The Road To Pittsburgh has reached its final destination as the NTDC 2026 Podcast is onsite at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in the heart of the Steel City. PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson talked with the first person to navigate the semifinal course for NTDC 2026. Two-Time National Champion Leo Flack is a member of the NTDC Committee, and his job for the past couple of years at the Nationals has been to provide the video example that is shared with the State Champions during the annual Drivers Meeting.

Greg talked with Leo, who is retiring from the NTDC Committee after this year, to get his thoughts on the semifinal course and having the honor of the first run as well as the responsibility of showing what’s possible at each of the six scoring stations.

Speaking of honors, Lifetime NTDC Committee member Rick Cates was asked to provide FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs with a tour of the semifinals course as well as lead the former Florida State Trooper to the area in the Convention Center where the CVSA is holding the North American Inspectors Challenge this week. Administrator Barrs, who will be onsite at NTDC 2026 later this week, spoke to the 429 State Champions who assembled for this year’s Drivers Meeting.

We’ll close this edition of the show with an interview recorded a stone’s throw from the semifinal driving course as the competitors were doing their walkthrough. Greg caught up with Wayne Crowder, a past National Grand Champion who has served as a course judge in the two years since he retired. Greg asked Wayne to take us inside of Day One and to look back at 2004 when Wayne became the only driver to win the National Grand Championship as a rookie-rookie.

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.

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