquet on April 24th, he admittedly did a double take. Tony was still basking in the glow of winning back-to-back state titles in 5-Axle. He knew that he had punched his ticket to the NTDCs for the third time in the last four years. Being Georgia’s Grand Champion was not something that was on his radar. As you’ll hear, Tony felt a bit like a lottery winner when his name was called as the recipient of the Guy Young Award, which is presented to the Grand Champion of Georgia.
In this episode of the podcast recorded less than 48 hours following his State TDC victories, Tony shares his initial thoughts and emotions about his performance on the course, in pre-trip and the written test. He also talks about how examining his experience in previous years at Nationals in the State helped him prepare, allowing him to approach the course in what became a more effective manner this year. Tony hopes to ride the momentum from the State TDC, along with more hard work and a Top 15 showing in last year’s Nationals, as part of his effort to reach the 5-Axle runoff and beyond at NTDC 2026.
FRIEND OF THE PODCAST SPONSOR: The Lutzie 43 Foundation is our Friend of the Podcast for this episode of the NTDC 2026 Series. Founded to honor the legacy of Philip Lutzenkirchen, the Lutzie 43 Foundation is dedicated to make sure that the tragedy that took his life would never have to be repeated. Philip was a standout athlete, a beloved teammate, and a man of tremendous character. Today, the foundation that carries his name is working to change the driving culture across the Southeast and beyond by tackling distracted driving, impaired driving, and unsafe habits behind the wheel. To learn more about the Lutzie 43 Foundation and how you can use 43 Key Seconds to run through an important safety checklist before starting your vehicle, visit Lutzie43.org.
The post Just Peachy: Frito Lay’s Tony Johnson Wins 1st State Grand Champion Title appeared first on PodWheels.
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