Texas Auto Writers Association, Inc. News

3rd ANNUAL BILL NEALE AUTOMOTIVE FINE ART AWARD FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 2026 WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Cory Fourniquet — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 19:43:34 GMT

- Award honors world-renowned automotive artist Bill Neale who passed away in 2021

- 1st, 2nd, 3rd Place winners hail from Wisconsin, Michigan and Oklahoma

- In a world where AI increasingly threatens traditional creative arts, award seeks to advance automotive fine art among the next generation

Tyler, TX - (March 26, 2026) - The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 BILL NEALE AUTOMOTIVE FINE ART AWARD FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS! The award honors the legacy of world-renowned automotive artist Bill Neale by recognizing and encouraging excellence in automotive fine art among high school students. TAWA thanks all of the students who participated in the 3rd annual competition that asked entrants to create a Bill Neale-inspired road rally, automotive or racing event poster.

"Automotive art is about more than just machines. It tells stories of innovation, design, and human passion,” said Marc Newman, President of the Texas Auto Writers Association. “These awards celebrate young artists who transform movement into feeling and engineering into lasting works of art."

In a world where AI-generated art is quickly changing the creative landscape, the award also seeks to keep traditional automotive fine art alive in its truest form by advancing the next generation of artists passionate about cars and art.

“Drawing and painting by hand are fine motor skills that are known to enhance brain development and critical thinking. We established The Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award for High School Students to encourage young artists to continue developing these talents in an increasingly led AI world and hone their artistic skills by exploring the genre of automotive art,” said Leslie Neale, daughter of Bill Neale. “Our father, Bill Neale, would be so proud of the creativity and artistry from this year’s winners! As our dad always said, ‘Keep painting!’”

Wisconsin 12th grader Felix Bucaro took top honors this year, winning 1st place with his entry “Road America 500”.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to honor the legacy of Bill Neale. For the piece, I used acrylic on canvas with contrasting color to give a feel for how the Road America 500 was in its day.” - Felix Bucaro, 1st Place Winner.

Winners
1st: Felix Bucaro - 12th grade, Wisconsin, “Road America 500” -  $1000 cash prize

2nd: Joel Murphy - 12th grade, Michigan, “Monaco” -   $500 cash prize

3rd: Emily Eilers - 12th grade, Oklahoma, “Race Against Time” -  $250 cash prize

1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners also receive $100 in BLICK Art Materials Gift Cards.

Honorable Mentions (tie)
William McElhoes, 11th Grade, Idaho - “North Idaho Winter Rally”

Madison Randick, 12th Grade, Michigan “Momentous Macchina Match”

To view these students’ exceptional artwork, visit BillNealeAward.org.

The Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award for High School Students would not be possible without the generous support of the following sponsors: BLICK Art Materials, Carroll Shelby Foundation, Terlingua Racing Team and the Texas Auto Writers Association.

Award Beneficiary

For 2026, the award continued its support of art education with a donation to the Texas Cultural Trust’s Art Box project, an initiative within the nonprofit’s Arts Access program. Our donation supported efforts to provide more than 200 Art Kits to Hunt ISD (Texas) students directly impacted by the Texas Hill Country flooding in July 2025.

MEDIA CONTACT: Amy Plemons amplemons.tvproducer@gmail.com.

About the Texas Auto Writers Association

Founded in 1987, the Texas Auto Writers Association has grown to become one of the most recognized and reputable automotive press organizations in the industry. TAWA’s mission is to promote quality and accuracy in automotive journalism and to disseminate information about the automotive industry through news-related print, online and broadcast media. In addition to promoting journalism opportunities and professionalism internally, TAWA funds scholarships to journalism students.

Texas Auto Writers Association Announces 2026 Auto Roundup Award Winners

Cory Fourniquet — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 13:06:58 GMT

Boerne, Texas — March 24, 2026 — The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) today announced the winners of the 2026 Texas Auto Roundup, following hands-on vehicle evaluations by automotive journalists from across the state.

Each year, manufacturers enter their vehicles for TAWA members to evaluate and vote on the models they believe best serve Texas drivers. Awards are determined by a ranked ballot system, with points awarded for first-, second-, and third-place votes across multiple categories. These winners are now eligible for this year’s title award of “Car of Texas,” which will be announced at a later date.

“The Texas Auto Roundup stands out because it brings together experienced automotive journalists to test vehicles in real-world conditions, just like Texans drive every day,” said Marc Newman, President of TAWA. “These awards recognize vehicles that offer the best mix of performance, usability, innovation, and value for our members and drivers across the state.”

2026 TAWA Auto Roundup Award Winners

People’s Vehicle of Texas (Best Value)

2026 Kia K4 Hatchback GT-Line Turbo

The Kia K4 Hatchback stood out as a clear value leader, delivering a strong balance of affordability, modern design, and everyday usability. Journalists noted its appeal as an accessible and well-rounded option for Texas drivers seeking practicality without compromise.

“The K4 hatchback is a substantial amount of car at this price point. The styling is exciting, and the interior features on this trim punch well above the MSRP, giving a high amount of value to buyers.”

Cameron Biggs - CarQuicks

Family Vehicle of Texas

2026 Honda Pilot Elite

The Honda Pilot Elite earned top honors for its versatility, space, and family-focused functionality. TAWA members highlighted its comfort, intuitive layout, and overall capability as a dependable solution for Texas families.

“Still the best way to get up to 8 seatbelts and still drive something that will easily fit in most garages. It's a proven formula that just works. It's an easy choice for drivers who want 3-rows. No nonsense, anyone can hop in and quickly operate everything without question, and the smooth revving V6 makes for a great driving experience.”

Adam Moline - DriveItOut

Supercar of Texas

2026 McLaren 750S Spider

The McLaren 750S Spider captured unanimous attention with its dramatic performance and unmistakable presence. Its combination of speed, precision, and open-top excitement made it the standout supercar of the event.

"Driving the 2026 McLaren 750 S Spider is like experiencing a Formula 1 race behind the driver’s wheel. With 740 horsepower and 590 lb.-ft of torque, this Supercar will definitely make one aware of its capabilities very quickly. The McLaren's Proactive Chassis Control linked-hydraulic suspension provides remarkably precise body control and an exceptional performance handling experience.”

Michael Rudd - Rudd Fotos

Performance Vehicle of Texas

2026 Dodge Charger Scat Pack

The Charger Scat Pack impressed journalists with its bold performance character and strong road presence. It successfully blends traditional muscle car appeal with modern usability, resonating with drivers looking for both excitement and practicality.

“The addition of AWD makes this a year-round muscle car. It now makes even more practical sense that we have wide tires at all four corners. I love that at the push of a button, you can have true RWD performance. The Hurricane engine is sublime, even if its sound and cylinder count don’t match the heritage of the vehicle it is wrapped in.”

Cory Fourniquet - GT: Garage Talk

Luxury Vehicle of Texas

2026 Genesis G70 Prestige Graphite AWD

Genesis continues to elevate expectations in the luxury segment, and the G70 Prestige Graphite AWD exemplifies that progress. TAWA members praised its refinement, driving dynamics, and premium interior experience.

“The G70 is one of the best interpretations of what a sports sedan should be, combining a premium interior with excellent handling and powerful, linear power delivery. Even the traditional German competitors struggle to match this level of competence.”

Natan Tazelaar - Tazelaar Media

EV of Texas

2026 Lexus RZ 550e F SPORT AWD

The Lexus RZ 550e F SPORT AWD stood out for its execution as a refined and approachable electric vehicle. Journalists noted its balance of comfort, technology, and driving experience as key factors in its win.

“A well-designed and engineered luxury electric vehicle that is great to drive. With new multimedia displays and excellent driving dynamics, it sets the bar for electric vehicles.”

Marc Newman - High Altitude Entertainment

Hybrid Vehicle of Texas

2026 Honda Prelude

The return of the Prelude made a strong impression, particularly with its blend of efficiency and driver engagement. The S+ Shift system was highlighted as an innovative feature that enhances the driving experience in a hybrid platform.

“The headlines will tell you the Prelude is too slow and too expensive to wear the nameplate. While car enthusiasts like myself will always welcome more power in a sports coupe, what the Prelude showed me was its ability to be a "relaxed performer". The power isn't shocking, but the handling and ability to hold and carry its speed through corners is where this shines as a sports coupe. The ability to be efficient with its hybrid system can be considered the cherry on top for its use case.”

Cameron Biggs - CarQuicks

Best Exterior

2026 McLaren 750S Spider

With its sculpted design and unmistakable supercar proportions, the McLaren 750S Spider was widely regarded as the most visually striking vehicle at the event.

“Everyone stares!”

Gregory Riley - RILEY PLAYS CARS

Best Interior

2026 Dodge Charger Scat Pack

The Charger’s interior surprised and impressed voters with its combination of modern technology, usability, and driver-focused layout, helping it secure top honors in this category.

“Big fan. Really liked the interior options that the charger was able to give me, such as changing the tone of the lighting and the option of having a four-door.”

Alyse Zagada - The Blooming Social

Best New Feature

Lexus RZ Virtual Manual Gear Shift System (M Mode)

Lexus earned recognition for innovation with its virtual manual gear shift system, which introduces a new level of driver interaction in an electric vehicle and sparked significant interest among journalists.

"The new M Mode was fun to test, and it provides a sportier, more responsive driving experience.”

Michael Rudd - Rudd Fotos

About the Texas Auto Roundup

The Texas Auto Roundup is TAWA’s annual spring driving event, bringing together automotive journalists and manufacturers for hands-on evaluation of the newest vehicles on the market. Vehicles are tested on public roads in and around Boerne, Texas, providing real-world driving conditions that reflect the needs of Texas consumers.

These results have been tabulated and certified by Rexroat CFO in Tyler, Texas.

Photo Credits – Kevin McCauley

https://mccauleycreativellc.com/tar2026

Media Contact

Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA)

Marc Newman, President

TAWAPresident@texasautowriters.org

https://texasautowriters.org

Former NACTOY President Gary Witzenburg Offers Insider View in Legends in Motion

Sean Tajipour — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 14:44:18 GMT

Gary Witzenburg has announced the release of his 11th book, Legends in Motion, a 310-page, full-color collection that promises readers an insider’s view of automobile excellence. Written in a light, non-technical style, the book pulls together some of his most fun, interesting, and informative stories from multiple outlets across four decades in automotive journalism.

Witzenburg brings rare credibility to the page as a longtime journalist and past president of the North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year Awards (NACTOY). The collection mixes driving adventures with behind-the-scenes stories about how certain special cars were created by bold, visionary leaders, while also capturing the evolution of design and innovation through the people who shaped the industry.

Legends in Motion is available from barnesandnoble.com in eBook, paperback, and hardcover editions, with autographed copies available directly from the author.

WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR 2026 TRUCK AND SUV OF TEXAS

Cory Fourniquet — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 06:18:28 GMT

The Texas Auto Writers Association has named its latest winners for two of its biggest honors. The Toyota Tacoma earned Truck of Texas. The Nissan Armada took home SUV of Texas.

These awards spotlight vehicles that feel built for Texas life.

2026 SUV of Texas: Nissan Armada

The Nissan Armada won Texas SUV of Texas with size and presence. One phrase kept coming to mind behind the wheel: “Super Large BEAST.”

Armada makes its case with big-body comfort and real-world usability. It feels made for families, road trips, and heavy-duty weekends. The PRO-4X flavor adds an extra edge for drivers who want a tougher vibe. It still keeps the daily drive easy.

2026 Truck of Texas: Toyota Tacoma

The Toyota Tacoma Trailhunter earned Texas Truck of Texas by delivering confidence from the driver’s seat. This was the truck that impressed the most based on feel behind the wheel.

Trailhunter leans into what Texas truck buyers ask for. It aims for capability without feeling like a chore to live with. It feels ready for trails, while staying comfortable for everyday miles.

For drivers who want adventure hardware with a clean, purposeful attitude, Tacoma Trailhunter hits that sweet spot.

SEE ALL TRUCK RODEO WINNERS

MEDIA CONTACT: Sean Tajipour tawavpcomms@texasautowriters.org

About the Texas Auto Writers Association

Founded in 1987, the Texas Auto Writers Association has grown to become one of the most recognized and reputable automotive press organizations in the industry. TAWA’s mission is to promote quality and accuracy in automotive journalism and to disseminate information about the automotive industry through news-related print, online and broadcast media. In addition to promoting journalism opportunities and professionalism internally, TAWA funds scholarships to journalism students.

TAWA Welcomes New 2026 Board of Directors

Cory Fourniquet — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 18:37:08 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 31, 2025
Tyler, Texas

Texas Auto Writers Association Announces 2026 Board of Directors

The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA), one of the most respected automotive media organizations in the nation, is proud to announce the incoming 2026 Board of Directors. TAWA continues its mission of promoting excellence in automotive journalism, fostering industry relationships, and producing hallmark events, including the Texas Truck Rodeo and Texas Auto Roundup.

Leading the organization into the new year is Marc Newman, who has been elected President. Newman previously served as Vice President of Events and steps into the role with a strong history of leadership, event strategy, and member collaboration.

Outgoing president Cory Fourniquet will transition into the Past President position, continuing to support the board with experience and organizational continuity.

2026 TAWA Executive Officers & Directors

President
• Marc Newman

Past President
• Cory Fourniquet

Vice President of Membership
• Tim Esterdahl

Vice President of Communications
• Sean Tajipour

Vice President of Events
• Vacant (to be appointed)

Treasurer
• Cameron Biggs

Secretary
• Travis Hager

Director at Large
• Michael Rudd

Director at Large – OEM
• Kimberly K. Shults

The 2026 board includes a blend of returning leadership and fresh perspectives, setting the stage for a dynamic year of growth, community engagement, and industry collaboration. With several major initiatives in motion – including membership outreach, digital communication expansion, and preparation for the upcoming Texas Truck Rodeo – TAWA remains committed to elevating the voice of Texas-based automotive media professionals.

“We are excited about the talent and enthusiasm this board brings to TAWA,” said Past President Cory Fourniquet. “With Marc Newman at the wheel, our members, partners, and industry colleagues can look forward to an innovative year ahead as we continue to celebrate and support automotive journalism in Texas.”

For more information about TAWA, membership, sponsorship opportunities, or upcoming events, please visit our website.

About the Texas Auto Writers Association

Founded in 1987, the Texas Auto Writers Association is a nonprofit organization of automotive journalists, content creators, and industry professionals committed to accuracy, community, and excellence in automotive reporting. TAWA is best known for hosting the annual Texas Truck Rodeo and Texas Auto Roundup, where vehicles are evaluated and honored through the prestigious “Truck of Texas” and related awards.

Media Contact:
Texas Auto Writers Association
2627 S Broadway Ave
Suite 6523
Tyler, TX 75701
texasautowriters.org

3rd Annual BILL NEALE AUTOMOTIVE FINE ART AWARD FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ANNOUNCES CALL FOR ENTRIES

Cory Fourniquet — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 19:14:55 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

3rd Annual BILL NEALE AUTOMOTIVE FINE ART AWARD
FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ANNOUNCES CALL FOR ENTRIES

- Call For Entries Opened October 15, 2025 for Eligible U.S. High School Students in Grades 10-12

- Award Honors World-Renowned Dallas-based Artist Bill Neale

- Submissions accepted through February 12, 2026 at 11:59 pm CST.

Flower Mound, TX - (October 23, 2025) - The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) is pleased to announce the official call for entries for the 2026 Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award for High School Students! The award, in its third year, honors world-renowned automotive artist Bill Neale by recognizing and encouraging excellence in automotive fine art among high school students. Neale passed away in 2021 at the age of 95.

The Award is open to U.S. high school students in 10-12th grades. Students attending a non-U.S. high school in grades 10-12 as a result of a parent serving in the U.S. Military are also eligible. The competition focuses on the traditional fine art mediums Neale so skillfully mastered. Neale was well-known for his posters promoting automotive events, races and road rallies. Entrants are asked to create an original, signed poster depicting a road rally, automotive or racing event. Cash prizes and BLICK Art Materials gift cards will be awarded to first, second and third place winners. Submissions accepted October 15, 2025 - February 12, 2026. For rules, project brief and legal terms, please visit www.billnealeaward.org.

Along with inspiring future automotive artists, the Award also seeks to support arts education by making art accessible to all young people. For 2026, the Award is proud to continue its support of the Texas Cultural Trust Art Box project, an initiative within its Arts Access program. Our donation is being used to support Hunt ISD elementary students impacted by the devastating July 4th, 2025 flooding in Central Texas.

"Our hearts go out to those impacted by the recent historic flooding in Texas," said Leslie Neale, Bill Neale’s Daughter/Terlingua Racing Team. "Artistic expression can help in the healing process and my dad would be honored that our donation to the Texas Cultural Trust Art Box Project is helping to provide creative support for elementary students in a community in the process of rebuilding."

“Thank you to the Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award for High School Students for their generous sponsorship of the Texas Cultural Trust’s Art Box program,” said Heidi Marquez Smith, CEO for TXCT. “Your support empowers young artists and helps to inspire self-expression and imagination of children who have little to no access to creative resources.”

The Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Automotive Art Award for High School Students would not be possible without the generous support of the following sponsors: BLICK Art Materials, The Carroll Shelby Foundation, Terlingua Racing Team and the Texas Auto Writers Association.

BLICK Gives Back: https://www.dickblick.com/about-blick/gives-back

The Carroll Shelby Foundation: https://foundation.shelby.com

Terlingua Racing Team: https://terlinguaracingteam.com

Texas Auto Writers Association: https://texasautowriters.org/

Media Contact: amplemons.tvproducer@gmail.com.

About the Texas Auto Writers Association

Founded in 1987, the Texas Auto Writers Association has grown to become one of the most recognized and reputable automotive press organizations in the industry. TAWA’s mission is to promote quality and accuracy in automotive journalism and to disseminate information about the automotive industry through news-related print, online and broadcast media. In addition to promoting journalism opportunities and professionalism internally, TAWA funds scholarships to journalism students.

Texas Truck Rodeo Winners Announced For 2025

Sean Tajipour — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 13:00:00 GMT

After a full day of hands-on test drives at the Texas Truck Rodeo, standout vehicles earned top honors, recognizing exceptional achievements in performance, capability, comfort, and innovation.

See the list of winners below!

Compact SUV

Winner: 2026 Genesis GV70 3.5T Sport Prestige AWD

"Always a class act."

2nd: 2026 Honda CR-V TrailSport (AWD)

3rd: 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL R-Line 4Motion

Mid-Size SUV

Winner: 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport Elite

"Gamechanger."

2nd: 2025 Toyota 4Runner

3rd: 2025 Lexus GX 550 Overtrail+

Full-Size SUV

Winner: 2025 Nissan Armada PRO-4X

"Super Large Beast."

2nd: 2025 Lexus LX 700h Hybrid Overtrail

3rd: 2026 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Jailbreak

Luxury SUV

Winner: 2026 Genesis GV70 3.5T Sport Prestige AWD

"Well Done."

2nd: 2025 Lexus LX 700h Hybrid Overtrail

3rd: 2025 Lexus GX 550 Overtrail+

Off-Road SUV

Winner: 2025 INEOS Grenadier Station Wagon Fieldmaster

"This thing rocks!"

2nd: 2025 Toyota 4Runner

3rd: 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport Elite

Electric SUV

Winner: 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 AWD Performance Calligraphy

"Keeps its promise."

2nd: 2025 Jeep Wagoneer S Limited 4xe

Mid-Size Pickup Truck

Winner: 2025 Toyota Tacoma Trailhunter

"Just the right size."

2nd: 2025 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X

Full-Size Pickup Truck

Winner:2026 Ram 1500 Limited Longhorn 5.7L HEMI V-8 eTorque

"Beautiful Interior."

2nd: 2025 Toyota Tundra TRD Rally

Heavy-Duty Pickup Truck

Winner: 2026 Ram 2500 Warlock 6.7L Cummins I6 Turbo Diesel

"Glad to see it back."

Luxury Pickup Truck

Winner: 2026 Ram 1500 Limited Longhorn 5.7L HEMI V-8 eTorque

"Tough for the work a day world, nice enough for date night."

Off-Road Pickup Truck

Winner: 2026 Ram 1500 RHO - High Output Hurricane 3.0L Twin Turbo

" A monster."

2nd: 2025 Toyota Tacoma Trailhunter

3rd: 2025 INEOS Grenadier Quartermaster Fieldmaster

Best Powertrain

Winner: Honda CR-V Trailsport Hybrid AWD

The four hybrid-electric CR-V trims, including the new TrailSport Hybrid, feature the award-winning 4th-generation Honda two-motor hybrid system. The powerful and efficient powertrain includes two large and powerful electric motors to deliver a sporty driving experience, with 204 horsepower, 247 lb.-ft of torque, and exceptional fuel economy ratings.
This configuration allows for the use of a larger and more powerful propulsion motor, which now has an increased torque output of 247 lb.-ft. (+15 lb.-ft.). It also maintains its 181 hp over a broader range of motor rpm, thereby improving response.
The new propulsion motor uses new high-performance magnets that, as before, are made without heavy rare-earth metals. Internally, the motor uses a multi-ring structure that helps enable a higher peak motor speed of 14,500 rpm, an improvement of 11.5%. This higher motor speed also contributes to a higher sustained top speed capability for CR-V hybrid models (Sport and Sport Touring) of 115 mph, 28% faster than its predecessor.

••The new side-by-side arrangement also enables the use of an additional direct-drive gear set with a new low-speed lock-up clutch (deployed in CR-V only), allowing engine drive at urban speeds and supporting the ability to tow up to 1,000 pounds, a first for the two-motor hybrid system.

2nd: Lexus LX 700h Hybrid

Texas Auto Writers Association Announces Excellence in Craft Competition Winners for 2025

Cory Fourniquet — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 04:42:30 GMT

DALLAS (September 25, 2024) –The Texas Auto Writers Association launched the Excellence in Craft Competition in 2007 with the goal of recognizing and encouraging excellence in automotive journalism. Casting a wider net across the industry, the Texas Truck Invitational competition invites TAWA members and non-members worldwide to enter their works in an exclusive writing category relating to just trucks and SUVs.

TAWA is proud to see the level of competition this year, which was high quality and diverse. A big thanks to all our judges for spending time reading, watching, and listening to all of this great work: Chris Collard, Nicole Wakelin, Amelia Dalgaard, Harvey Briggs, Kristin Shaw, and Jared Rosenholtz.

TAWA EICC WINNERS

Writing: Features

3rd: Natan Tazelaar, Tazio magazine: “Charge of the bright brigade” (print)

2nd: Adam Moore, TXGarage: “ Chevy’s Bolt EV and EUV: Still Shocking – and Sticker Shocked"

1st: Tim Esterdahl, Pickup Truck + SUV Talk: “ ARE DELETED DIESEL TRUCKS LEGAL AFTER EPA DEREGULATION NEWS?"

Our judges said of the winning entry, “Tim's breakdown of the change to the law takes a complex topic and makes it easy to understand.”

Writing: Reviews

3rd: Amy Plemons, CarPro: “ 2024 Genesis G70 2.5T RWD Sport Prestige Review ”

2nd: Mercedes Lilienthal, OVR Magazine: “ Real-Life Comparison: 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz EV from North America vs. the 2024 ID. Buzz Pro German-Market Model ”

1st: Jill Ciminillo, freelancer at The Drive “ 2025 Ram 1500 RHO First Drive Review: So Good You Don’t Need a Hellcat V8 ”

The judge in this category commented, “Jill's technical knowledge shines through in a way that's relatable whether you've spent time behind the wheel of a performance truck or are dreaming of the chance one day.”

VIDEO

3rd: Adam Moore, TXGarage: “ 2025 Equinox EV: Can Chevy’s All-Electric SUV Handle a Texas-Sized Road Trip?"

2nd: Brian Hodges, ROMR Reviews: “Deep Dive with Dre! Exploring Scout Motors UX”

1st: Tim Esterdahl, “Top GM 3 0L Duramax Diesel Questions Answered - DEF, Regen, Oil, Additives”

One judge said of the winning video: “Tim does a great job responding to questions from his audience and explaining the answers in a way that’s easy to understand.

RADIO/PODCAST

3rd: Michael Marrs, In Wheel Time: “ Adventures at the Big Bend Open Road Race with Rhonda! ”

2nd: Jill Ciminillo and Tom Appel, Car Stuff Podcast: “ New Forester Hybrid, A Conversation with Chrysler CEO Chris Feuell”

1st: Jerry Reynolds, CarPro: “ Interview with Ford Motor Chief Communications Officer Mark Truby”

“Informative, high-level guest, to the point, and offers an insight into car companies that most people don’t get,” the judge said about Jerry’s winning entry.

PHOTOGRAPHY

2nd: Mercedes Lilienthal, OVR Magazine: “Waves Crash as San Francisco Greets the New 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz EV”

1st: Cory Fourniquet, GT: Garage Talk: "McLaren 750S"

“As automotive photographers, we must offer the viewer unique and varying perspectives of a given subject,” our expert judge said about Cory’s winning photo. “Shooting long and low, cropping in on specific details such as the photographer has done with this image, evokes emotion and visions of stabbing the brakes to set up for a hard drifting corner.”

SOCIAL MEDIA

1st: Mercedes and Andy Lilienthal, “Nine Countries, 16 Days, and 4,771 Electrified Miles, Competing in the World’s Northernmost Rally in with a 2024 German-Spec Volkswagen ID. Buzz EV”

Details –

Day 2 the Kindness of Strangers and Hitting our Groove: from Falkenburg, Sweden to the Outskirts of Oslo, Norway https://www.instagram.com/p/C-ED27ASBti/

Day 8 Longest Drive Day and (Narrowly) Reaching the Top of the World at Nordkapp, Plus Bug-Infested Camping: Skibotn, Norway to Karasjok, Norway https://www.instagram.com/p/C-eWnvyxBpw/

Day 16 a Nail-Biting Victory After Many Uphill Battles and Charge Challenges: Berlin, Germany to Hamburg, Germany and Finish Line https://www.instagram.com/p/C_EtvTqNq08/

One judge said, “An absolutely epic journey, captured in exciting reels that gave us a taste of the Lilienthal’s adventure.”

TEXAS TRUCK INVITATIONAL

Grand Prize Winner: Jill Ciminillo, freelancer at The Drive “2025 Ram 1500 RHO First Drive Review: So Good You Don’t Need a Hellcat V8”

“It was clear that Jill’s thorough coverage and personal experience with this vehicle combined for an excellent story that’s both informative and riveting,” the judge said. “Beautiful work.”

TAWA JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

In 2024, TAWA added a new award for the person who contributed the most to TAWA’s event coverage for the 2024 Texas Truck Rodeo and 2025 TAWA Auto Roundup. This year, the award goes to Adam Moore of TXGarage for his quality and body of work for the past year. Adam, TAWA thanks you for your dedication to our association events with complete and thoughtful coverage.

TAWA appreciates everyone who submitted their work for 2025. We look forward to seeing next year’s entries!

Excellence in Craft Competition Call for Entries

Cory Fourniquet — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 15:07:49 GMT

Dear Members,

You've been busy creating content all year long and now it's time to submit your favorite features, reviews, radio presentations, photos, podcasts and social media campaigns for the 2025 TAWA Excellence in Craft Competition!

CALL FOR ENTRIES begins Tuesday, July 1, 2025.
ENTRY DEADLINE is 11:59 PM Friday, July 25, 2025

EICC CATEGORIES (for TAWA members):

Writing (features and reviews subcategories)
Radio and Podcast (single episode)
Video (YouTube or broadcast TV)
Photography (static and action subcategories)
Social Media Video (3 minutes or less)
TAWA Event Coverage (at 2024 Truck Rodeo or 2025 Auto Roundup)

TEXAS TRUCK INVITATIONAL (Includes Non-Members): The Texas Truck Invitational competition invites TAWA members and non-members worldwide to enter their works in exclusive truck-writing categories. A range of truck-related writing topics are eligible for entry, which includes large vans (Sprinter, Transit, etc), chassis cabs, SUVs and CUVs.

ELIGIBLE CONTENT: The EICC competition is open to TAWA members in good standing. Eligible entries for the 2025 competition include automotive-related content that has been published or has an on-air date from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. All entries must be in English.

An eligibility exception applies to the Texas Truck Invitational Writing categories, in which non-TAWA members are invited to participate.

For the complete official entry rules and requirements, please click on the link provided at the end of this email.

EICC FEES: Cost per single entry remains unchanged:

TAWA members - EICC: $15.00 per entry
Non-members – Texas Truck Invitational: $25.00 per entry

For EICC questions, contact Kristin Shaw at KristinVShaw@gmail.com.

FOR EICC RULES AND ENTRY FORM, CLICK HERE

TEXAS AUTO WRITERS ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES AWARD-WINNING VEHICLES FROM 2025 TEXAS AUTO ROUNDUP

Cory Fourniquet — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 14:00:00 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Texas Auto Writers Association Announces Award-Winning Vehicles from 2025 Texas Auto Roundup

Conroe, Texas (April 30, 2025) — The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) proudly announces the winning vehicles from their annual Texas Auto Roundup, where members evaluated and honored the best vehicles across multiple categories. First held in 2003, this year's Auto Roundup was held at the Margaritaville Resort on Lake Conroe on April 6, 2025.

After a day of rigorous testing, standout models were awarded top honors, showcasing excellence in performance, luxury, family-friendliness, and innovation.

People’s Vehicle of Texas (Best Value)

Winner: Honda Civic Hybrid Sport Touring
“Best daily driver money can buy.”
Second Place: Kia K4 GT-Line Turbo
Third Place: Nissan Murano Platinum AWD

Family Vehicle of Texas

Winner: Toyota Sienna Platinum Hybrid AWD
“I was blown away by the Toyota Sienna. The value really can't be beat, and it's a hybrid to boot. I was sold with the vacuum and reclining back seats with the footrest.”
Second Place: Kia Carnival Hybrid SX-Prestige
Third Place: Honda Odyssey Elite

Minivan of Texas

Winner: Toyota Sienna Platinum Hybrid AWD
“It’s like a Gulfstream with wheels—super comfortable and impressive cabin, mileage, and drivability.”
Second Place: Chrysler Pacifica Limited AWD
Third Place: Kia Carnival Hybrid SX-Prestige

Performance Vehicle of Texas

Winner: McLaren Artura Spider
“A pure driver's car. Even with the hybrid system, power hard top, and glass roof adding weight, it still came in at only 3200 lbs. Unreal! The only car I would ever own in orange. I've been dreaming of it since I got out of it.”
Second Place: Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack
Third Place: Toyota GR Corolla

Luxury Vehicle of Texas

Winner: Genesis G80 AWD 3.5T Sport Prestige
“Genesis continues to develop their vehicles to be a value that cannot be ignored in this segment. Arguably better at the same game than the current competition.”
Second Place: INFINITI QX80
Third Place: Lexus LX 700h Hybrid Overtrail

EV of Texas

Winner: Hyundai IONIQ 5 Limited AWD
“The styling for me is more creative, distinctive, and unique than a Model Y. Hyundai has married a nice fusion of futuristic touches and current modern styling.”
Second Place: Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack
Third Place: Acura ZDX Type S

Hybrid Vehicle of Texas

Winner: Honda Civic Hybrid Sport Touring
“This vehicle is practical, well-executed, reliable, and has great handling. It’s also fuel-efficient.”
Second Place: Lexus LX 700h Hybrid Overtrail
Third Place: Toyota Sienna Platinum Hybrid AWD

Best Exterior

Winner: McLaren Artura Spider
“I can NOT say enough about the papaya spark color on the McLaren! It will definitely turn heads on the road!”
“Incredible…”
Second Place: Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack
Third Place: INFINITI QX80

Best Interior

Winner: INFINITI QX80
“The driving experience was effortless with its intelligence integrated technology. Easily one of the best family-oriented vehicles on the market, and its luxury design and craftsmanship are exquisite.”
Second Place: Genesis G80 AWD 3.5T Sport Prestige
Third Place: Lexus LX 700h Hybrid Overtrail

Best NEW Interior

Winner: INFINITI QX80
“Just WOW!”
Second Place: Nissan Murano Platinum AWD
Third Place: Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack

Best New Feature

Winner: Nissan Armada Invisible Hood View
“The Nissan Armada is a big, beautiful beast!”
Second Place: Dodge Charger Daytona Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust
Third Place: INFINITI Klipsch Reference Premiere Audio System with Individual Audio

“The 2025 Texas Auto Roundup showcased an incredibly diverse field of vehicles,” said Cory Fourniquet, TAWA President. “From electrifying EVs and cutting-edge hybrids to luxurious family movers and pure performance machines, our journalist members had the difficult but exciting job of recognizing the best of the best.”

Full list of participating vehicles:

Acura RDX A-Spec w. Advance
Acura ZDX Type S
Alfa Romeo Tonale 2.0L Turbo
Chrysler Pacifica Limited AWD
Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack
Genesis G80 AWD 3.5T Sport Prestige
Honda Civic Hybrid Sport Touring
Honda Odyssey Elite
Hyundai Elantra N
Hyundai IONIQ 5 Limited AWD
Hyundai Kona Limited AWD
INFINITI QX80 AUTOGRAPH
Kia Carnival Hybrid SX-Prestige
Kia K4 GT-Line Turbo
Lexus LX 700h hybrid Overtrail
McLaren Artura Spider
Nissan Armada Platinum Reserve
Nissan Murano Platinum AWD
Toyota 4Runner TRD Sport Premium
Toyota Crown Signia Limited
Toyota GR Corolla GR Direct Automatic Transmission Premium Plus
Toyota Sienna Hybrid AWD Platinum

About TAWA
Founded in 1987, the Texas Auto Writers Association has grown to become one of the most recognized and reputable automotive media organizations in the industry. TAWA’s mission is to promote quality and accuracy in automotive content creation and to disseminate information about the automotive industry through news-related print, online and broadcast media.

For more information about the Texas Auto Writers Association, please visit texasautowriters.org

Media Contact:
Cory Fourniquet
TAWAPresident@texasautowriters.org
Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA)

2ND ANNUAL BILL NEALE AUTOMOTIVE FINE ART AWARD FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 22:43:57 GMT

2ND ANNUAL BILL NEALE AUTOMOTIVE FINE ART AWARD FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

Award Honors World-Renowned Dallas-based Artist who passed away in 2021
Benefits the Texas Cultural Trust Art Box Project which provides art supplies to underserved youth

Dallas, TX - (March 6, 2025) - The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 BILL NEALE AUTOMOTIVE FINE ART AWARD FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS! TAWA thanks all the students who participated in the second annual national competition.

“I could not be more impressed by the sheer talent represented this year. As someone who dabbled in automotive art myself while in high school, I give huge credit to all the students who entered.” - Cory Fourniquet, President of TAWA

This year’s First Place award winner is Michigan 11th grader Madison Francis Randick for her entry “Legacy In Motion”.

"I felt that it was a great challenge, Bill Neale seems like a wonderful person with great paintings. I looked at his compositions and techniques for inspiration. I like how Bill Neale emphasized personality and it was great to learn about such a tremendous illustrator. Winning this award was a blessing. I truly appreciate the skills the Lord has blessed me and all the winning artists with! Thank you for the recognition and I am so very grateful for this opportunity you are giving me and other young artists.” - Madison Francis Randick, 1st Place Winner

Second place goes to Michigan 11th grader Natalie Grace Black for her entry “Racer”. Third place is awarded to New York 11th grader Fatemah Alloo for her entry “Designed to Drift”. Alloo also won third place in last year’s compeition.

In addition to the first, second and third place winners who receive cash prizes, the award recognizes five honorable mentions:

Madison Francis Randick - 11th grade, Michigan, “Legacy in Motion” - 1st, $1000 cash prize
Natalie Grace Black, 11th grade, Michigan, “Racer” - 2nd, $750 cash prize
Fatemah Alloo, 11th grade, New York, “Designed to Drift” - 3rd place, $500 cash prize
Evan Wong, 11th Grade, California, “Passing the Torch” - Honorable Mention
Harmon Joel Laatsch, 12th Grade, Bonn International School, “Banana Split” - Honorable Mention
William McElhoes, 10th Grade, Idaho, “Sunset Cobra” - Honorable Mention
Gabriel Cordoba Zuccher, 12th Grade, Michigan, “The Ascent of Speed” - Honorable Mention
Lance Lin, 11th Grade, California, “McLaren F1 Racecar” - Honorable Mention

To view artwork visit BillNealeAward.org.

The 2025 Bill Neale Autoaward was open to U.S. high school students in grades 9-12 and students of U.S. military families serving overseas. The first place winner receives a $1000 cash prize, the second place winner a $750 cash prize and the third place winner a $500 cash prize.

This year’s judging panel consisted of Austin, Texas-based realist vehicle painter Shan Fannin, recipient of the 2021 Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award, Leslie Neale from the Neale Family and Aaron Shelby from the Carroll Shelby Foundation.

Benefiting Texas Cultural Trust

For 2025, the award is proud to support art education for underprivileged Texas youth with a $4,200 Grade Level Sponsor donation to the Texas Cultural Trust’s Art Box project, an initiative within the nonprofit’s Arts Access program. The Art Box project provides basic art supplies to underserved Title 1 elementary schoolstudents in Texas.

About the Award

The Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award for High School Students honors world-renowned automotive artist Bill Neale by recognizing and encouraging excellence in automotive fine art among high school students. The Dallas-based artist passed away in 2021 at the age of 95. The award would not be possible without the generous support of the following sponsors: Carroll Shelby Foundation, Mecum Auctions, Terlingua Racing Team and the Texas Auto Writers Association.

MEDIA CONTACT: Amy Plemons amplemons.tvproducer@gmail.com

About the Texas Auto Writers Association

Texas Auto Writers Association Announces 2024-2025 Truck Rodeo Winners

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 16:43:11 GMT

TAWA Truck Rodeo Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Texas Auto Writers Association Announces 2024-2025 Truck Rodeo Winners

Austin, TX – January 15, 2025 – The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) proudly announces the winners of the coveted category awards at the 31st annual TAWA Truck Rodeo. This prestigious event celebrates excellence within the automotive industry, highlighting vehicles that have set the standard for innovation, performance, and design among trucks and SUVs.

Award-Winning Vehicles of 2024-2025:

Sub-Compact SUV of Texas: Nissan Kicks SR
Mid-Size SUV of Texas: Lexus GX 550
Luxury SUV of Texas: Genesis GV80
Off-Road SUV of Texas: INEOS Grenadier Trialmaster
Electric SUV of Texas: Kia EV9
Compact Truck of Texas: Hyundai Santa Cruz
Mid-Size Truck of Texas: Toyota Tacoma
Full-Size Truck of Texas: Ram 1500
Heavy Duty Truck of Texas: Ram 2500 Rebel
Luxury Truck of Texas: Ram 1500 Tungsten
Off-Road Truck of Texas: INEOS Grenadier Quartermaster Fieldmaster

Special recognitions were also awarded for technological advancements and features that enhance safety and performance:

Best Towing Technology: Toyota’s Wireless Trailer Camera System
Best Powertrain: Ram’s 3.0L Hurricane High Output Straight-Six Turbo
Best Driver Assist or Safety Feature: Toyota’s Safety Sense 3.0

The TAWA Truck Rodeo is a landmark event that gathers automotive journalists, manufacturers, and industry experts. This year's competition was fierce, with vehicles evaluated on a range of criteria, including capability, performance, and value.

“We are thrilled to honor these outstanding vehicles and manufacturers who have shown exceptional dedication in pushing the boundaries of technology and design,” said Cory Fourniquet, President of TAWA. "Each winner demonstrates the remarkable innovation and quality that consumers have come to expect in the Texas market.”

The event underscores the importance of the automotive industry in Texas, providing a platform for showcasing groundbreaking advancements and fostering community and collaboration among industry leaders.

For more information about the TAWA Truck Rodeo and the full list of winners, please visit https://www.texasautowriters.org.

Contact: Natalie Merola | VP of Communications | tawavpcomms@texasautowriters.org

New Year, New Board of Directors

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 17:15:44 GMT

New Year, New Board of Directors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Texas Auto Writers Association Welcomes New Members to Its Board of Directors

Tyler, TX – January 6, 2025 – The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) proudly announces the appointment of new members to its Board of Directors, further strengthening its commitment to promoting excellence in automotive journalism.

With a legacy of over three decades, TAWA is dedicated to fostering a vibrant community of automotive journalists who uphold the highest standards of integrity and professionalism. The newly appointed board members bring a wealth of experience and fresh perspectives to the organization’s leadership.

Joining the TAWA Board of Directors are:

VP of Communications - Natalie Merola-Garcia, TAWA is thrilled to announce Natalie Merola-Garcia, an award-winning automotive editor, as the new VP of Communications. Natalie's innovative approach to digital automotive content stands out online. As founder of Kitty’s Glam Rides and a co-founder of Femme Drive, a diverse and inclusive car collective, she continues to champion the presence of women in the automotive world. Natalie's passion for motorsports and her engaging content makes her an exciting addition to the TAWA board. Natalie previously served on the board as our Secretary.
VP of Events - Marc Newman, Marc Newman, Marc joins the TAWA board as VP of Events, bringing a wealth of expertise in video production, live broadcast, streaming, and event planning. As the Managing Partner at High Altitude Entertainment, LLC, Marc has showcased exceptional skills in multimedia content creation and unscripted television production. His leadership in organizing live events will be invaluable to TAWA's future endeavors.
Treasurer - Eric O'Hara, Eric joins the TAWA Board as the new incoming treasurer. As a creator and self-employed business owner from East Texas, Eric’s business acumen and knowledge from running a successful production company will prove invaluable as our new treasurer. We eagerly anticipate the innovative ideas and fresh perspectives that Eric will bring to TAWA, ensuring its continued profitability and creativity within the industry.
Director At Large - Bryan Raupe, Moving from our VP of Events, Bryan will still lend his expertise and knowledge about running TAWA from his new role as Director at Large. We are grateful for his time served as VP of Events and are glad to continue to have his voice on the TAWA Board.

These new board members will work alongside existing members to further TAWA’s mission of recognizing and promoting excellence in automotive journalism. Their diverse backgrounds and expertise will contribute to shaping the future of TAWA and ensuring that it continues to adapt to the ever-evolving automotive landscape.

Existing TAWA Board of Directors with 1 Year Remaining on their Terms:

President, Cory Fourniquet
VP of Membership, David & Kelly Boyd (serving with a singular vote)
Director at Large, OEM, Greg Thome
Past President, Teia Collier

With her appointment as VP of Communications, Natalie’s vacant Secretary seat will be filled by board member vote in January’s meeting.

“We are thrilled to welcome our new members and I am excited to see what we can do for our membership, our OEM partners, and the entire automotive industry,” said Cory Fourniquet, TAWA President. “Their combined expertise and passion for the industry will be invaluable as we continue to expand our reach and impact within the automotive journalism community.”

TAWA remains focused on its goal of providing its members with opportunities for professional development, networking, and recognition through its annual events and awards.

For more information about TAWA and its Board of Directors, please visit texasautowriters.org.

About Texas Auto Writers Association:

Founded in 1987, the Texas Auto Writers Association brings together professionals dedicated to covering and analyzing the automotive industry. TAWA hosts several marquee events, including the Texas Truck Rodeo and the Texas Auto Roundup, to showcase and evaluate the latest vehicles on the market.

Contact:

Cory Fourniquet

TAWA President

texasautowriters.org

Texas Auto Writers Association Announces Excellence in Craft Competition Winners for 2024

Cory Fourniquet — Mon, 30 Sep 2024 13:00:00 GMT

DALLAS (September 30, 2024) – In 2007, the Texas Auto Writers Association launched the Excellence in Craft Competition with the goal of recognizing and encouraging excellence in automotive journalism. In tandem, the Texas Truck Invitational competition invites TAWA members, along with non-members worldwide, to enter their works in exclusive truck-writing categories.

Once again, the competition was high quality and fierce. A big thanks to all of our judges for spending time reading, watching, and listening to all of this great work: Kevin McCarthy, Nicole Wakelin, Amelia Dalgaard, Kimatni Rawlins, Harvey Briggs, Jared Rosenholtz, Cherise Threewitt, and Daryl Killian.

TEXAS AUTO WRITERS ASSOCIATION EXCELLENCE IN CRAFT COMPETITION

Writing: Feature category

3rd: Natan Tazelaar, “The story of Ferrari’s Three-Liter Superamerica”

2nd: Chris Collard, “Thorny Devils and Blue Tongues”

1st: Mercedes Lilienthal, “The Land of Fire and Ice: Iceland Versus the Lilienthals”

Our judges said of the winning entry, “Excellent storytelling and descriptions of a beautiful place.”

Writing: Reviews

3rd: Amy Plemons, ”2024 Acura MDX Type S”

2nd: Holli Fourniquet, "2023 Lexus RX 350h"

1st: Mercedes Lilienthal, “Ineos Grenadier at the 2024 Alcan 5000 Rally”

The judge commented, “One part adventure story, one part review, Mercedes wove her review of the Ineos Grenadier into an engaging rally adventure.”

VIDEO

3rd: Joe and Lori Raiti, “Why did I buy a Chevrolet C4 Corvette Z51 instead of a 2024 C8 Stingray?”

2nd: Holli Fourniquet, “Why is the 2023 Toyota Sienna So Popular? We Find Out!”

1st: Tim Esterdahl and Jill Ciminillo, “Toyota Tacoma vs Ford Ranger Raptor vs Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison Midsize Battle!”

One judge lauded Tim and Jill’s podcast with these words: “Expert talk with the knowledge required to understand overlanding and off-roading features.”

RADIO/PODCAST

3rd: In Wheel Time, “EV fires - a new solution to a burning question”

2nd: Cory Fourniquet, “Vehicle Safety with Mazda's Head of Safety Jennifer Morrison”

1st: Jerry Reynolds, “Why Americans are NOT buying electric cars”

“Jerry consistently delivers knowledge and insight and delights us once again this year,” the judge commented.

PHOTOGRAPHY: STATIC

3rd: Cory Fourniquet: “Hyundai Ioniq 5 N”

2nd: Mercedes Lilienthal: “Mystery Glacier and RAV4 Rental Car”

1st: Elias Garcia: “Mazda CX-50”

Our judge said Elias’ entry was “A very nice, heroic shot, at the right time of day, captured purposefuly and with intention. We know what the subject is, but we can see enough of the surroundings to be an interesting scene, and a shallow depth of field prevents things in the background from being distracting.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: ACTION

3rd: Elias Garcia, “BMW M2”

2nd: Chris Collard, “Frozen South”

1st: Mercedes Lilienthal, “The 56th-Annual Baja 1000 Race: a Momentous Occasion of Epic Proportions”

“A front-quarter panning shot is tricky to pull off, and this does it perfectly,” our judge said. “The blurred crowd and bystanders help show the frenetic energy of the event, and the perspective brings us into the action.”

SOCIAL MEDIA

3rd: Sean Tajipour, “Family Christmas Wish List”

2nd: Joe and Lori Raiti, “Raiti's Rides Nissan Tokyo Trip”

1st: Mercedes and Andy Lilienthal, “A State of Shock and Total Redemption”

One judge said, “This is such a cool set of posts, showing a tough event that looks like it required physical and mental strength.”

TEXAS TRUCK INVITATIONAL

3rd: Cory Fourniquet,”King Of The Hammers Founder Dave Cole Is A Real-Life Dom Toretto”

2nd: David Boldt, “Ford Bronco: The Original SUV”

1st: Mercedes Lilienthal, “The Land of Fire and Ice: Iceland “

“Unique story and an appropriate use of first person,” the judge said. “Plus, gorgeous photography.”

And the overall winner of the Texas Truck Invitational and cash prize goes to: Mercedes Lilienthal for her piece called “The Land of Fire and Ice: Iceland”

TAWA EVENT COVERAGE

3rd: Natalie Merola-Garcia, Off-Roading in the '24 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 at the TAWA TX Truck Rodeo"

@gingermeglam Off-roading in the @Jeep #wranglerrubicon392 at the TAWA #TXTruckRodeo ✨ #OIIIIIIIO #jeepjeepjeep #392jeepwrangler #jeepfamilyforever ♬ Cravin' - Stileto & Kendyle Paige

2nd: Amy Plemons, "2024 Texas Auto Roundup Winners And Our Notable Mentions"

1st: Cory Fourniquet, "2024 GMC Sierra Denali Ultimate vs. Toyota Tundra 1794 Limited Edition | Western Themed Trucks"

TAWA JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

For 2024, TAWA added a new award for the person who contributed the most to TAWA’s event coverage for the 2023 Texas Truck Rodeo and 2024 TAWA Auto Roundup. The inaugural award goes to Cory Fourniquet for his quality and body of work for the past year.

Thanks to everyone who submitted their work. We look forward to seeing next year’s entries!

TAWA Announces the 2024 Auto Roundup Results

Cory Fourniquet — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 19:00:00 GMT

Decatur, TX – June 25, 2024 – The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) is pleased to announce the award winners of the 2024 TAWA Texas Auto Roundup. This year’s event was held in Decatur, Texas at the spectacular Eagles Canyon Raceway.

Automotive journalists and content creators from across the country tested a cross-section of the world’s most capable vehicles during the event held on April 23^rd - 24^th. TAWA members evaluated vehicles within their category and amongst the entire fleet of vehicles present. Votes were based upon each vehicle's interior, exterior, value, performance and overall personal appeal. Members also voted on which vehicles should carry the title awards within each category. Votes were electronically submitted and then calculated by a third-party accounting firm and presented to TAWA for presentation. This year’s attendees rated vehicles from a global selection of automakers including Acura, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and Toyota.

This year, the title award categories were Vehicle of Texas, Performance Vehicle of Texas, Electric Vehicle of Texas, and Crossover Utility Vehicle of Texas. An additional 5 calculated merit-based vehicle aspect awards, 13 category awards and three featured based awards were also awarded by TAWA’s Member Jurors.

The Genesis G70 was named the Vehicle of Texas, the Performance Vehicle of Texas is the Alfa Romeo Giulia, the Crossover Utility Vehicle of Texas is the Toyota Grand Highlander and Mazda CX-50 and the Electric Vehicle of Texas is the Kia EV9.

The Texas Auto Writers Association congratulates all of the automotive partners and members for joining us for this year’s Texas Auto Roundup. We give special congratulations to the title and category winners of the 2024 Texas Auto Roundup; the competition was fierce, and all attending partners made a great showing. The backdrop of Eagles Canyon Raceway and Decatur, Texas, allowed us a unique opportunity to experience and test these world-class vehicles in a variety of conditions. It was an exciting and exhilarating experience that provided confidence in the present and future of the automotive world.

A special thank you and recognition to the members of TAWA, DriveShop and Prestige Auto for their diligent efforts and continued support through the years.

2024 Texas Auto Roundup Awards

Title Awards

Vehicle of Texas: Genesis G70

Performance Vehicle of Texas: Alfa Romeo Giulia

Crossover Utility Vehicle of Texas:

Toyota Grand Highlander and Mazda CX-50

Electric Vehicle of Texas: Kia EV9

Vehicle Category Awards

Luxury Car ($50,000-$75,000): Genesis G70

Luxury Car ($75,000+): Mercedes-Benz E 350

Performance Coupe: Toyota GR Supra

Performance Sedan: Genesis G70

Performance Hatchback: Toyota GR Corolla

Performance SUV: Kia EV9

Mid-Size Vehicle: Hyundai Sonata

Compact CUV: Mazda CX-50

Mid-Size CUV : Kia EV9

Luxury CUV: Lexus TX 550h+

Minivan: Chrysler Pacifica

Green Vehicle: Toyota Prius Prime

Electric Vehicle: Kia EV9

Calculated Awards

Best Interior: Genesis G70

Best Exterior: Genesis G70

Best Performance: Toyota Prius Prime

Best Value: Genesis G70

Highest Personal Appeal: Genesis G70

Feature Awards

Best New Feature: Lexus TX 550h+ Plug-in Hybrid Powertrain

Best New Interior: Mercedes-Benz E-Class Interior

Best Value: Toyota RAV4

Photo Credit:

All photos please credit Kevin McCauley / Capturing the Machine

About TAWA

The Texas Auto Writers Association is a non-profit organization founded in 1987 by automotive journalists who wanted to provide an avenue for professional growth, development, and networking. These

media professionals sought to create an automotive event that was unique to Texas, and as a result the TAWA Truck Rodeo was created. Since 1993, Truck Rodeos have been held in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Granbury, Spring Branch, Dripping Springs, Bee Cave and most recently at

Eagles Canyon Raceway in Decatur, Texas.

In 2003, TAWA created an event for sedans, sports cars and other vehicles not eligible for the Truck Rodeo. The event as it is called today is the Texas Auto Roundup.

Contact: Adeina Anderson, TAWA Communications at tawavpcomms@texasautowriters.org

Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art For High School Students Award Winners

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 04:36:55 GMT

12TH GRADER MATVEY PUKALO NAMED GRAND PRIZE WINNER OF INAUGURAL BILL NEALE AUTOMOTIVE FINE ART AWARD FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT MECUM HOUSTON 2024

Houston, TX - (April 10, 2024) - And the winner is… Matvey Pukalo! The Michigan 12th grader is the Grand Prize award winner of the inaugural Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award for High School Students! Pukalo was named the first place winner at Mecum Houston 2024 on April 6, 2024. His winning entry was titled “Racing Roxy the T Rex.” The second and third place finishers were 11th grader Harmon Joel Laatsch with his entry titled “Desert Dream Machine” and New York 10th grader Fatemah Alloo with her entry titled “Red.”

"The level of artistic talent from all the winners of this year's Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award for High School Students was exemplary! My father would be so proud this contest is finding and supporting young artists to further the genre of Automotive Fine Art.” - Leslie Neale, Bill Neale’s Daughter/Terlingua Racing Team

“I am unbelievably grateful to be the first high school student to receive this prestigious award. It truly is important to who I am. I will be attending the College For Creative Studies next year to continue my studies involving automotive art, and it was really special to have this competition that really aligned with my passion for cars and art. In my work I was really inspired by the raw emotion and speed of racing; the blur of the cars flying by at unbelievable speeds. I wanted to create a sensation more than just a canvas with paint on it. I would also like to thank everyone involved in this program as it was an amazing experience and it means so much to me.” - Matvey Pukalo, 1st Place Winner

The award was open to U.S. high school students in grades 9-12 with an exception made for Laatsch who attends school in Germany where his father, who serves in the United States Air Force, is currently stationed. The first place winner receives a $1,000 cash prize, the second place winner a $500 cash prize and the third place winner a $250 cash prize. For more on the award visit BillNealeAward.org.

Stay tuned for details about the 2025 Competition which launches in September at Mecum Dallas 2024!

Benefiting TechForce Foundation

TechForce Foundation will receive a $2,500 donation check as the 2024 award beneficiary. TechForce Foundation is a national nonprofit, 501(c)(3) with the mission to champion all students to and through their education and into careers as professional technicians. TechForce powers the technician workforce by awarding more than $4 million in scholarships and grants annually to financially disadvantaged students; changes perceptions towards this evolving, ‘new collar’ STEM career; and provides local career exploration and workforce development programming.

About the Award

The Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award for High School Students honors world-renowned automotive artist Bill Neale by recognizing and encouraging excellence in automotive fine art among high school students. The Dallas-based artist passed away in 2021 at the age of 95. The award would not be possible without the generous support of the following sponsors: The Carroll Shelby Foundation, Mecum Auctions, Terlingua Racing Team and the Texas Auto Writers Association.

TAWA Welcomes New Board of Directors for 2024

Cory Fourniquet — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 15:00:00 GMT

Springtime is just around the corner and that means new beginnings and Auto Roundup.

For the new beginnings, we would like to formally welcome the new 2024 Board of Directors. We would like to say thank you to the board members rolling off this year and hello to our new positions for the coming year.

2024-2025 Incoming Board Members:

Cory Fourniquet - President

Teia Collier - Treasurer

Natalie & Elias Garcia- Secretary

Kelly & David Boyd - VP of Membership

Greg Thome - OEM Representative

Existing Board Members in Their 2nd Year

Adeina Anderson - VP of Communication

Bryan Raupe - VP of Events

Michael Garfield - Director at Large

As always, there are dozens of ways to plug-in, get better connected and to spend time with your fellow members. Have ideas? Be sure to let a Board Member know -- the best part of TAWA is you.

As for Auto Roundup, those dates are set and you should have seen a save-the-date for April 23-24, 2024. Auto Roundup will once again take place at Eagles Canyon Raceway outside of Decatur Texas, and more details will hit your inbox soon.

We are looking forward to a fun and exciting year.

Texas Auto Writers Association Announces the 2023 Excellence in Craft Competition and Texas Truck Invitational Awardees

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 23:19:28 GMT

The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 Excellence in Craft Competition and Texas Truck Invitational.

Launched in 2007, The Texas Auto Writers Association Excellence in Craft Competition has moved forward with the goal of featuring, recognizing and encouraging excellence in automotive journalism and content creation. Together with the Texas Truck Invitational competition, TAWA invites members along with non-members from around the globe to enter their works in exclusive categories related exclusively to truck and truck-adjacent writing.

"Once again, the entries displayed a cross-section of the best in automotive journalism and were both consistently of a high quality and impressive in their competitive categories" said Teia Collier, President. "TAWA offers our thanks to all our judges for sharing their time and energy reading, watching and listening to the submissions entered in this year’s competition."

Thank you to Kristin Shaw for facilitating, Daryl Killian, Kevin McCarthy, Jaime Florez, Steven Cole Smith, Harvey Briggs, Jason Fogelson, Jared Rosenholtz, Amelia Dalgaard and Chris Teague for their assistance with judging the dynamic entries.

2023 Awardees:

PHOTOGRAPHY

3rd: Sean Tajipour (Jeep Gladiator)

JUDGE: An inviting scene that highlights what makes the Gladiator unique.

2nd: Jill Ciminillo (Ioniq 6)

JUDGE: Beautiful tones of gray and blue throughout the image — a great combination of subject and setting.

1st: One Off productions (Kia Stinger)

JUDGE: Falling leaves, low perspective, and canopy of trees give a great sense of speed.

PODCAST

3. GT Garage Talk: Racing for a Cause with Bryant Blakemore

2. AutoNetwork Reports: Inside the Modern Car Industry

1. In Wheel Time: Solar Car Challenge.

JUDGE: I chose this "In Wheel Time Car Talk" podcast for a couple of reasons. First the topic is timely and much needed for the industry and for the opportunity that the program offers for the future generations. Also, it's a testament to the effort involved in editing down a Live radio show to an interesting podcast.

RADIO

2. In Wheel Time: So, what is holding Americans back from widespread EV adoption?

1. The Car Pro Radio Show: Randy Parker Interview (Hyundai)

JUDGE: Very nice interview with the right person, entertaining and informative, about a brand that has been conquering more and more happy customers every year, not only in the US, but also in the rest of the world, due to their ability to bring to the market innovative and high-quality products.

VIDEO

3. 1 Off Productions

2. The Fast Lane Truck

1. GT Premium Reviews

JUDGE: I had never seen this reviewer before, but the cinematography is excellent with great music and editing at the opening. This is a very polished product.

SOCIAL MEDIA

3. WHM Automotive Media (Sean Tajipour): Nissan Z

2. Raiti’s Rides: Ford Mustang GT

1. Crankshaft Culture: Alcan Rally

JUDGE: The quality of this real is excellent, as is the copy. It really gives the viewer a sense of the pleasure and the pain of such an adventure.

WRITING: FEATURE

3. Ricardo Rodriguez-Long: Hopes of Argentina

2. Mercedes Lilienthal: 10 States, 2,400 Miles and More Than 100 Classic Cars

1. Holli Fourniquet: Celebrating Black History Month with The Custom Truckers Car Club

JUDGE: A wonderful feel-good story about an African-American truck club that does more than show off its ’55 -’59 Chevy Task Force pickups – it does good in the community.

WRITING: REVIEW

3. Cory Fourniquet: 2023 Chrysler Pacifica eHybrid Pinnacle: Better than a Telluride or Tahoe?

2. Mercedes Lilienthal: First Drive: Production-Ready INEOS Grenadier 4×4

1. Jim Nelson: Genesis G80

JUDGE: Jim's review of the Genesis G80 balanced key facts with an assessment of features and drivability in a way that made the review engaging and easy to read.

TEXAS TRUCK INVITATIONAL: FEATURE

2. Holli Fourniquet: Celebrating Black History Month with The Custom Truckers Car Club

1. Mercedes Lilienthal: From The Driver’s Seat: 2022 Rebelle Rally – A Journey And Adventure

JUDGE: Mercedes’ recap of the 2022 Rebelle Rally was thorough and engaging. I felt as though I were there!

TEXAS TRUCK INVITATIONAL: REVIEW

3: Cory Fourniquet: 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R: Better than the Ram TRX in Many Ways

2. David Boldt: RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD 6.2

1. Mercedes Lilienthal: His and Hers Mitsubishi Pajeros

JUDGE: This quirky vehicle deserves its time in the spotlight, and Mercedes and Andy did a fantastic job teaching us about it.

TEXAS TRUCK INVITATIONAL

TOP PICK:

Mercedes and Andy Lilienthal: His and Hers Mitsubishi Pajeros

Congratulations to all of this year's winners, and we look forward to seeing more fantastic content from our community.

Texas Auto Writers Association Hosts the 2024 Texas Truck Rodeo

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 01:13:32 GMT

Automotive journalists from around the country joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in Decatur, Texas for the 2024 Texas Truck Rodeo to name the Vehicles of Texas. Held at the spectacular Eagles Canyon Raceway on September 28-29, 2023, 32 automotive media and content creators tested a cross-section of the most capable vehicles on the market.

Image Credit: 1Off Productions

On-road and on a closed off-road course, TAWA members evaluated vehicles based on their interior, exterior, value, performance and overall personal appeal. Attendees rated 28 vehicles from automakers including Acura, Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Jeep, Mazda, Nissan, Ram, Toyota, Nissan, Polaris, Volkswagen and Wagoneer. The Texas Truck Rodeo provides a unique opportunity for the media members of the TAWA to create stories, content and evaluate trucks, SUVs and crossovers side-by-side and consecutively on the same roads and off-road course for an accurate assessment.

Once the testing is complete, the votes will be collected digitally and tallied by a third-party accounting firm to be presented and crown the upcoming model year’s Vehicles of Texas. This year, the title awards are Truck of Texas and Sport Utility Vehicle of Texas. An additional 12 category awards, two feature-based awards and 5 calculated merit awards will also be awarded by TAWA’s Member Journalists.

“The Texas Auto Writers Association would like to thank all of our members and congratulate all of our partners for joining us first at the State Fair of Texas and then at this year’s Texas Truck Rodeo. It’s a special experience, and we are delighted to honor the title and category winners of this year’s Rodeo,” said TAWA President Teia Collier. “To experience these world-class vehicles on the dynamic course at Eagles Canyon Raceway is an exciting opportunity to see what these legendary machines can do.”

About the Texas Auto Writers Association Texas Truck Rodeo

The Texas Auto Writers Association is a non-profit organization founded in 1987 by automotive journalists who wanted to provide an avenue for professional growth, development, and networking. These media professionals sought to create an automotive event that was unique to Texas, and as a result the TAWA Truck Rodeo was created. Since 1993, Truck Rodeos have been held in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Granbury, Spring Branch, Dripping Springs, Bee Cave and most recently at Eagles Canyon Raceway in Decatur, Texas.

In 2003, TAWA created an event for sedans, sports cars and other vehicles not eligible for the Truck Rodeo. The event as it is called today is the Texas Auto Roundup. For more information, visit www.texasautowriters.org.

Toyota North America Previews the 2024 Grand Highlander for Media Members of the Texas Auto Writers Association

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 23:14:18 GMT

Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) members joined the team at Toyota Gulf States for an intimate preview and test drive of the 2024 Grand Highlander in Houston, Texas.

While there, TAWA members partook in a full product briefing of the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander with exclusive test drives of the all-new Prius, the Prius Prime, the all-electric bZ4X and the new Crown. These offers stand tall as representatives of Toyota's strategic and steady progress toward "beyond zero" carbon neutrality in manufacturing and production.

Members also toured the Houston-area facilities at Toyota North America and test drove each of the three powertrains of the all-new Grand Highlander. Designed to provide a well-balanced, efficient experience across all-three grades, the Grand Highlander proved it is a long haul, three-row SUV worth waiting for.

Available as a 2.L Turbo Gas engine, a 2.5L Hybrid and the performance-minded 2.4L 4-cylinder Hybrid Max, there is an option for every buyer seeking a vehicle that fits their budget and size-wise between the award-winning Sequoia and the beloved classic Highlander. In the first-ever Grand Highlander, drivers will have the benefit of three terrain-specific drive modes for more on and off-road capability as well as a generous suite of safety and support features. All combined, regardless of grade, the 2024 Grand Highlander is an impressive package suited to wherever the road takes you.

"We would like to thank Toyota for granting our members time and space to experience the first-ever Grand Highlander and the other forward-thinking vehicles from Toyota. They are important steps along the road to carbon neutrality and still meeting the needs of our readers." said Teia Collier, President, Texas Auto Writers Association.

For more information on the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander, visit here.

About Toyota:

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 39,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 33 million cars and trucks at our nine manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 10th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 22 electrified options.

To help inspire the next generation for a career in STEM-based fields, including mobility, Toyota launched its virtual education hub at www.TourToyota.com with an immersive experience and chance to virtually visit many of our U.S. manufacturing facilities. The hub also includes a series of free STEM-based lessons and curriculum through Toyota USA Foundation partners, virtual field trips and more. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

About TAWA:

Founded in 1987, the Texas Auto Writers Association has grown to become one of the most recognized and reputable automotive media organizations in the industry. TAWA’s mission is to promote quality and accuracy in automotive content creation and to disseminate information about the automotive industry through news-related print, online and broadcast media.

TAWA Announces 2022 Excellence In Craft Winners

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 02:18:57 GMT

December 6, 2022 - The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2022 Excellence in Craft Competition and Texas Truck Invitational.

The Texas Auto Writers Association launched the Excellence in Craft Competition in 2007, the with the goal of recognizing and encouraging excellence in automotive journalism. In tandem, the Texas Truck Invitational competition invites TAWA members, along with non-members worldwide, to enter their works in exclusive truck-writing categories.

Once again, the entries were high quality and impressive. A big thanks to all our judges for spending time reading, watching, and listening to all of this great work: Daryl Killian, Kevin McCarthy, Jaime Florez, Steven Cole Smith, Harvey Briggs, Jason Fogelson, Jared Rosenholtz, Amelia Dalgaard, and Chris Teague.

Writing: Feature category

1st: Elizabeth Blackstock
2nd: Mercedes Lilienthal
3rd: Kristin Shaw

1^st place, Elizabeth Blackstock wowed the judges with “The Motorsport World Owes Cheryl Linn Glass, The First Black Woman of Racing, A Place in History” at Jalopnik. Our judges applauded Elizabeth’s solid journalism and storytelling, saying this is “a heartbreaking story of unfulfilled potential and a mysterious ending. Wonderful work with appeal beyond the world of motorsports.”

2^nd place goes to Mercedes Lilienthal with “Electric Realization: The Volkswagen ID.4 AWD Successfully Finishes The 2021 Rebelle Rally” for Forbes. “Lilienthal told the story of the rally while still giving a review and evaluation of the ID.4 for the everyday buyer, which is not an easy task,” one judge said. “She lays out the issues with EV acceptance, proposes solutions, and makes the Rally seem like a worthy challenge.”

In 3^rd place, it’s “Dad’s 1966 Corvette Is the One That Got Away – So I Brought Him a C8 for Father’s Day” by Kristin Shaw. One judge said: “A lovely story about a grown daughter’s gift to her father – a taste of his youth in the form of a new Corvette. Beautifully written with heart and emotion, but still manages to sneak in enough information about the C8 Corvette, along with the writer’s dad’s unique history with cars, to be a smile-inducing journey.”

Writing: Reviews

1st: Mercedes Lilienthal
2nd: Jesus Garcia
3rd: Phillip Morales

1^st place Mercedes Lilienthal picks up another award, this time for Tread magazine with her review she called “VW ID.4 Tackles the Rebelle Rally.” This epic article earned a 10-page spread alongside Mercedes’ beautiful photography. Would an all-wheel-drive Volkswagen ID.4 EV survive 1,400 miles of challenging terrain in the southwestern U.S. desert? Never backing away from a challenge, Mercedes embraced the opportunity. Not only does this in-depth Tread magazine vehicle review showcase stats and specs of the newly released customized ID.4 EV, but it features an intimate view of a brave new world: EV off-roading.

2^nd place is Jesus Garcia with his fun piece “Testing A Ford Expedition Limited Max By Working As A Roadie For A Mariachi Band” for Imboldn. Dubbed “the roadie test,” for one weekend, the Ford Expedition became the mariachi express as it raced through the city from gig to gig with band and gear in tow.

Taking 3^rd place, Phillip Morales, who wrote “We’ll Always Have Paris: A Review of the 2022 Acura MDX” for his site DadDriver.com. “While not a traditional automotive review, this piece is an ideal representation of my writing style and my approach to storytelling,” Phillip told us. “Automobile reviews come in a variety of forms and with this piece, I wanted to contribute to that ever expanding genre using my love of film and novels as a basis for sharing my experience with this vehicle.”

RADIO

1st: Jerry Reynolds, The CarPro Show
2nd: Michael Marrs, In Wheel Time
3rd: Ricardo Rodriguez-Long, Garage Latino

1st place: Jerry Reynolds with The Car Pro Unplugged. Jerry took on the unpopular topic of car dealers charging over window sticker price for short-in-supply cars, and he challenged Ford and General Motors for threatening their dealers instead of letting the free market set prices.

2nd place: Michael Marrs submitted a solid entry with Moving to EVs - What Does it Take? on his show In Wheel Time. This episode takes an 'outsider' look at what it takes to collect the data and actually move to an EV society, and Lisa Whalen with Morning Consult shared how data is being used to move us forward.

3rd place: Ricardo Rodriguez-Long and his weekly show “Garage Latino” on BLeav.com. Ricardo covers EV news, a four-door corvette, a Ram EV, and the news that Ford has changed its plan and it may do without dealers in the future. Can this really happen? Ricardo investigates.

PODCAST

1st: Bill Owney
2nd: David Boldt
3rd: Michael Marrs

1^st place goes to Bill Owney and his co-host Karl Richter with a discussion about the current car market, the future of EVs, how to cut your fuel bill, the new vehicles they love, and much more.

The 2^nd spot is occupied by David Boldt along with colleagues Roosevelt Gist, Greg Morrison, and Chris Lawrence. The AUTONETWORK REPORTS podcast celebrates Black History Month in 2022 with special guest Ed Lewis, Director of Toyota's Public Policy Communications at Toyota.

Placing 3^rdit’s Michael Marrs in the podcast category with his episode called “Cat attack? Catalytic converter theft on the rise!” for his show In Wheel Time. During his show, Michael interviewed automotive journalist Jeff Yip for a look at the increase in automobile catalytic converter theft and the reasons why.

VIDEO

1st: Roman Mica TFL Studios
2nd: Jennifer Jensen
3rd: Tim Esterdahl

In 1^st place, it’s Roman Mica and his TFL Studios crew with “Easy Part Is Over: Driving an EV Truck Into the Alaskan Wilderness Is HARDER Than We Thought!” In this video, the team takes their Ford F-150 Lightning 3,500 miles from Boulder, Colorado up through the west side of Canada all the way to Dead Horse, Alaska. Driving an electric truck in the Northern wilderness turns out to be no joke! Don’t miss it.

Jennifer Jensen, our 2^nd place winner, submitted a fascinating video called “Tanks” for her channel Auto Exotica TV. Jennifer says this video is much different than her regular episodes. “This one was a hoot to film and create though the conditions were less than ideal,” she said. “Ambient temperatures soared over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, while inside the tanks it was MUCH hotter. There were multiple issues with the hardware that day and we literally had one day on location to film. This episode showcases tanks in a way most automotive TV shows don't...what they are actually built for.”

In 3rd place, Tim Esterdahl earned a podium spot with the video “Tundra vs Tacoma:TRD Pro Off-Road Battle!” on his channel Pickup Truck Plus SUV Talk. In this video, Tim and Phillip Van der Vossen hit the trails of Colorado in the 2022 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro and 2022 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro in order to decide which one is better off-road. While there are some definite similarities between these two trucks, Tim and Phillip found there are plenty of differences as well. Air down those tires and enjoy the ride when you watch these TRD Pro Trucks on an epic off-road adventure!

PHOTOGRAPHY

1st: Chris Collard
2nd: Jennifer Jensen
3rd: Sean Tajipour

In 1^st place, the talented Chris Collard took our judges’ breath away with a Ram Rebel under the Aurora Borealis. One judge called it “an amazing capture in an incredible setting” and it is truly otherworldly in its beauty.

2^nd place goes to Jennifer Jensen and her snapshot “Nighttime Droptop” depicting an Aston Martin Vantage Roadster near Orlando for an issue of Auto Exotica magazine. None of the roads were particularly appealing, she said, but her night shoot highlights the curves of the Vantage and accentuates its open-top features.

Sean Tajipour takes 3^rd place for his photo “EV Liftoff”, a stunning composition of a Ford Mustang Mach-E GT in Grabber Blue Metallic next to a rocketship.

SOCIAL MEDIA

1st place: Joe and Lori Raiti, Raiti's Rides and their 2023 Toyota GR Corolla social media campaign. LINK

2nd: Cory Fourniquet and his creative video work on minivan trick features. Cory had some fun with this, highlighting the under appreciated minivan category. LINK

This year, 3^rd place is a tie between two worthy members: Jennifer Jensen with her TikTok coverage of the Ford F-150 Tremor and Sean Tajipour lighting up the internet with his Nissan Z content.

Writing: Features

1st: Kristin Shaw
2nd: Kathy Locke
3rd: Mercedes Lilienthal

The 1^st place trophy in this category goes to Kristin Shaw with “I’m Competing in a 1,500-Mile Off-Road Rally With a 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz” for The Drive. One judge said, “Kristin Shaw’s account of getting ready for the Rebelle Rally – an event that continues to generate good copy – was fun to read and moved along as quickly as a Rebelle entry.”

2^nd place goes to Kathy Locke with “Baby Trophy Truck” in Toyota Cruisers and Trucks magazine. This story is about Kathy and her friend Josh’s 1981 Toyota pickup that he purchased to compete in King of the Hammers. It's about his love for the history of the truck and the perils of getting it back into race condition for its second chance at race life.

In 3^rd, the judges again recognized Mercedes Lilienthal for her excellent work on ”Electric Realization: The Volkswagen ID.4 AWD Successfully Finishes The 2021 Rebelle Rally” for Forbes. This feature documented intricate details of how the AWD ID.4 handled and how Mercedes utilized her driving skills to bring it across the finish line eight days later. She covers EV off-roading challenges and what mini-rallies her team facedy. In the end, her team made history as the first-ever full EV to successfully finish the grueling traditional navigation rally in the X-Cross class.

Writing: Reviews

1st: David Boldt
2nd: Kristin Shaw
3rd: Bill Owney

Taking 1^st place is David Boldt with “GOOD LORD! Land Rover’s Defender 90 V8” at TxGarage.com. One judge said David Boldt’s winning test drive was clever and informative – and there wasn’t a poorly written story in the bunch. Historical and whimsical with a sprinkling of personal touches, David’s review earned a top spot.

In 2^nd, it’s Kristin Shaw wrote “Bronco Everglades: Snorkel and Winch Included” for GearJunkie. “I had a chance to put the Bronco Everglades to the test in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, complete with deep water fording, winching, and rock crawling,” Kristin told us. “And lots of bugs.”

Earning a 3^rd place award is Bill Owney with The 2021 Ford Raptor is the Corvette of Pickup Trucks,” which he wrote for the Texarkana Gazette.

Overall Texas Truck Invitational Winner

Kristin Shaw with “I’m Competing in a 1,500-Mile Off-Road Rally With a 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz.”

Congratulations to all of this year's 2022 EICC and Texas Truck Invitational winners!

TAWA Announces 2023 Texas Truck Rodeo Winners

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 20:30:00 GMT

Decatur, TX –November 1, 2022 – The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) is pleased to announce the award winners of the 2023 TAWA Texas Truck Rodeo. This year’s event was held in Decatur, Texas at the spectacular Eagles Canyon Raceway. The awards were announced in partnership with the Houston Auto Show on November 1, 2022 at 3:00pm Central Standard Time.

Automotive journalists from across the state tested a cross-section of the world’s most capable vehicles at this year’s event held on October 3-4, 2022. TAWA members evaluated vehicles based on their interior, exterior, value, performance and overall personal appeal. This year’s attendees rated vehicles from automakers including Acura, Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Jeep, Lexus, Mazda, Nissan, Ram, Toyota, Nissan, Volkswagen and Wagoneer.

This year the title award categories were Truck of Texas and Sport Utility Vehicle of Texas. An additional 11 category awards, one feature-based award and 5 calculated merit awards were also awarded by TAWA’s Member Journalists.

“The Texas Auto Writers Association thanks and congratulates all automotive members and partners for joining us for this year’s Texas Truck Rodeo. We are delighted to give special congratulations to the title and category winners of the 2023 Texas Truck Rodeo,” said TAWA President Teia Collier. “To experience and put these world-class vehicles through their paces at Eagles Canyon Raceway is a rugged opportunity to see what these legendary machines can do.”

The Ram 1500 was named the 2023 Truck of Texas and serves as a reminder of Texas’ love and appreciation of a capable, full-size pickup truck. The all-new 2023 Toyota Sequoia was named the 2023 Sport Utility Vehicle of Texas.

QUOTE FROM RAM:

“Texas is the world’s largest pickup truck market so Ram 1500 winning the Truck of Texas title is truly a significant accomplishment,” said Mike Koval Jr., Ram brand CEO. “The Texas Auto Writers Association has a long tradition of recognizing the best truck available for the hard-working needs of Texas truck buyers. We are honored the Ram 1500 has captured this year’s prestigious award.”

QUOTE FROM TOYOTA:

“The all-new Toyota Sequoia provides all the room, technology, power and efficiency our customers need, and we appreciate TAWA recognizing all that the Sequoia offers,” said Mike Sweers, executive chief engineer for the Toyota Tundra, Sequoia, Tacoma and 4Runner vehicle programs at Toyota Motor North America, Research and Development (TMNA R&D). “After the successful launch of the Tundra, which TAWA named Truck of Texas at the 2021 Truck Rodeo, we are excited to be accelerating into the next chapter in our truck-family story with the Sequoia.”

QUOTE FROM GENESIS:

“Genesis is humbled to be recognized by the Texas Auto Writers Association. We are pleased that GV60 has been warmly received by industry experts in the region, and we look forward to introducing this model to Texas customers in the near future.” - Claudia Marquez, Chief Operating Officer, Genesis Motor North America

QUOTE FROM MAZDA:

“We’re thrilled to continue our recent regional recognitions for the 2023 Mazda CX-50 through Texas Auto Writers Association’s Texas Truck Rodeo,” states Mazda North American Operations Southern Region General Manager, Spencer Bridges. “The organization's events throughout this year have allowed the Mazda CX-50 to showcase its expansive capabilities, both on- and off-road while keeping the driver confident.”

“As the world continues to evolve, the role of the automotive media professional continues to be reshaped by world events, the new buying patterns of consumers and the new offers being created by automakers,” said Collier. “Now more than ever, buyers are looking for reliable, current information about the vehicles available, the energy sources powering them and the companies that create them. The need for timely, reliable journalism has never been more important as a challenging year for the automotive industry continues into 2023.”

“The vehicles represented at the 2023 Texas Truck Rodeo brought new levels of efficiency, and capability to meet the needs of the modern buyer and automotive enthusiasts that do not want to choose between function and performance. We saw advancements in technology, safety and beautiful displays of automotive design. After experiencing this year’s competitive class, we cannot help but feel excited and optimistic about the future of the industry,” said Collier.

A special thank you and recognition to Katzkin Leather for sponsorship of the 2023 Texas Truck Rodeo and to the Houston Auto and Boat Show, DriveShop and Prestige Auto for the continued support through the years.

2023 Texas Truck Rodeo Winners

TITLE AWARDS

TRUCK OF TEXAS: RAM 1500
SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE OF TEXAS: TOYOTA SEQUOIA

CALCULATED AWARDS

BEST INTERIOR: GRAND WAGONEER
BEST EXTERIOR: TOYOTA SEQUOIA
BEST VALUE: GENESIS GV60
BEST PERFORMANCE: RAM 1500
BEST PERSONAL APPEAL: RAM 1500

FEATURE AWARDS

BEST NEW FEATURE: HURRICANE TWIN TURBO, WAGONEER

About TAWA

Media Contact: Amy Plemons, amplemons.tvproducer@gmail.com

Texas Auto Writers Association Announces 2022 Texas Auto Roundup Winners

Fri, 13 May 2022 12:48:53 GMT

Fort Worth, TX – May 13, 2022 – The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) is pleased to announce the award winners of the 2022 TAWA Texas Auto Roundup. This year’s event was held in Fort Worth, Texas at the legendary Texas Motor Speedway. The awards were announced in partnership with the Houston Auto Show on May 12, 2022 at 3:00pm Central Standard Time.

Automotive journalists from across the State tested 33 vehicles at this year’s event held on April 24-26, 2022. TAWA members evaluated vehicles based on their interior, exterior, value, performance and overall personal appeal.

This year the title award categories were Family Vehicle of Texas, Performance Vehicle of Texas, Compact Utility Vehicle of Texas and Electric Vehicle of Texas. An additional eight category awards, two feature-based awards and five calculated merit awards were also awarded by TAWA’s Member Journalists.

“The Texas Auto Writers Association thanks and congratulates all automotive members and partners for joining us for this year’s Texas Auto Roundup. We offer a special congratulations to the title and category winners of the 2022 Texas Auto Roundup,” said TAWA Teia Collier. “We are delighted to have had the opportunity to experience these world-class vehicles at this beautiful facility. The future of automotive is bright.”

The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid was named the Family Vehicle of Texas and serves as a reminder of the continued appreciation of the minivan as an option for families. The Lexus LC 500 was named the Performance Vehicle of Texas, and the IONIQ5 earned the honor of being named TAWA’s first ever Electric Vehicle of Texas as well as CUV of Texas.

QUOTE FROM STELLANTIS:

"We are proud to celebrate an amazing sixth consecutive award as Family Vehicle of Texas for the Chrysler Pacifica, as well as honors for the Pacifica Hybrid as the Green Vehicle of Texas," said Chris Feuell, Chrysler brand CEO - Stellantis. "The Texas Automotive Writers Association is one of the most respected automotive press organizations, which makes the group's recognition of the Pacifica at the recent TAWA Auto Roundup especially significant."

QUOTE FROM TOYOTA/LEXUS:

“The Lexus LC 500 embodies a harmonious blend of emotional design and top-tier driving performance so we’re elated that the Texas journalists thoroughly enjoyed this vehicle that represents the most passionate expression of the Lexus brand,” said Todd Blickenstaff, Lexus Product Marketing. “We are grateful to the Texas Auto Writers Association for having us at this year’s Auto Roundup and are honored to be recognized with these awards.”

QUOTE FROM HYUNDAI:

“Earning five Texas Auto Roundup awards for the IONIQ 5 and Elantra N speaks to the impressive ability of Hyundai’s design, engineering, manufacturing and product development teams to bring to market the best vehicles in two distinct categories,” said Olabisi Boyle, vice president, product planning and mobility strategy, Hyundai Motor North America. “IONIQ 5 delivers on range, power, charging speed, design, interior space, and advanced technology for today’s eco-focused drivers, while the Elantra N offers dynamic driving capabilities in a thrilling everyday sports car. We work hard at Hyundai to listen to our customers and take care of today and tomorrow.”

The Texas Auto Writers Association would like to thank our generous partners and members for their continued support and vigilance in adhering to safety protocols, without their hard work and support an event of this scale would not be possible.

“As the world continues to reopen, the role of the automotive industry continues to evolve and is shaped by the vehicles created by automakers and the buying habits of consumers.” said Collier. “Now more than ever, the role of the automotive journalist to relay reliable, current information is more important than ever as a challenging year for the automotive industry continues into 2023.”

"It appears that automakers used the Pandemic to create vehicles that met the demand for an engaging drive, increased safety and user-friendly design. That paired with the advancements in technology and the rise of electric vehicles marked the offers brought to this year’s Texas Auto Roundup” said Collier. “After seeing the vehicles represented at the 2022 Roundup, we cannot help but feel excited and optimistic about the state and future of the automotive industry."

2022 Texas Auto Roundup Winners

OVERALL AWARDS

FAMILY VEHICLE OF TEXAS: Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
PERFORMANCE VEHICLE OF TEXAS: Lexus LC 500
CUV OF TEXAS: Hyundai IONIQ 5
ELECTRIC VEHICLE OF TEXAS: Hyundai IONIQ 5

CATEGORY AWARDS

LUXURY CAR ($40,000 - $65,000): Genesis G70
LUXURY CAR ($65,000 - $100,000): Lexus LC 500
PERFORMANCE COUPE: Toyota GR Supra
PERFORMANCE SEDAN: Hyundai Elantra
CUV: Mazda CX-50
LUXURY CUV: Lexus NX-450h+
MINI VAN: Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
GREEN VEHICLE: Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid

CALCULATED AWARDS

BEST INTERIOR: Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
BEST EXTERIOR: Lexus LC 500
BEST VALUE: Hyundai Elantra
BEST PERFORMANCE: Dodge Challenger
BEST PERSONAL APPEAL: Hyundai IONIQ 5

FEATURE AWARDS

BEST NEW FEATURE: Hyundai Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) Function
BEST NEW INTERIOR: Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle Interior

About TAWA

The Texas Auto Writers Association was founded in 1987 by automotive journalists who wanted to provide an avenue for professional growth, development, and networking. These professionals sought to create an automotive event that was unique to Texas, and as a result the TAWA Truck Rodeo was created. Since 1993, Truck Rodeos have been held in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Granbury and Spring Branch, Dripping Springs and most recently at the Star Hill Ranch in Bee Cave, Texas.

In 2003, TAWA created an event for sedans, sports cars and other vehicles not eligible for the Truck Rodeo. The event as it is called today is the Texas Auto Roundup, as the event is called today, returned in 2021 after being canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic. For more information, visit www.texasautowriters.org.

Media Contact: Amy Plemons, amplemons.tvproducer@gmail.com

TAWA ANNOUNCES 2021 BILL NEALE AUTOMOTIVE FINE ART AWARD WINNER

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 19:03:00 GMT

January 11, 2022 - The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in association with the Bill Neale family is pleased to announce the winner of the inaugural 2021 Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award Invitational. The award, open to both TAWA and non-TAWA members, honors the world-renowned talent and legacy of automotive artistic icon Bill Neale. The 2021 Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award award goes to Austin, Texas-based realist vehicle painter Shan Fannin, for her entry titled “1932 Ford Highboy Roadster."

Photo Used with Permission from Shan Fannin.

"The Texas Auto Writers Association is honored to celebrate the legacy of Bill Neale while highlighting the power and beauty of automotive art in the inaugural year of the Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award Invitational. Thank you to all of the entrants, and congratulations to this year's outstanding winner,” said TAWA President Teia Collier.

“The Neale Family is pleased to award the inaugural TAWA Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award to Shan Fannin for her painting, ‘1932 Ford Highboy Roadster’”, said judge Leslie Neale. “Her bold close-up style, bright colors and unique use of reflections create the emotion true car enthusiasts feel for their rides. It was our father’s passion to further automotive fine art as a legitimate form in the art world and we believe Shan Fannin’s work and her winning painting carries on that mission.”

Fannin’s winning artwork stems from a photograph of a 1932 Ford Highboy Roadster. The original car owner is car collector/seller Charles Herman.

"To have my painting receive this award means more to me than you know. At six years in my profession, I am a relative newcomer to the automotive fine art industry. I regret never having the chance to meet Bill, and wish I could have gotten his feedback on my work,” said Shan Fannin. “It would have been a thrill to learn from him personally. He was truly one of a kind, and is dearly missed. I am so grateful to follow in Bill's footsteps. He was one of the finest automotive artists this world has ever known."

TAWA and the Bill Neale family wish to thank all entrants for their interest and participation in the award. TAWA also thanks the Bill Neale family for its support in developing and launching this prestigious award and collectively we look forward to launching the 2022 competition later this year.

ABOUT BILL NEALE

Photo Courtesy of the Neale family.

To learn more about Bill Neale visit the Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award page: https://www.texasautowriters.org/2021-Bill-Neale-Automotive-Award

Additional Quotes from Shan Fannin

Question: Why paint cars?

"To me, cars are ART. Wouldn’t you agree? They are rolling works of sculpture. A team of highly creative people collaborated to bring what we drive or one day dream of driving to reality. It is an honor to capture these amazing vehicles in acrylic paint, and take them from the road into our living spaces to enjoy." - Shan Fannin

Question: What are the best responses you have had to your work?

I love it when I give my business card to someone and say that I'm a realist vehicle painter. They will look at the card and say: “Wait! That is a PAINTING?! No way! I thought it was a photograph of a car (motorcycle, etc.)!” - Shan Fannin

Visit Shan Fannin’s website here.

Media Credits:

Please credit Shan Fannin’s winning artwork photos:
Used With Permission From Shan Fannin.

Please credit the photo of Bill Neale:
Courtesy of the Neale family.

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TEXAS AUTO WRITERS ASSOCIATION REMEMBERS AUTOMOTIVE JOURNALIST TERRY BOX

Thu, 06 Jan 2022 22:00:39 GMT

Courtesy of dallasnews.com

January 6, 2022 - The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) joins the automotive world in remembering automotive journalist Terry Box. Box passed away on Monday, January 3, 2022 at the age of 71. He was an accomplished Texas-based journalist who spent decades covering the automotive industry and we salute his legacy.

"Terry Box was a friend and esteemed peer to many TAWA members and a highly respected member of the automotive community for decades. His legacy of excellence, enthusiasm and brilliant storytelling will be missed. The Texas Auto Writers Association sends its deepest condolences to Terry’s family and friends,” said current TAWA President Teia Collier.

Box retired from a long career at the Dallas Morning News in 2016 after spending 35 years at the publication. After starting as a general assignments reporter and moving up the ranks to editor status over the years, he decided to switch gears and in 1993, Box started covering the automotive industry for the Business News section. In 2002, he began reviewing cars for the newspaper when his Business News editor came up with the idea of “Terry’s Garage”. When he published his last article for the newspaper in 2016, it was in fact a “semi-retirement” as Box went on to write car reviews for CarProUSA and then most recently contributed Mustang Memoirs to txGarage.

TAWA members remember Box as an articulate, witty and passionate writer who will be missed:

I respected Terry as a journalist and loved his dry sense of humor. He often gave me a friendly poke in the ribs. - Harold Gunn, 14th TAWA President

Losing Terry Box seems inconceivable—he was a force of nature. He was also a gentleman and that’s what I will keep in my memory of him: smart but not a show off, irreverent but never mean, funny but not at others’ expense. And always kind. -Debra Hotaling, Head of U.S. Regional Communications, Ford and TAWA member

Terry had a love of cars like nobody I have ever known. He had a way of mixing his vast knowledge of cars with his extremely funny sense of humor. When Terry told me he was retiring from the Dallas Morning News, I jumped at the opportunity to add him to my staff as a car reviewer. He added a whole different dynamic with his reviews. All of us in the auto industry, especially in the North Texas area, will miss the wit, knowledge, and passion that Terry Box blessed us with and that cannot be replaced.- Jerry Reynolds, TAWA Member

Everyone at Toyota Communications has Terry’s family in our Prayers. It was always great working with Terry. He was a consummate professional and someone you enjoyed chatting with about cars, the industry and a wide range of subjects, many of which he covered during his journalism career. - Greg Thome, Toyota Corporate Communications and TAWA member

Terry Box was one of the most articulate storytellers in the automotive arena. He had the ability to graciously weave a narrative that intrigued and engaged readers nationwide. Always humble, he had access to some of the industry’s highest profile leaders, who universally appreciated his candor, fairness and insights. Terry set a standard for journalism that should be emulated regardless of the subject matter, especially in an age where cranking out content can overshadow the need for quality. Anyone who values great reporting would benefit from a review of his work. He will be missed. - Scott Black, TAWA Member

Terry was one of the most gifted writers in the industry. His quick wit, tenacious love of manual transmissions and down to earth personality will truly be missed by many. I’m so thankful I had the honor of working with him over the years. - Kimberly Shults, South Region Communications, Stellantis and TAWA Board Member

Terry's passing is unbelievably sad. For those of us with an interest in the industry, his reporting was always a great read. And for those with an interest in the motors and the metal, Terry's take on cars, life and their intersection will be sorely missed. I hope he's driving down the highway...the one with no speed limits! - David Boldt, 12th TAWA President

Getting a call from Terry was affirmation that I was in the right business. His insights, astute questions, and affable personality were always highlights of my day! - James Bell, Head of Corporate Communications, Kia America and TAWA member

We were both very sad to learn of the death of Terry Box, far too soon. He was a true Texas gentleman, an all-around great guy and one of the most respected auto journalists in the industry. Terry was a talented writer, but his love of automobiles and his love of people combined to make his articles something we couldn't wait to read. He will be missed by all of us. -Jo Ann Holt-Caussey and Durhl Caussey, TAWA Members

Shawn Flemmer shares these thoughts with TAWA members, describing her dad as someone who lived and breathed cars from a young age.

“My dad was larger than life, even though he had a small stature. He lived and breathed cars, starting at a young age he would name every car by make, model and year as they were driving down the street. My dad was such an amazing writer and truly loved what he did- how many people land a dream job of driving cool cars and writing about them?

He was an amazing dad to me and Poppy to his two grandkids, Caroline (19) and Christian (15). My kids were so lucky that they had such a great Poppy and he loved them so much and would do anything for them. He would bring cars to my house and take the kids for rides around the neighborhood. Caroline got to ride in a Ford GT when she was toddler and he took my son and husband on a crazy ride down George Bush in a Hellcat. They had to promise not to tell me or my mom that they went over 100mph.

My dad was the most charming guy around and could take over the room with his stories of cars, partying in college, and water skiing in the dark on Lake Travis(and yes, we couldn't find him, when he finally fell in the water). I can't imagine my life without my dad, Terry Box. My heart aches for the loss of him, but he is no longer in pain. He was a true legend and if you had the pleasure of knowing him, you would know that.” - Shawn Flemmer, Terry Box’s Daughter

The TAWA community sends its sincere condolences to Terry Box’s family, friends and to all those who knew him.

TAWA wishes to thank dallasnews.com for photo permission.

Media Contact:

Amy M. Plemons
VP of Communications
Texas Auto Writers Association
amplemons.tvproducer@gmail.com

TAWA Announces 2021 Excellence In Craft Competition and Texas Truck Invitational Winners

Fri, 03 Dec 2021 18:17:00 GMT

In 2007, the Texas Auto Writers Association launched the Excellence in Craft Competition with the goal of recognizing and encouraging excellence in automotive journalism. In tandem, the Texas Truck Invitational competition invites TAWA members, along with non-members worldwide, to enter their works in exclusive truck-writing categories.

Once again, the competition was high quality and fierce. A big thanks to all of our judges for spending time reading, watching, and listening to all of this great work: Stan Hulen, Christian Waits, Ivan Galven, Jaime Florez, Steven Cole Smith, Harvey Briggs, Jason Fogelson, Brian Armstead, Carrie Kim, Jared Rosenholtz, and Chris Teague.

TEXAS AUTO WRITERS EXCELLENCE IN CRAFT COMPETITION

Writing: Feature category

For 3^rd place, it’s Mercedes Lilienthal in Tread magazine with: “Bad-Ass Bandoola: a 1953 Willys M38A1 Beast”. Although the stock 1953 Willys stayed in the family for decades, a random transmission issue on a steep hillside and a plea from Ghiringhelli’s wife to "fix it" changed the vehicle forever. “Yes, dear,” he simply replied. Her ask to address the transmission issue turned the little M38A1 from a stock vineyard run-about to a massively customized off-road beast. After months of upgrades and changes to his Willys 4x4, his wife finally got what she wanted out of the deal—a new Mercedes-Benz SL550.

2^nd: Jordan Golson at Inverse with “GMC tapped the guys behind Marvel’s coolest computer screens for the Hummer EV”. Our judge said: “Jordan took a complex vehicle feature set, where he could've gone WAY into the weeds, and made it easy to read.” By the way, this post had great art on top of great writing.

In 1^st place, Elizabeth Blackstock earned her spot with the compelling “François Cevert, Watkins Glen, And The Myths Of Dead Heroes” story at Jalopnik. With high scores across the board, our judges thought Elizabeth did an incredible job capturing this story. “Elizabeth has a way of getting into the lives of the people she covers and did so with an eye on making it all understandable and approachable,” one judge said.

Writing: Reviews

In 3^rd place, it’s “The Power to Surprise (Kia Telluride Review)” in Outdoorx4 magazine by Frank Ledwell. After spending a week in the Kia Telluride on both pavement and off-road in the Big Bend region of west Texas, Frank answers the question: is the Kia Telluride a competent overland vehicle? Our judge said, “Ledwell’s professional, yet personal approach to the Kia Telluride told me everything I wanted to know about the SUV in an engaging, informative way. Solid work.”

In 2^nd Elizabeth Blackstock impressed our judges with“Let The 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody Stroke Your Ego Sky High” at Jalopnik. Elizabeth has a way of describing cars and situations in a way that makes you feel part of the story. This one about the high-horsepower Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody will get your pulse going. Judges said, “Ms. Blackstock captured the joy of excess horsepower in her article with a fresh voice and sparkling prose. A fun discovery and refreshing expert tone that made me want to ride along with her on her next vehicular adventure.”

And in 1^st place with “Stars vs. Space: Dueling Delicas of the 1980s and 1990s” it’s the dynamic duo of Mercedes Lillienthal and Andy Lillienthal in Tread magazine. If you’re curious about oddball vehicles, rad vans, or quirky four-wheel drives, then you may have heard of the right-hand-drive Japanese Domestic Market Mitsubishi Delica. If you don’t know anything about them nor have ever driven one, you’re not alone. Andy and Mercedes know their ins and outs specifically because they have owned them both and have traveled with them extensively on the tarmac and off the beaten path. “This was a deep dive into an obscure, yet delightful vehicle, told with obvious expertise and enthusiasm. It stoked my interest to find out more about the Delica — I’m hoping the authors will expand this article into a book,” our judge said.

RADIO

In 2^nd place, Harold Gunn and Wayne Cronin’s Texas Outdoor News show about T.J. Tennent, a forensic tire expert working with the tire industry, police departments, and the legal profession. “Great content, amazing guest, lots of knowledge, interesting topic,” our judges said.

Winning 1^st place is Jerry Reynolds, Sr, of CarProUSA. Jerry hosted a story called “Sweet Carol” about a WBAP caller named Carol, a nurse who needed help and had purchased a car from Jerry’s late son. Our judges said, “Original story, very human, personal and well taken care of. Informative and useful.”

PODCAST

Placing 3^rd, Michael Marrs, In Wheel Time covered “The Chip Shortage: a look from a different perspective.” Our judges liked the timeliness and newsworthiness of this show, commenting that it’s good background on the chip shortage and the various elements that make up chip production.

In 2^nd, Cory Fourniquet and Matt Thorsen of GT Garage Talk’s show “Women in the Industry and Tech School”. The judges loved this, saying it was a superb interview.

And congratulations to Cory Fourniquet and Matt Thorsen of GT Garage Talk, who took 1^st place with their show called. “World Travel, Off-Road Accolades and Beef Jerky”. This entry received a near-perfect score across the board. The judges said: “A look into the life and experiences of an industry legend, Sue Mead. Excellent program!”

VIDEO

In 3^rd place, Jennifer Jensen impressed with her video on the Ram TRX. With this review, Jennifer challenged the Ram TRX in all of its glory, and this video fully encompasses all of the capabilities of its unique and exciting offering in an entertaining fashion.

The Fast Lane Truck with Nathan Adlen, Tommy Mica, and Roman Mica earned a top spot in 2^nd place with their “Bronco vs Wrangler vs Defender” video. This segment tested the off-road capability of the brand new 2021 Ford Bronco against two of its direct rivals: the Jeep Wrangler 4xe and the Land Rover Defender. This three-way shootout has some exciting moments and unexpected turns as they drove all three up a steep Rocky Mountain trail.

And in 1^st place, Raiti’s Rides with Joe and Lori Raiti and their video about the incredible Cadillac CT4 Blackwing. The judges appreciated the overall production quality, Joe’s enthusiasm, and depth of knowledge. Well done!

With Honorable Mentions, we’d like to recognize Amy Plemons of CarProUSA and Tim Esterdahl and Jill Ciminillo with Pickup Truck + SUV Talk.

PHOTOGRAPHY

In 3^rd, Jordan Golson with a gorgeous sunset photo of a Land Rover Defender. You can find it on his Instagram channel.

Sean Tajipour captured a vibrant photo of the Ram TRX at the Texas Truck Rodeo for 2^nd place. Truly beautiful.

And in 1^st place, Jennifer Jensen took a photo of a Ferrari for Auto Exotica that is a work of art. Really good job.

SOCIAL MEDIA

In 2^nd place in a tie it’s Michael Satterfield of The Gentleman Racer with his First Drive coverage of the Chevrolet Trail Boss Custom. His broad reach, from Instagram to Facebook to Pinterest – and gorgeous photography catches the eye.

And the other 2^nd place winner in a tie is Joe and Lori Raiti of Raiti’s Rides, who earned a spot with their coverage of the CT5-V Blackwing. It all began when Joe and Lori were given 10 minutes to capture whatever they could on video at a secret preview in Daytona for V club members. They were able to track down the Blackwings again at Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale in the thick of the pandemic and get inside for a walk around, and then again at the media launch for the Blackwing. The Raitis TikTok alone garnered 3.5 million and Instagram Reels video gathered 2 million views more.

And finally with their coverage of the Alcan 5000 Rally, it’s Mercedes Lilienthal, Andy Lilienthal in 1st place. Who would've ever traveled to the Arctic Ocean in the dead of winter with an old right-hand-drive diesel-powered Mitsubishi Pajero? How about doing that while competing in a major 10-day Arctic road rally that required 30 tanks of diesel and 7,230 miles total to get to, compete in, and get home? The Lilienthals did. They recapped three eventful days of the 2020 Alcan 5000 Rally on social media, including stories of ditch dives and -40 degree temperatures. They crossed the Arctic Circle four times in two countries in less than three days, drove 146 miles of ice roads, and completed ice racing on the Yukon River, conquering the Alcan 5000 Rally in their vintage Pajero in a challenging and unique way.

Honorable mention: Jill Ciminillo and her coverage of the Jeep Grand Cherokee L

Honorable mention: Cory Fourniquet and his social coverage of the Ford Bronco.

TEXAS TRUCK INVITATIONAL

Writing: Reviews

In 3^rd place, it’s Jordan Golson with his review of the Land Rover Defender for The North State Journal. Judge’s note: The author recounts his own sad experience owning a Rover product, while pointing out that this is a different Land Rover from how the company operates today, turning out dependable products.

Lyn Woodward took 2^nd, writing about her test drive of the Nissan Frontier at the Rebelle Rally for Kelley Blue Book.

Judge’s note: The Frontier stars in an account of the seven-day, women-only Rebelle Rally that indeed puts the Nissan through its paces.

1^st: “Eight Days in the Desert with a Rivian pickup” by Emme Hall. Judge’s note: This is a combination adventure story and test drive of an electric pickup truck from a relatively unknown manufacturer makes for a solid, informative read.

Writing: Features

In 3^rd: “The Lightning is not the Model T” by David Boldt at TxGarage. Our judges said, “A New York Times story that insists the electric Ford Lightning is the Model T of this generation sent Boldt to the history books, making a case that the Times may well be mistaken.”

2^nd is “TuSimple Trucking” by Jack Ferry, also at TxGarage. “An informative and forward-looking feature about an autonomous trucking company that suggests driverless 18-wheelers may be just around the corner,” judges said.

And in 1^st place, “The Gambler 500” by Kathy Locke at Toyota Cruisers & Trucks. Judges said it was an entertaining and heartfelt account of her participation in the Gambler 500, a sort-of race that allows most anyone crazy enough to compete to have at it.

And the overall winner of the Texas Truck Invitational and cash prize goes to:

Overall Winner: Emme Hall for “Eight Days in the Desert with a Rivian pickup”

Thanks to everyone who submitted their work. We look forward to seeing next year’s entries!

TEXAS AUTO WRITERS ASSOCIATION NAMES 2022 TRUCK OF TEXAS AND SUV OF TEXAS

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 21:32:40 GMT

Dallas, TX– Nov. 2, 2021 – The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) is pleased to name the all-new 2022 Toyota Tundra as the 2022 Truck of Texas and the all-new 2022 Grand Wagoneer as the 2022 SUV of Texas, following the Texas Truck Rodeo held October 2021.

Winners were announced in a virtual awards ceremony in association with the Houston Auto Show on November 2, 2021. A formal awards ceremony will take place at the Houston Auto Show in January 2022.

“At the Texas Truck Rodeo, we get to put dozens of vehicles through their paces both on- and off-road," said TAWA President Kristin Shaw. "At the end of the day, our members were duly impressed by the updates and technological advancements included in both the 2022 Tundra and the reborn Grand Wagoneer; both were equally capable on the road course and dirt circuit.”

More than 40 Texas Auto Writers Association journalists traveled to Star Hill Ranch outside Austin on October 4-5, to evaluate more than 50 vehicles on an upgraded off-roading course designed for the event. Sue Mead, an accomplished off-roading journalist and member of the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame, served as the 2021 Texas Truck Rodeo course director, overseeing course updates. Drivers had the opportunity to drive vehicles on-road as well.

Members voted on the coveted Truck of Texas and SUV of Texas awards as well as eleven sub-categories including Full-Size Pickup Truck of Texas, Off-Road Pickup Truck of Texas, Luxury SUV of Texas, Mid-Size SUV of Texas and Compact SUV of Texas. Vehicles are measured on their interior, exterior, value, performance and personal
appeal.

“Our manufacturer members had the opportunity to speak with TAWA journalists and show them in person all of their newest vehicles and features,” said Shaw. “As a result, coverage from the event will be comprehensive and beneficial for both journalists and automakers.”

Additional awards were handed out for the Best Safety Feature or Driver Assist, Best Infotainment System and Best Powertrain.

This year, the health and safety of all participants remained the top priority. Safety protocols that remained in place after being adopted in 2020 to address the pandemic included sanitizing vehicles between drives and hosting all meals and meetings outdoors.TAWA thanks our participating members, automakers, press fleets and sponsors for their support.

TEXAS TRUCK RODEO WINNERS

OVERALL AWARDS

TRUCK of TEXAS
2022 Toyota Tundra

SUV of TEXAS
2022 Grand Wagoneer

CATEGORY AWARDS

OFF-ROAD VEHICLE OF TEXAS
2021 Ram 1500

COMPACT SUV OF TEXAS
2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz

MID-SIZE SUV OF TEXAS
2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L

FULL-SIZE SUV OF TEXAS
2022 Wagoneer

MID-SIZE LUXURY SUV OF TEXAS
2022 Genesis GV70

FULL-SIZE LUXURY SUV OF TEXAS
2022 Grand Wagoneer Series III

MID-SIZE PICKUP TRUCK OF TEXAS
2022 Nissan Frontier

FULL-SIZE PICKUP TRUCK OF TEXAS
2022 Ram 1500

HEAVY DUTY PICKUP TRUCK OF TEXAS
2022 Ram 2500 Power Wagon

LUXURY PICKUP TRUCK OF TEXAS
2021 Ram 1500 TRX

GREEN VEHICLE OF TEXAS
2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe

OPTIONAL AWARDS

Best Safety Feature or Driver Assist
Lexus Safety System+ 3.0

Best Infotainment System
UConnect 5

Best Powertrain
Ram 6.2-liter Supercharged HEMI V8

PHOTOGRAPHY

All images are for editorial use only and should be credited to Kevin McCauley and capturingthemachine.com. Access 2022 Truck of Texas and 2022 SUV of Texas photos here.

ABOUT AWARDS

The Texas Auto Writers Association, Inc. was founded in 1987 by automotive journalists who wanted to provide an avenue for professional growth, development, and networking. These professionals sought to create an automotive event that was unique to Texas, and the result was the TAWA Truck Rodeo. Since 1993, Texas Truck Rodeos have been held in locations all over Texas; most recently, at Star Hill Ranch in Bee Cave, Texas.

In 2003, TAWA created an event for sedans, sports cars, and other vehicles not eligible for the Truck Rodeo. The Texas Auto Roundup, as the event is called today, was most recently held in the spring of 2021. For more information, visit www.texasautowriters.org.

Media Contact: Amy Plemons, amplemons.tvproducer@gmail.com

Call for Entries: Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 19:35:01 GMT

2021 CALL FOR ENTRIES: BILL NEALE AUTOMOTIVE FINE ART AWARD INVITATIONAL

September 14, 2021 - The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA), in association with the Bill Neale family, is extremely pleased to announce a call for entries for its inaugural Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award Invitational. This award honors the world-renowned talent and legacy of automotive artistic icon Bill Neale. A longtime friend to TAWA, Neale passed away in January of 2021 at the age of 95. TAWA thanks the Bill Neale family for its support in developing this prestigious award.

The Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award recognizes and encourages excellence in automotive fine art. This award is an invitational and as such is open to both TAWA-members and non-TAWA members.

CALL FOR ENTRIES: Entries were accepted beginning Monday, September 13, 2021.Eligible entries for the 2021 competition include automotive fine art published from September 13, 2020 to December 1, 2021.
ENTRY DEADLINE: 11:59 PM, Monday, December 1, 2021.
ENTRY FEE: No entry fee is required for the award's inaugural year.
WINNER NOTIFICATION, PRIZE: The Winning Artist will be notified by December 31, 2021. The Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award Recipient receives a prize valued at $200.

For complete eligibility rules and requirements and to enter visit: https://www.texasautowriters.org/2021-Bill-Neale-Automotive-Award.

For questions contact: VP of Communications Amy Plemons at amplemons.tvproducer@gmail.com

TAWA Announces 2021 Texas Auto Roundup Winners

Wed, 19 May 2021 14:49:14 GMT

Houston, TX – May 19, 2021 – The Texas Auto Writers Association is pleased to announce the award winners of the 2021 TAWA Texas Auto Roundup. The awards were announced in partnership with the Houston Summer Auto Show on May 19, 2021.

Forty automotive journalists evaluated 35 vehicles at this year’s event held at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth on April 19-20, 2021. TAWA members evaluated vehicles based on their interior, exterior, value, performance and personal appeal.

This year the main award categories were Family Vehicle of Texas, Performance Vehicle of Texas, Luxury Performance Vehicle of Texas and a newly elevated category of Green Vehicle of Texas. An additional nine category awards, two feature awards and four merit awards were also awarded.

“The Texas Auto Writers Association congratulates all of the title and category winners, and thanks all of our automotive members and partners for joining us at the 2021 Auto Roundup,” said TAWA President Kristin Shaw. “Everyone in attendance was happy to have the opportunity to drive and network at the Texas Motor Speedway.”

Like the 2020 Texas Truck Rodeo held last fall, the spring Auto Roundup was held amid strict health and safety protocols that included requiring face masks, sanitizing vehicles between drives and creating a two-wave event to limit the number of journalists present at one time.

The Chrysler Pacifica was named the Family Vehicle of Texas, its fifth consecutive win since the nameplate was reintroduced in 2016 as a 2017 model. The Auto Roundup was not held in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Toyota and Lexus each took home an overall award. The Toyota Supra was named Performance Vehicle of Texas and the Lexus LC 500 took the Performance Luxury Vehicle of Texas crown.

“A commitment to excellence in engineering, design and performance is something that both Toyota and Lexus takes to heart, and we are proud of these two vehicles for leading the pack and competition,” said Greg Thome, Senior Manager, TMNA Corporate Communications. “We are especially honored to receive this recognition here in our home state of Texas.”

TAWA elevated the former Green Vehicle category to major award status, given the growth in electrified vehicles. The Green Vehicle of Texas award went to a newcomer, the new all-electric Volkswagen ID.4.

“It’s a great honor that ID.4 has been named the Green Vehicle of Texas,” said Matthew Renna, vice president E-mobility and innovation, Volkswagen of America. “Having organizations like Texas Auto Writers Association educate the public on our brand’s electric future – and EVs in general – is valuable to the transition to electrification.”

The Texas Auto Writers Association wishes to thank our generous sponsor Blink Charging for its support of this year’s event. TAWA also thanks our participating members, automakers and press fleets for their support of this event and vigilance in adhering to safety protocols.

"In what has been a challenging past year for the automotive industry, we applaud the continued efforts by automakers to continually enhance their lineups focusing on user-friendly design, technology and safety,” said Shaw. “In many respects, since the pandemic began, vehicles are more important than ever and those represented at the Auto Roundup are all deserving of applause. "

OVERALL AWARDS

FAMILY VEHICLE OF TEXAS: Chrysler Pacifica
PERFORMANCE VEHICLE OF TEXAS: Toyota Supra
LUXURY PERFORMANCE VEHICLE OF TEXAS: Lexus LC 500
GREEN VEHICLE OF TEXAS: Volkswagen ID.4

CATEGORY AWARDS

BEST MINIVAN: Chrysler Pacifica
PERFORMANCE SEDAN: Dodge Charger
LUXURY CAR ($40,000-$65,000) Genesis G80
LUXURY CAR ($65,000-$100,000): Lexus LC 500
PERFORMANCE COUPE: Toyota Supra
MIDSIZE CAR: Volkswagen Arteon
COMPACT VEHICLE: Mazda3 Hatchback Turbo
MIDSIZE CUV: Nissan Rogue
LUXURY CUV: Genesis GV80

FEATURE AWARDS

BEST NEW FEATURE: Chrysler FamCam
BEST NEW INTERIOR: Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle

MERIT AWARDS (based on calculated points)

BEST VALUE: TIE
- Dodge Challenger
- Lexus IS 350
BEST INTERIOR: Lexus LC 500
BEST EXTERIOR: Lexus LC 500
HIGHEST PERSONAL APPEAL: Lexus LC 500

About TAWA

The Texas Auto Writers Association was founded in 1987 by automotive journalists who wanted to provide an avenue for professional growth, development, and networking. These professionals sought to create an automotive event that was unique to Texas, and the result was the TAWA Truck Rodeo. Since 1993, Truck Rodeos have been held in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Granbury and Spring Branch, Dripping Springs and most recently at the Star Hill Ranch in Bee Cave, Texas.

In 2003, TAWA created an event for sedans, sports cars, and other vehicles not eligible for the Truck Rodeo. The Texas Auto Roundup, as the event is called today, returned in 2021 after being cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic. For more information, visit www.texasautowriters.org.

Media Contact: Amy Plemons, amplemons.tvproducer@gmail.com

2020 Texas Truck Rodeo Winners Announced

Thu, 05 Nov 2020 22:10:57 GMT

Houston, TX – Nov. 5, 2020 – The 2021 Ram 1500 is the new reigning Truck of Texas. The Ram 1500 was crowned the 2021 Truck of Texas by the Texas Auto Writers Association in a live virtual ceremony on November 5, 2020 in conjunction with the Houston Auto Show. The Texas Truck Rodeo digital awards presentation follows the 2020 Texas Truck Rodeo held in October.

"The SUV and truck market in Texas is strong, and narrow margins between the vehicles confirmed just how competitive this market is this year," said TAWA President Kristin Shaw. “TAWA was the first journalist group to drive Ram's new 1500 TRX and its impressive 702-hp 6.2L HEMI along with undeniable capability on and off road convinced our journalists to rank the Ram 1500 number one in the Truck of Texas category."

Twenty-seven TAWA members traveled to Star Hill Ranch outside Austin on October 5-6, 2020, to evaluate 39 trucks and SUVs on a new off-roading course designed for this year's event. Drivers also had the opportunity to drive the vehicles on-road as well. Vehicles are measured on their interior, exterior, value, performance and personal appeal.

The 2021 Dodge Durango took home the SUV of Texas crown. Other awardees include the 2020 Land Rover Defender 110SE as Luxury SUV of Texas and the 2021 Ram 1500 Limited Longhorn 10th Anniversary Edition as Luxury Pickup Truck of Texas. The 2021 Toyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road took home the CUV of Texas title for a second consecutive year.

"This year, we hosted 13 different brands at the Texas Truck Rodeo and welcomed Land Rover and Rolls-Royce back to the event. Both the Defender and the Cullinan were popular at the event and the former took home the Luxury SUV of Texas trophy," said Shaw. "Toyota's 2021 RAV4 TRD Off-Road retained its title of Compact SUV of Texas, the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon maintained its edge as top Off-Road SUV, and Hyundai's elegant Palisade Calligraphy earned top honors as Mid-Size SUV of Texas."

TAWA made program changes this year to address the pandemic. Safety protocols included requiring face masks, sanitizing vehicles between drives and creating a two-wave event to limit the number of journalists present at one time.

“This year has brought a lot of challenges to the automotive industry, and we are grateful for the partnership of our journalist and OEM members to provide an opportunity to have access to vehicles, network, and create content that is vital to our livelihoods and shared passion," said Shaw. "Over the course of two days, journalists had an opportunity to drive more than three dozen vehicles and evaluate them thoroughly."

TAWA thanks our participating members, automakers and press fleets for their support. TAWA also wishes to thank all of our amazing sponsors for helping to make this year's event possible. Thank you to the Houston Auto Show, Katzkin, Prestige Auto, JBL by Harman and the Austin Auto Show.

Texas Truck Rodeo Winners

Truck of Texas: 2021 Ram 1500
SUV of Texas: 2021 Dodge Durango
Luxury SUV: Land Rover Defender 110SE
Full-Size SUV: 2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat
Mid-Size SUV: 2021 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy
Compact SUV: 2021 Toyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road
Off-Road SUV: 2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
Full-Size Pickup: 2021 Ram 1500 TRX
Mid-Size Pickup: 2021 Jeep Gladiator Mojave
Off-Road Pickup: 2021 Ram 1500 TRX
Luxury Pickup: 2021 Ram 1500 Limited Longhorn 10th Anniversary Edition
Heavy Duty Pickup: 2020 Ram 2500 Heavy Duty Laramie Night Edition

Additional Awards

Best Powertrain: FCA 6.2-liter Supercharged HEMI V8
Best Infotainment: FCA UConnect
Best Safety or Driver Assist: Nissan ProPILOT Assist with Navi-link
Best Towing Technology: Ram Heavy Duty 360-degree Surround View Camera

Texas Truck Rodeo Images

All event photography provided by Kevin McCauley. Additional event images can be found here. All images are for editorial use only and should be credited to Kevin McCauley/ Capturing the Machine. For commercial use, please contact Kevin McCauley / capturingthemachine.com.

About the Off-Road Course

The 2020 Texas Truck Rodeo took place at Star Hill Ranch in Bee Cave, Texas, for the second consecutive year. Sue Mead, an accomplished off-roading journalist and member of the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame, was the 2020 Texas Truck Rodeo course director, overseeing the construction and design executed by Offcamber Design.

About TAWA

The Texas Auto Writers Association was founded in 1987 by automotive journalists who wanted to provide an avenue for professional growth, development, and networking. These professionals sought to create an automotive event that was unique to Texas, and the result was the TAWA Truck Rodeo. Since 1993, Truck Rodeos have been held in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Granbury and Spring Branch, as well as Dripping Springs and for the past two years at the Star Hill Ranch in Bee Cave, Texas.

In 2003, TAWA created an event for sedans, sports cars, and other vehicles not eligible for the Truck Rodeo. The Texas Auto Roundup, as the event is called today, was not held in 2020 due to the pandemic with plans to return in the spring of 2021. For more information, visit www.texasautowriters.org.

Media Contact: Amy Plemons, amplemons.tvproducer@gmail.com

2020 TAWA Excellence In Craft Competition Winners

Sun, 25 Oct 2020 19:23:07 GMT

Texas Auto Writers Association Announces Excellence in Craft Competition Winners for 2020

DALLAS (October 25, 2020) — Automotive journalists Kathy Locke, Mercedes Lilienthal, and The Fast Lane Truck team were among the top winners in the Texas Auto Writers Association’s 2020 journalism competition.

The award winners, who were announced Thursday, October 22, 2020 via livestream, included writers, photographers, designers and online content creators from across the United States who entered TAWA’s two contests: the Excellence in Craft Competition, which is only open to TAWA members, and the Texas Truck Invitational, which is open to any journalist who covers the truck industry.

“This year’s TAWA Excellence in Craft Competition saw a record number of entries across the board,” said Aaron Starnes, TAWA board member and chair of the award programs. “Mercedes Lilienthal earned first place in the highly competitive writing segment for both the magazine and newspaper categories. Kathy Locke was a first-time winner of the Texas Truck Invitational Writing competition with her story about the Rebelle Rally. And ‘The Fast Lane Car’ and ‘The Fast Lane Truck’ entries took first and third in the video category.”

Starnes said the panel of judges for the TAWA Excellence in Craft Competition are at the top of their fields, including John Pearley Huffman, Harvey Briggs, Steven Cole Smith, Stan Hulen, Chris Waits, Ivan Galvan, and Jaime Florez.

TEXAS TRUCK INVITATIONAL

NEWSPAPER WRITING

1^st: Teia Collier, Dallas Single Mom, “First Drive: 2019 Ford Ranger Supercrew XL 4x4”

2^nd: Jason Fogelson, Forbes.com, “2019 Lexus GX460 Luxury Test Drive and Review: Dream On”

3^rd: Derek Price, Cargazing, “Italian Practicality Cranked Up”

MAGAZINE WRITING

1^st: Kathy Locke, Toyota Cruisers and Trucks magazine, “My Journey to Rebelle”

2^nd: (tie) Sue Mead, Outdoorx4, “Baja Boot-Maker Glickenhaus Now Races to Save Lives”

2^nd:(tie) Jonathan Hanson, Outdoorx4, “Super Duty Ford: Dilemma or Solution?”

TAWA EXCELLENCE IN CRAFT COMPETITION

MAGAZINE WRITING

1^st: Mercedes Lilienthal, Tread Magazine

2^nd: Sue Mead, Automotive Map

3^rd: Michael Satterfield, The Gentleman Racer

· Scotty, Reiss, A Girls Guide to Cars. There’s some very good automotive journalism going on at Agirlsguidetocars.com. Founder Scotty Reiss and a solid roster of contributors would, as you’d expect, have a slightly different take on automotive journalism than the traditional white male author, and that’s a welcome addition to the plethora of fare out there.

· Kristin V. Shaw, TODAY Parents. Kristin takes us for a 90-degree turn from where you think she’s headed in a moving column titled “My Dad Taught Me How to Recover From a Crash” at Community.today.com. Nicely done.

· Natan Tazelaar, Vintage Motorsport magazine. Natan writes a detailed, comprehensive biography of the underrated Siata 208 S sports car.

· G.R. Whale, Pickuptrucktalk.com. Greg hits all the right notes in his review of the Lexus GX460, making a fairly mundane SUV into something worth reading about.

NEWSPAPER WRITING

1^st: Mercedes Lilienthal, New York Times, “Driving Across the Globe to Fight Child Trafficking”

2^nd: Jordan Golson, North State Journal, “Impressive excess: The 2020 Lexus LX 570 review”

3^rd: Mercedes Lilienthal, New York Times, “Life on the Road in Pandemic America”

RADIO

1^st: The Automotive Reporter, Harold Gunn and Wayne Cronin, “Interview with Ford Historian Robert Kreipke: The History of the Model A”

2^nd: The Car Pro USA Radio Show, Jerry Reynolds, “Car Pro on the CEO of Ford”

3^rd: The Car Pro USA Radio Show, Jerry Reynolds, “Interview with Good Morning America's Adrienne Bankert”

WEB DESIGN

1^st: GarageDeluxe, Greg Riley, “Rolls Royce Cullinan Test Drive” AND (tie) “History of Jaguar”

2^nd: Jesus Garcia, The Drive, “Rebuilding high-school GMC”

3^rd: Bill Owney, MotorcarsNow.com, “Camry Hybrid Test Drive”

VIDEO - Tie for First

1^st: The Fast Lane Truck, Andre Smirnov, Tommy Mica, and Roman Mica; “Small Jeep vs. Large Ford Truck On the World’s Most Beautiful Trail! No Pavement Needed Ep. 2”

2^nd: Kitty’s Glam Rides, Natalie Merola-Garcia, “2021 Kia Seltos SX Turbo AWD: It’s Under $30K?!”

3^rd: (tie) CarProUSA, Amy Plemons; “2020 Lexus NX 300 F Sport Review”

3^rd: (tie) The Fast Lane Car, Roman Mica and Tommy Mica; “Nail Biter: We Race Two Budget Off-Roaders Up a 12,000 Foot Mountain Top! Montezuma Challenge Ep.1”

PHOTOGRAPHY

1^st: Mike Satterfield, The Gentleman Racer, “First Drive: 2020 Bentley Bentayga Speed”

2^nd: Kristin Shaw, Drive Mode Show, “Glowing Yellow and Stormy Sea Sonata at Four Peaks-Off Road, Arizona”

3^rd: Elias Garcia, Revmatch Media, “Super Lap Battle at COTA 2020”

PR/MARKETING PRESS KITS

1^st: Mazda, 2020 Mazda CX-30 Vehicle Press Kit

For judge comments and profiles click here.

2020 Texas Truck Rodeo Finalists

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 19:12:58 GMT

TAWA ANNOUNCES

2020 TEXAS TRUCK RODEO FINALISTS

Bee Cave, TX – Oct. 22, 2020 – A successful 2020 Texas Truck Rodeo is in the rearview mirror! With social distancing and safety protocols in place during this unprecedented year, the Texas Auto Writers Association held its 2020 Texas Truck Rodeo in the Texas Hill Country in October.

Twenty-seven Texas Auto Writers Association members traveled to Star Hill Ranch outside Austin on October 5-6, 2020, to evaluate 39 trucks and SUVs on a new off-roading course designed for the event. Sue Mead, an accomplished off-roading journalist and member of the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame, was the 2020 Texas Truck Rodeo course director, overseeing the construction and design executed by Offcamber Design. Drivers had the opportunity to drive the vehicles on-road as well.

Along with voting on Truck of Texas and SUV of Texas, members judged vehicles in ten sub-categories including Full-Size Pickup Truck of Texas, Off-Road Pickup Truck of Texas, Luxury SUV of Texas, Mid-size SUV of Texas and Compact SUV of Texas. Vehicles are measured on their interior, exterior, value, performance and personal appeal.

TAWA organizers took special care in event planning, making program changes to address the pandemic. Those included safety protocols that included requiring face masks, sanitizing vehicles between drives and creating a two-wave event to limit the number of journalists present at one time. TAWA thanks our participating members, automakers and press fleets for their support.

2020 TEXAS TRUCK RODEO FINALISTS

TAWA is now pleased to announce the finalists in select categories (in alphabetical order.) All winners will be announced November 5th in a Live Facebook Event on the Houston Auto Show Facebook Page.

Truck of Texas

2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon
2021 Ram 1500 Limited Longhorn 10th Anniversary
2021 Ram 1500 TRX

SUV of Texas

2021 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat
2021 Kia Telluride SX
2021 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro

Full-Size Pickup Truck of Texas:

2020 Nissan Titan Pro-4X CC
2021 Ram 1500 TRX
2021 Toyota Tundra Trail Edition

Mid-Size Pickup Truck of Texas:

2021 Jeep Gladiator Mojave
2021 Jeep Gladiator Overland EcoDiesel
2021 Toyota Tacoma Trail Edition

Off-Road Pickup Truck of Texas:

2021 Jeep Gladiator Mojave
2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon
2021 Ram 1500 TRX

Luxury Sport Utility of Texas:

2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit
2020 Land Rover Defender 110SE
2020 Rolls-Royce Cullinan

Mid-Size Sport Utility of Texas:

2021 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy AWD
2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
2021 Kia Telluride SX

Compact Sport Utility of Texas:

2021 Jeep Cherokee Latitude LUX
2020 Mazda CX-30 Premium Package AWD
2021 Toyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road

Photography

All event photography provided by Kevin McCauley. Event images can be found here. All images are for editorial use only and should be credited to Kevin McCauley. For commercial use, please contact Kevin McCauley / capturingthemachine.com.

Sponsors

TAWA also wishes to thank all of our amazing sponsors for helping to make this year's event possible. Thank you to the Houston Auto Show, Katzkin, Prestige Auto, JBL by Harman and the Austin Auto Show.

About TAWA

The Texas Auto Writers Association was founded in 1987 by automotive journalists who wanted to provide an avenue for professional growth, development, and networking. These professionals sought to create an automotive event that was unique to Texas, and the result was the TAWA Truck Rodeo. Since 1993, Truck Rodeos have been held in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Granbury and Spring Branch, as well as Dripping Springs and for the past two years at the Star Hill Ranch in Bee Cave, Texas.

Media Contact: Amy Plemons, amplemons.tvproducer@gmail.com

Ram, Kia Win Top Awards in Texas

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 02:12:00 GMT

Ram, Kia Win Top Awards in Texas

Wednesday, November 11, 2019 8:09 PM | Derek Price

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — The Ram 1500 and Kia Telluride took home the top awards from the Texas Auto Writers Association's annual Texas Truck Rodeo in October.

TAWA's journalist members named the half-ton Ram the Truck of Texas for the second year in a row after two days of evaluating vehicles on- and off-road in the Texas Hill Country. The Telluride, a new vehicle recently introduced by Kia, won the SUV of Texas award. The award winners were announced Nov. 20 at the San Antonio Auto and Truck Show.

"Our journalist members were impressed with the continued capability and refinement in the Ram product line, particularly the 1500 compared to the domestic competitors at the event," said Michael Marrs, TAWA's president. "They also were impressed by the level of luxury and value in the new Telluride. It delivers a lot of practicality and comfort for Texas families."

Ram won more awards than any other brand at the event. In addition to the prestigious Truck of Texas title, it won the heavy duty, luxury and full-size truck categories, along with several awards for its innovative features.

Toyota won four awards, including the mid-size and full-size SUV categories with the RAV4 and Sequoia. Jeep's Gladiator and Wrangler won the mid-size pickup and off-road SUV categories, while Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Acura and Volvo also took home awards.

TAWA's 2019 Texas Truck Rodeo included 56 journalists who evaluated 54 vehicles.

A complete list of award winners is below.

The 2019 Texas Truck Rodeo was sponsored by the Austin Auto Show, Big Tex Trailers, DFW Auto Show, Houston Auto Show, Katzkin Automotive Leather, San Antonio Auto & Truck Show, Prestige Auto and Wieck.

For more information, contact Kristin Shaw, TAWA's Vice President for Events, at kristin.shaw@texasautowriters.org.

2019 Texas Truck Rodeo Award Winners

Truck of Texas: 2020 RAM 1500
SUV of Texas: 2020 Kia Telluride

Subcompact Sport Utility Vehicle of Texas: 2019 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk
Compact Sport Utility Vehicle of Texas: 2020 Toyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road
Mid-Size Sport Utility Vehicle of Texas: 2020 KiaTelluride SX
Full-Size Sport Utility Vehicle of Texas: 2020 Toyota Sequoia TRD Pro
Compact Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle of Texas: 2020 Acura RDX A-Spec SH-AWD
Mid-Size Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle of Texas: 2020 Volvo XC90 T8 Inscription
Full-Size Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle of Texas: 2020 Lexus GX 460 Luxury
Mid-Size Pickup Truck of Texas: 2020 Jeep Gladiator Overland
Full-Size Pickup Truck of Texas: 2020 RAM 1500 Rebel
Heavy Duty Pickup Truck of Texas: 2019 RAM 2500 Laramie Longhorn
Luxury Pickup Truck of Texas: 2020 RAM 1500 Limited
Off-Road Pickup Truck of Texas: 2019 RAM 2500 Power Wagon
Commercial Vehicle of Texas: 2019 Mercedes Sprinter Passenger 4x4
Off-Road Sport Utility Vehicle of Texas: 2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
Best Infotainment System: RAM Uconnect System & Touchscreen Display
Best Powertrain: RAM EcoDiesel
Best Towing: RAM Rear Air Suspension
Best Safety Feature: Toyota Safety Sense P
Best Driver Assist System: Toyota Panoramic View & Multi-Terrain Monitor

2019 Truck of Texas and SUV of Texas Finalists Announced

Kristin Shaw — Thu, 07 Nov 2019 16:55:06 GMT

BEE CAVE, Texas - November 7, 2019 —The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) today announced the nine finalists vying for the coveted 2019 Truck of Texas, SUV of Texas, and Compact SUV of Texas crowns following this year's prestigious Texas Truck Rodeo event in the Texas Hill Country.

More than 50 journalists drove 40+ trucks and SUVs over the course of a day and a half, putting the vehicles through off- and on-road routes to test the strengths and weaknesses of the trucks’ features and durability. Journalists judged each of the vehicles on five criteria: interior, exterior, performance, value and personal appeal.

All finalists listed in alphabetical order by manufacturer:

FINALISTS, TRUCK OF TEXAS

2020 Jeep Gladiator

2020 Ram 1500

2020 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro 4x4

FINALISTS, SUV OF TEXAS

2020 Jeep Wrangler

2020 Kia Telluride SX

2020 Volvo XC90

FINALISTS, COMPACT SUV OF TEXAS

2020 Hyundai Santa Fe

2019 Mazda CX-5

2020 Toyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road

The trophies for the Texas Truck Rodeo will be presented on November 20 at the San Antonio Auto & Truck Show during the dealer preview gala.

The 2019 Texas Truck Rodeo was hosted at the unique Star Hill Ranch, an event facility and movie set that has been host to the Texas Auto Writer Association dinners in the past.

Manufacturers celebrate the prestigious awards they earn at the Texas Truck Rodeo and often mention the honors in their press releases, promotional materials and campaigns across the globe.

Sponsors of the 2019 Texas Truck Rodeo included the Austin Auto Show, Big Tex Trailers, DFW Auto Show, Houston Auto Show, Katzkin Automotive Leather, Prestige Auto, the San Antonio Auto & Truck Show, and Wieck.

About TAWA

For over 30 years, the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) has pursued its mission to promote accuracy and quality in the automotive journalism field. TAWA has grown to become one of the most influential and recognized automotive journalist associations in the United States. Journalist members of the association are among the most respected in the country.

As part of TAWA’s efforts to serve journalist members who cover the automotive industry, the association annually hosts the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall. This event gives journalists the opportunity to drive and evaluate vehicles entered by manufacturers. Winners of the Truck Rodeo’s “Truck of Texas” award have announced their awards on national television commercials, and TAWA’s logo has even appeared in Super Bowl commercials.

Texas Truck Rodeo trophy photo by Kevin McCauley

Texas Truck Rodeo

Kristin Shaw — Wed, 14 Aug 2019 18:17:50 GMT

AUSTIN, TX, August 14, 2019 – Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) will be hosting its 30^th annual Texas Truck Rodeo October 27-19, 2019.

For 30 years, the Texas Truck Rodeo has been a unique opportunity for journalist members of TAWA to evaluate pickup trucks and SUVs in a side-by-side comparison. This event offers real-time comparisons, which is important as journalists continue to learn about the evolving automotive industry and develop stories for outlets that reach potential consumers. Once the evaluations are completed and the votes from each journalist are accumulated, the prestigious Truck of Texas trophy is awarded.

Almost 25 percent of trucks in the U.S. are sold in Texas, and many journalists are focused intensely on pickups; winning a head-to-head comparison is a significant award. Strong support from journalists, manufacturers, and sponsors help to keep this event fresh and new.

Event credential pickup starts at 2:00 P.M CT on Sunday, Oct. 27, and events beginning at 5:00 P.M. CT. Look for more information in the next few weeks.

Date: October 27-29, 2019

Location: Austin, Texas; the Sonesta Hotel will be the media base and the driving will take place at nearby Star Hill Ranch

Notes for Media

All participants must be members of TAWA as of September 1, 2019. Active members may reside in Texas or out of state; newspapers, magazines, and web sites - which are accessible anywhere - are applicable.

Membership is dependent on approval by TAWA board; applicants must have five or more automotive-related articles in the past 12 months to qualify. See https://www.texasautowriters.org/membership/journalist for more information and to apply.

Notes for Manufacturers

Registration for vehicles will begin August 21, 2019

Contact Information

Kristin Shaw, VP of Events, Texas Auto Writers Association

kristin.shaw@texasautowriters.org

512-914-4954

Dodge Challenger Wins ‘Car of Texas’

Derek Price — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 20:32:35 GMT

A Dodge muscle car won the top award at the 2019 Texas Auto Roundup. After 44 journalist members of the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) evaluated 29 vehicles April 14-16, the 2019 Dodge Challenger was crowned the overall Car of Texas.

“Driving enthusiasts in Texas love horsepower, and the Challenger’s classic muscular lines and monumental power won over our voters,” said Michael Marrs, president of TAWA and co-host of the In Wheel Time radio show in Houston. “The most powerful Challenger that Dodge brought to the Roundup — the SRT Hellcat Redeye — drew attention for its 797-horsepower engine and raucous exhaust note.”

The Challenger also won the Performance Car of Texas title. Other top awards include the 2019 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid as Family Car of Texas and 2020 Kia Telluride as CUV of Texas.

TAWA members, who cover the automotive industry for print, online and broadcast outlets across the United States, voted on the top vehicles after spending two days comparing them in Denton, Texas. They took the vehicles on a series of street and handling exercises, pushing performance cars and taking other vehicles on slalom, acceleration and braking tests. Members also learned about the new vehicles’ features and changes from manufacturer representatives.

OVERALL AWARDS

CAR OF TEXAS
Winner: 2019 Dodge Challenger
Runner-Up: 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia

PERFORMANCE CAR OF TEXAS
Winner: 2019 Dodge Challenger
Runner-Up: 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia

FAMILY CAR OF TEXAS
Winner: 2019 Chrysler Pacifica
Runner-Up: 2019 Nissan Maxima

CUV OF TEXAS
Winner: 2020 Kia Telluride
Runner-Up: 2019 Mercedes-Benz E63 S Wagon

CATEGORY AWARDS

COMPACT CAR
Winner: 2020 Toyota Corolla XSE
Runner-Up: 2020 Toyota Corolla LE Hybrid

MID-SIZE CAR
Winner: 2019 Nissan Maxima Platinum

MINIVAN
Winner: 2019 Chrysler Pacifica Limited

GREEN VEHICLE
Winner: 2019 Nissan LEAF PLUS SV
Runner-Up: 2019 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Limited

MID-SIZE LUXURY CAR
Winner: 2019 Lexus ES 350 F Sport
Runner-Up: 2019 Lexus ES 300h Luxury

PERFORMANCE COMPACT
Winner: 2019 Volkswagen GTI SE

PERFORMANCE COUPE
Winner: 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye
Runner-Up: 2019 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody

PERFORMANCE SEDAN
Winner: 2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio
Runner-Up: 2019 Volkswagen GLI 35th Anniversary Edition

COMPACT CUV
Winner: 2019 Mazda CX-5 Signature AWD
Runner-Up: 2019 Toyota RAV4 XSE Hybrid

MID-SIZE CUV
Winner: 2020 Kia Telluride SX

LUXURY CUV
Winner: 2019 Mercedes-Benz E63 S Wagon Carbon Fiber
Runner-Up: 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio

2019 Ram 1500 Named Truck of Texas

Derek Price — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 01:09:08 GMT

BEE CAVE, Texas — After two days of evaluations, journalist members of the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) selected the 2019 Ram 1500 as Truck of Texas.

The award was presented Oct. 16 at the culmination of the Texas Truck Rodeo, presented by the Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), in which 69 journalists drove 57 vehicles and voted on winners across a range of consumer categories.

In addition to the Ram 1500 winning the overall prize, the 2019 Maserati Levante GTS won SUV of Texas and 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio took home CUV of Texas. Complete results from the voting are listed below.

“TAWA journalists know their trucks, and they picked the new Ram as the clear winner,” said Michael Marrs, TAWA president. “Our members said the truck performed well even in challenging weather conditions during the Hill Country floods this year. It was also noteworthy that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles swept all the overall awards at this year’s competition.”

After a morning of off-road driving on Monday, torrential rain and safety concerns forced the remainder of the event to move to on-road evaluations. Still, journalists said they enjoyed their brief time driving four-wheel-drive vehicles on slippery Texas hills and through deep mud — conditions that challenge even the best 4x4s and uncover strengths and weaknesses of off-road products.

"Being named the Texas Auto Writers Association's Truck of Texas is the highest honor in the world's largest pickup market," said Reid Bigland, Head of Ram Brand and U.S. Sales; Chairman, President and CEO, FCA Canada Inc. "The all-new 2019 Ram 1500 offers the best combination of class exclusive features, refinement capability and efficiency. Winning this award is a challenge, but the Ram 1500 is well suited to the hard-working needs of Texas truck buyers."

At the end of the event, journalists judged each of the vehicles in five criteria: Interior, Exterior, Performance, Value and Personal Appeal.

In addition to SMDI’s title sponsorship, other sponsors of the 2019 Texas Truck Rodeo included LINE-X Protective Coatings, Saddleback Leather Company, Katzkin Automotive Leather, the San Antonio Auto & Truck Show, DFW Auto Show, Houston Auto Show, AutomotiveTouchup and Wieck.

OVERALL AWARDS
TRUCK OF TEXAS
Winner: 2019 Ram 1500
Runner Up: 2018 Ram 2500 Power Wagon

SUV OF TEXAS
Winner: 2019 Maserati Levante GTS
Runner Up: 2018 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon

CUV OF TEXAS
Winner: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
Runner Up: 2019 Mazda CX-9

CATEGORY AWARDS
COMPACT CUV
Winner: 2019 Nissan Kicks SR
Runner Up: 2019 Mazda CX-3 Grand Touring AWD

MID-SIZE CUV
Winner: 2018 Nissan Murano Midnight Edition AWD
Runner Up: 2019 Honda Pilot Elite

FULL-SIZE CUV
Winner: 2019 Mazda CX-9 Signature AWD
Runner Up: 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL

LUXURY CUV
Winner: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
Runner Up: 2019 Lexus UX 250h F Sport

SUB-COMPACT SUV
Winner: 2018 Hyundai Kona Ultimate AWD
Runner Up: 2018 Fiat 500X Trekking AWD

COMPACT SUV
Winner: 2019 Toyota RAV4 Adventure
Runner Up: 2019 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk

MID-SIZE SUV
Winner: 2018 Jeep Wrangler Sahara
Runner Up: 2019 Toyota 4Runner Nightshade Limited

FULL-SIZE SUV
Winner: 2019 Dodge Durango SRT
Runner Up: 2019 Nissan Armada Platinum 4x4

COMPACT LUXURY SUV
Winner: 2019 Volvo XC40 R-Design
Runner Up: 2019 Acura RDX Advance

MID-SIZE LUXURY SUV
Winner: 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit
Runner Up: 2019 Lexus RX 350L

FULL-SIZE LUXURY SUV
Winner: 2019 Maserati Levante GTS
Runner Up: 2019 Infiniti QX80 Limited

OFF-ROAD UTILITY VEHICLE
Winner: 2018 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
Runner Up: 2019 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro

MID-SIZE PICKUP TRUCK
Winner: 2019 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro

FULL-SIZE PICKUP TRUCK
Winner: 2019 Ram 1500 Limited
Runner Up: 2019 Nissan Titan Crew Cab SL

HEAVY DUTY PICKUP TRUCK
Winner: 2018 Ram 2500 Power Wagon

LUXURY PICKUP TRUCK
Winner: 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
Runner Up: 2019 Nissan Titan Platinum Reserve

OFF-ROAD PICKUP TRUCK
Winner: 2019 Ram 1500 Rebel
Runner Up: 2019 Nissan Titan PRO-4X

COMMERCIAL VEHICLE
Winner: 2019 Nissan Titan XD Single Cab

FEATURE AWARDS
BEST TECHNOLOGY
Winner: UConnect 4C With 12-inch Screen
Runner Up: Infiniti Smart Rearview Mirror

BEST POWERTRAIN
Winner: Ram eTorque Mild Hybrid
Runner Up: Infiniti VC-Turbo

BEST CONNECTIVITY
Winner: Volvo Sensus

Bylaw Election Results

Derek Price — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 01:00:00 GMT

The following are the results from each TAWA bylaw proposal on the ballot at Truck Rodeo this year:

Proposed Bylaw Amendments

Article IV Board of Directors
Section 1 Composition

Summary: Eliminates the position of Past President as the ninth member of the Board of Directors. Empowers the President to have a tie-breaking vote.

Current Wording: The Board of Directors shall be composed of nine (9) elected members who are elected to a designated Officer position to one of six (6) designated Officer positions plus two (2) At-Large Directors. The immediate Past-President serves as the ninth member of the Board of Directors. If the organization has an Executive Director, this person will serve on the board as a non-voting member.

Proposed Wording: The Board of Directors shall be composed of eight (8) elected members who are elected to one of six (6) designated Officer positions plus two (2) At-Large Directors. The Board President does not have voting power except in cases of a tie. If the organization has an Executive Director, this person will serve on the board as a non-voting member.

RESULT: No, 31-15

Article IV Board of Directors
Section 3 Elections
Paragraph G

Summary: Under our current bylaws, elections are held every two years for the entire board. This proposal would create staggered terms so that four board members come up for election every single year. If this amendment passes, an election will be held for all board members at the 2019 Texas Truck Rodeo, according to the current bylaws, but four of those elected positions will be for one-year terms to create the staggered election schedule for the future. All elections will be for two-year terms thereafter.

Current Wording: Terms of all Board Members, Officers, Committee Chairs, and Committee Members will be based on a Calendar Year basis, running from January 1 to December 31 of the second year of the officer’s term.

Proposed Wording: Terms of all Board Members, Officers, Committee Chairs, and Committee Members will be based on a Calendar Year basis, running from January 1 to December 31 of the second year of the officer’s term. Elections will be held in odd years for the President, 1st VP, Secretary and one Director at Large; and even years for the 2nd VP, 3rd VP, Treasurer and the remaining Director at Large. An initial election with one-year terms for four positions will be allowed to facilitate the transition in 2019.

RESULT: Yes, 41-5

Article IV Board of Directors
Section 3 Elections
Paragraph G

Summary: This proposal creates a term limit for the President position, not allowing them to serve consecutive terms. Note that it does not stop past Presidents from serving at a later date.

Current Wording: Members will be limited to serving two (2) consecutive terms in any elected position on the Board of Directors.

Proposed Wording: The President may not serve in consecutive terms, and all other members will be limited to serving two (2) consecutive terms in any elected position on the Board of Directors.

RESULT: Yes, 41-5

Article IV Board of Directors
Section 5 Vacancies

Summary: This cleans up the wording about our current terms of office, which are two years, not one year.

Current Wording: Vacancies on the Board might occur as a result of a member being dropped, moving out of the State, or otherwise resigning prior to the fulfillment of their one year term of office.

Proposed Wording: Vacancies on the Board might occur as a result of a member being dropped, moving out of the State, or otherwise resigning prior to the fulfillment of their term of office.

RESULT: Yes, 42-4

Article V Officers
B. First Vice-President — Membership

Summary: Designates the First Vice-President as our President-Elect. If this passes, there will be an election for TAWA President in 2019, but there would not be an election for President in future years. The First Vice-President would automatically ascend into the President’s role when the term expires.

Current Wording: The First Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President in his or her absence.

Proposed Wording: The First Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President in his or her absence, as well as hold the position of President-Elect. At the end of the President's term, the First VP shall ascend to the position of President for one term.

RESULT: Yes, 31-15

19 Brands Taking Part in Texas Truck Rodeo

Derek Price — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 02:25:49 GMT

The countdown begins! There are only seven more days until the 2018 Texas Truck Rodeo that will be held on the 1,600 acres of the Longhorn River Ranch nestled in the rolling Texas Hill Country. There are 69 journalists registered to attend the two-day event with 19 automotive brands being represented with their latest in pickup trucks, SUVs and CUVs for our journalist members to evaluate. This includes first-time attendee Maserati and the return of Mitsubishi.

For over 20 years, the Texas Truck Rodeo has been a unique opportunity for the journalist members of the Texas Auto Writers Association to evaluate pickup trucks, SUVs and CUVs in a side-by-side comparison. We can literally drive one vehicle and immediately drive the competitors on the same roads to do a real-time comparison of fresh products, an opportunity found in very few places. This is an important aspect of the event as journalists continue to learn about the evolving automotive industry and develop stories for outlets that reach potential automotive consumers. Once the evaluations are completed and the votes from each journalist are accumulated, the Truck of Texas is crowned.

"In Texas, where almost 25 percent of trucks are sold and where many journalists are focused intensely on pickups, winning a head-to-head comparison is no small task. We have 19 brands represented this year, and while it is regrettable that General Motors and Ford have decided not to attend, the Texas Truck Rodeo will continue to provide our members with outstanding and unique opportunities to research important vehicles. We continue to have strong support from journalists this year, and there is a growing number of event sponsors that will be in attendance. While we look forward to General Motors and Ford rejoining the event again in the future, many of our participating manufacturers are bringing more vehicles this year for our members to drive," said Mike Marrs, President of TAWA.

Event credential pickup starts at noon Sunday, Oct. 14, with activities starting as early as 5 p.m. for the TAWA general membership meeting. Then it is "put the pedal to the metal" with a full schedule of activities for two days. Look for more information this week as we finalize plans, and by all means, safe travels to the Rodeo.

TAWA Bylaw Amendments Proposed

Derek Price — Sun, 07 Oct 2018 23:59:51 GMT

The following amendments to TAWA's bylaws will be on the ballot for journalists at the 2018 Texas Truck Rodeo:

Proposed Bylaw Amendments

Article IV Board of Directors
Section 1 Composition

Summary: Eliminates the position of Past President as the ninth member of the Board of Directors. Empowers the President to have a tie-breaking vote.

Current Wording: The Board of Directors shall be composed of nine (9) elected members who are elected to a designated Officer position to one of six (6) designated Officer positions plus two (2) At-Large Directors. The immediate Past-President serves as the ninth member of the Board of Directors. If the organization has an Executive Director, this person will serve on the board as a non-voting member.

Proposed Wording: The Board of Directors shall be composed of eight (8) elected members who are elected to one of six (6) designated Officer positions plus two (2) At-Large Directors. The Board President does not have voting power except in cases of a tie. If the organization has an Executive Director, this person will serve on the board as a non-voting member.

Board recommends a NO Vote

Article IV Board of Directors
Section 3 Elections
Paragraph G

Summary: Under our current bylaws, elections are held every two years for the entire board. This proposal would create staggered terms so that four board members come up for election every single year. If this amendment passes, an election will be held for all board members at the 2019 Texas Truck Rodeo, according to the current bylaws, but four of those elected positions will be for one-year terms to create the staggered election schedule for the future. All elections will be for two-year terms thereafter.

Current Wording: Terms of all Board Members, Officers, Committee Chairs, and Committee Members will be based on a Calendar Year basis, running from January 1 to December 31 of the second year of the officer’s term.

Proposed Wording: Terms of all Board Members, Officers, Committee Chairs, and Committee Members will be based on a Calendar Year basis, running from January 1 to December 31 of the second year of the officer’s term. Elections will be held in odd years for the President, 1st VP, Secretary and one Director at Large; and even years for the 2nd VP, 3rd VP, Treasurer and the remaining Director at Large. An initial election with one-year terms for four positions will be allowed to facilitate the transition in 2019.

Board recommends a YES Vote

Article IV Board of Directors
Section 3 Elections
Paragraph G

Summary: This proposal creates a term limit for the President position, not allowing them to serve consecutive terms. Note that it does not stop past Presidents from serving at a later date.

Current Wording: Members will be limited to serving two (2) consecutive terms in any elected position on the Board of Directors.

Proposed Wording: The President may not serve in consecutive terms, and all other members will be limited to serving two (2) consecutive terms in any elected position on the Board of Directors.

Board recommends a YES Vote

Article IV Board of Directors
Section 5 Vacancies

Summary: This cleans up the wording about our current terms of office, which are two years, not one year.

Current Wording: Vacancies on the Board might occur as a result of a member being dropped, moving out of the State, or otherwise resigning prior to the fulfillment of their one year term of office.

Proposed Wording: Vacancies on the Board might occur as a result of a member being dropped, moving out of the State, or otherwise resigning prior to the fulfillment of their term of office.

Board recommends a YES Vote

Article V Officers
B. First Vice-President — Membership

Summary: Designates the First Vice-President as our President-Elect. If this passes, there will be an election for TAWA President in 2019, but there would not be an election for President in future years. The First Vice-President would automatically ascend into the President’s role when the term expires.

Current Wording: The First Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President in his or her absence.

Proposed Wording: The First Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President in his or her absence, as well as hold the position of President-Elect. At the end of the President's term, the First VP shall ascend to the position of President for one term.

Board recommends a YES Vote

TAWA announces journalism contest winners

Derek Price — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 21:35:58 GMT

DALLAS — Automotive journalist David Boldt was named the overall winner in the 2018 Texas Truck Invitational writing competition Thursday at the State Fair of Texas.

The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA), which oversees the contest, announced the award winners Thursday during the media preview of the Texas Auto Show. Boldt won for a report published on txGarage.com about electric vehicles titled “Trucks aren't evil and EVs aren't salvation. Let us pray.”

Bill Owney won the Invitational’s newspaper division with a story about the newly redesigned Ram 1500 pickup.
In addition to the Invitational, a national contest open to all journalists who cover the truck industry, TAWA announced its Excellence in Craft Competition award winners at the event.

“We’re proud of all the great automotive journalism happening in Texas and beyond,” said Houston broadcaster Michael Marrs, TAWA’s president. “We’re glad we can recognize the high-quality, meaningful content being produced by our members and people who cover tucks and SUVs nationally — an important segment for many American families.”

Katzkin Automotive Leather has supported the contest for a second year, greatly adding to the Texas Truck Invitational writing competition with its contribution of a leather interior for the overall winner. “TAWA members strongly lobbied for the addition of a Video category, and it was added for the 2018 Excellence in Craft Competition,” said Tim Spell, who organized the contests for TAWA. “Participation in the new category was strong and the quality of the entries was high.”

"The credentials of the Video category entrants were at such a high level that a panel of three highly accredited judges were used,” Spell said. “Each have a strong visual arts background and offer different professional experiences in videography, graphic design and photography. Thanks to judges Stan Hulen, Chris Waits and Ivan Galvan for contributing their valuable time and expertise.”

Winners of the PR/Marketing Press Kit category – Ram Truck, Jeep and Mazda PR — were all standout entries.

Hulen said the first-place Ram 1500 Press Kit was “a one-two knockout combo of a dramatic, informative online microsite and a bold physical package of rugged Ram goodies makes this year’s winning entry memorable. Well-designed and well-executed, this press kit is dynamite.”

The new EICC Radio category judge, Jaime Florez, said the quality level of the entries was high. “I had a wonderful time listening to great pieces from very respectable journalists,” he said.

TEXAS TRUCK INVITATIONAL
NEWSPAPER WRITING
• 1st Place – David Boldt — txGarage.com — "Trucks aren't evil and EVs aren't salvation. Let us pray."
• 2nd Place – William Owney — Texarkana Gazette — "Sprinter van saves the day"
• 3rd Place – Kelly Taylor — Winnipeg Free Press — "Slimmed down and raring to go / New Expedition handles extremely well"

MAGAZINE WRITING
• 1st Place – William Owney – MotorcarsNow — "Ram closes gap with Ford as hybrid meets Hemi"
• 2nd Place – Derek Shiekhi — JK-Forum.com — "Wagonmaster Breathes New Life into Jeep Classics"
• 3rd Place – Natan Tazelaar — Texas Truck Tribe — "1960 USAF Ford F-250 Crew Cab - 3rd Generation Veteran”

OVERALL WINNER — David Boldt

TAWA EXCELLENCE IN CRAFT COMPETITION
WEB DESIGN
• 1st Place – Michael Garfield — iHeartVehicles.com — "Driven with An Opinion"
• 2nd Place – Michael Satterfield — Gentleman Racer — "12 High Performance Driving Schools & Experiences"
• 3rd Place – Sherri Tilley – TheFlashList.com — "5 Reasons Every Girl NEEDS a Rolls-Royce Ghost"
• SPECIAL RECOGNITION – James Nelson — InWheelTime.com — "After all these years, still taming the wild in 4Runner style!"

VIDEO
• 1st Place – Nathan Adlen, Tommy Mica, Andre Smirnov – "Cliffhanger 2.0 in Chevy ZR2, Ford Raptor, and Ram Power Wagon"
• 2nd Place – Michael Garfield — "Rolling in the 2018 Corolla"
• 3rd Place – Sherri Tilley — "Toyota Invests $170 Million at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Plant in Blue Springs, Mississippi"
• SPECIAL RECOGNITION – Greg Riley — "2017 Mazda 6 Grand Touring"
• SPECIAL RECOGNITION – Jesus Garcia — "2018 Ford Mustang GT Review Road Test"

PR/MARKETING PRESS KITS
• 1st Place – David Elshoff/Ram Truck, Ram 1500 Press Kit
• 2nd Place – Jeep, Jeep Wrangler Press Kit
• 3rd Place – Mazda PR, Mazda6 Press kit

RADIO
• 1st Place – Michael Herzing and Matt Perrault — Let’s Talk Wheels — "Mike Herzing's Automotive Tips"
• 2nd Place – Don Armstrong, Mike Marrs and Konrad DeLong — In Wheel Time — "Interview with Antron Brown, Professional Drag Racer"
• 3rd Place – Harold Gunn and Wayne Cronin — The Automotive Reporter — "Interview with Ford Motor Co. Historian Emeritus Bob Kreipke"

NEWSPAPER WRITING
• 1st Place – David Boldt — txGarage.com — "Hyundai Introduces the New Kona — Lucky You"
• 2nd Place – William Owney — Texarkana Gazette — "Sprinter van saves the day"
• 3rd Place – Michael Garfield — Houston Chronicle — "Toyota RAV4 Shows Why It Was Top-Selling Passenger Vehicle Last Year"

MAGAZINE WRITING
• 1st Place – Natan Tazelaar — Motor Car Journal — “Peugeot 907 Concept - French Super Model”
• 2nd Place – Derek Shiekhi – JK-Forum.com — "Wagonmaster Breathes New Life into Jeep Classics"
• 3rd Place – Tabatha Chovanetz — Focus Magazine/The Motor Mistress — "Mazda in Marfa"
• SPECIAL RECOGNITION — Nick Smirnis — Building Savvy Magazine — "Polaris Slingshot-A Toy with Attitude"

PHOTOGRAPHY
• SPECIAL RECOGNITION — Joe Sage — Arizona Driver Magazine — VW Golf GTI White Silver

JUDGE BIOGRAPHIES
Stan Hulen: Web Design, PR Press Kits and Video

Stan is an award-winning Dallas designer with more than 35 years of experience. Starting his career with a journalism degree from University of Missouri, he worked as Art Director for both the Dallas Morning News and Dallas Times Herald until he started his own design firm 25 years ago. Since then, he has served a variety of clients including the State Fair of Texas, Baylor Scott & White Healthcare, Texas Instruments, SMU, Southwest Airlines, and the cities of Frisco and Plano, Texas.
An avid automotive-design buff, Stan said he’s devoured every car magazine he could get his hands on for the past 50 years.

Christian Alan Waits - M.Photog. Cr (Master Craftsman Degree): Video and Photography

Christian has been a photographer for 45+ Years.

Degrees: Commercial Photography Degree from East Texas State University, with High Honors, Master of Photography, Professional Photographers of America 1992, Craftsman Photographer, Professional Photographers of America 1993, Past President Dallas Professional Photographers Association 1993, Christian holds the degree of Master Craftsman Photographer in Professional Photographers of America. Awards, professional organizations: Christian is a videographer for Dallas summers musicals and has a website where he does video interviews of musical cast. He also does special-effects videos and B-roll for musicals to go with appearances on WFAA TV.

He has been awarded the Kodak Gallery Award for Photographic Excellence, SWPA Best Commercial, SWPA Special Award Best Commercial Product, TPPA Best Overall Commercial, TPPA Best Product, Dallas PPA Best Commercial, Loan Collection Photograph and numerous first-place Distinguished Print Awards and Merits. Christian has lectured at many photography guilds and conventions throughout New Mexico, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. He is Past President Dallas Professional Photographers Association and Charter Fellowship Dallas PPA. Christian is currently the Dallas Summer Musicals photographer.

Ivan Galvan: Video
Ivan is CEO/Founder and Creative Director of DINOR Professional Corp. He’s responsible for the company’s growth, and is hands-on in the design of company’s website, graphic design and video production to promote the company’s products.

Ivan is past graphics design director for the Houston Chronicle’s regular and special automotive sections, as well as Mixed Metal tuner magazine.

His awards include 2006 International Automotive Media Association “Best of Graphics” honor, 2008 46th Houston Advertising Federation Gold ADDY Award and 2009 47th Houston Advertising Federation Gold ADDY Award.

Jaime Florez: Radio
Jaime is in charge of organizing all events attended by Governor Rick Scott in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe, Florida counties, and responsible for all logistics details. He also serves as a translator for Gov. Scott during interviews with Spanish media outlets.

Jaime is director and host of Ruedas ESPN, a two-hour national radio show aired every Sunday on ESPN Deportes Radio (38+ station affiliates throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico) and XM/Sirius satellite radio, Channel 157.

He is former Manager of Public Relations, Communications and Marketing for the North-American office of Apex-Brasil, the Brazilian government’s Trade and Investment Promotion Agency. His duties included spearheading the IZOD IndyCar Series trade and energy partnership. Jaime also was Publisher, Editorial Director and founder of a network of magazines in Spanish that circulated 650K copies, inserted within the eight largest newspapers.

Steven Cole Smith: Newspaper and Magazine Writing/Texas Truck Invitational

Steven holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and was a TAWA founding member. He’s formerly the executive editor of Car and Driver and AMI Auto World magazines, and he wrote a weekly column for the New York Times Syndicate for seven years.

He has worked for newspapers in Louisiana, Texas and Florida, and has had bylined stories in hundreds of publications ranging from The Times of London to Forbes magazine to the Financial Times.

He has held NHRA Pro Comp, IMSA, NARRA and SCCA Pro racing licenses. Steven also was the executive producer of Car and Driver Television, and hosted a nationally syndicated motorsports radio program, as well as two weekly local automotive radio shows in Florida.

2018 TEXAS AUTO ROUNDUP RESULTS

Marc Newman — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 21:18:29 GMT

DECATUR, Texas — Lexus and Chrysler won the top two awards at the 2018 Texas Auto Roundup on April 16-17, presented by the Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI). After 49 members of the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) evaluated 46 vehicles, the 2018 Lexus LC 500 was crowned the overall Car of Texas. In addition, the 2018 Chrysler Pacifica took home the event’s other top award, the Family Car of Texas.

TAWA members, who cover the automotive industry for print, online and broadcast outlets across the United States, voted on the top vehicles after spending two days comparing them at Eagles Canyon Raceway in Decatur, Texas. They took the vehicles on a series of exercises on the 2.5-mile racetrack, pushing performance cars and taking other vehicles on slalom, acceleration and braking tests. They also learned about the new vehicles’ features and changes from manufacturer representatives.

“Our journalists had a clear decision after driving vehicles at a new venue this year,” said Michael Marrs, TAWA’s president. “They thought the new Lexus LC stood out among the competitors for its eye-catching looks and refined but muscular performance on the track.” In addition to SMDI’s title sponsorship, the 2018 event also was supported by the Polaris Slingshot and Wieck Media.

Other category award winners from the 2018 Texas Auto Roundup include:

ACTIVITY VEHICLE

Winner: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Runner-Up: 2018 Jeep Wrangler

COMPACT CAR

Winner: 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback
Runner-Up: 2018 Volkswagen Golf R

MID-SIZE CAR

Winner: 2018 Toyota Camry
Runner-Up: 2018 Volkswagen Passat

FULL-SIZE CAR

Winner: 2019 Toyota Avalon
Runner-Up: 2018 Honda Accord

FULL-SIZE LUXURY CAR

Winner: 2018 Lexus LS 500
Runner-Up: 2019 Infiniti QX50

GREEN VEHICLE

Winner: 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
Runner-Up: 2018 Honda Clarity

MINIVAN

Winner: 2018 Chrysler Pacifica

PERFORMANCE COMPACT

Winner: 2018 Honda Civic Type R
Runner-Up: 2018 Mazda MX-5 Miata

PERFORMANCE COUPE

Winner: 2018 Lexus LC 500
Runner-Up: 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody

PERFORMANCE SEDAN

Winner: 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio
Runner-Up: 2018 Kia Stinger

PERFORMANCE UTILITY

Winner: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
Runner-Up: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT

SUPERCAR

Winner: 2018 Mercedes-Benz GT R
Runner-Up: 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

BEST TECHNOLOGY

Winner: World’s First Production-Ready Variable Compression Ratio Engine, 2019 Infiniti QX50

BEST NEW INTERIOR

Winner: 2019 Toyota Avalon Touring

Contacts

TAWA
Derek Price, 256-275-4333
VP - Communications
derek.price@texasautowriters.org
https://texasautowriters.org/

TAWA ANNOUNCES 2017 TEXAS TRUCK RODEO WINNERS

(Past member) — Thu, 19 Oct 2017 14:31:01 GMT

TAWA ANNOUNCES 2017 TEXAS TRUCK RODEO WINNERS

Austin, TX – Oct. 17, 2017 –The 2018 Ford F150 was named the 2018 Truck of Texas by The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) following the Texas Truck Rodeo in Dripping Springs, Texas, where 75 journalists evaluated and voted on the best in class vehicles in 21 categories.

Sixty-four vehicles, with a combined value of nearly $4 million were test driven and compared over a two-day period at Longhorn River Ranch just outside of Austin.

"With the new 2018 F-150, we're honored to earn back-to-back Truck of Texas awards for F-Series, a recognition that speaks to the truck team's dedication to our hard-working customers," said Raj Nair, executive vice president and president of North America. "That's especially true here in Texas - truck capital of the world.”

Officers of the TAWA board and the Ford Truck Team celebrate the 2018 Ford F-150 Truck of Texas Award

Photo by Kevin McCauley / capturingthemachine.com

The 2018 Volvo XC60 was named the SUV of Texas and the 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Ti Sport was named the CUV of Texas.

The TAWA Truck Rodeo, presented by Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), was held in the scenic Texas Hill Country as vehicles were tested both on local streets and on off-road courses. TAWA members were able to get a full experience of the vehicles driving on rough terrain, climbing rocks, crossing creeks and dodging exotic wildlife.

Engineers from the competing manufacturers were on hand to answer questions from journalists about the vehicles and to aid in the evaluation process. Vehicles are measured on their interior, exterior, value, performance and personal appeal.

“The competition was incredibly fierce at this year’s Texas Truck Rodeo,” TAWA President Nic Phillips said. “More than 70 member journalists put in more 300 hours of driving time evaluating the vehicles presented. The results in several categories are separated by the narrowest of margins, just tenths, and hundredths of a point, confirming just how competitive the trucks and utility vehicles are today,” Phillips said. “Ford’s 2018 F-150 Pickup, boosted by its extreme performance 2018 Raptor model along with updated EcoBoost engines and 10-speed transmissions, convinced our journalists to bestow the trophy,” he said. “Nissan was the most overall awarded brand with five category wins, Mazda swept non-luxury CUVs, and Alfa Romeo’s all-new Stelvio Ti Sport took CUV of Texas.”

The 24th TAWA Truck of Texas trophy is placed upon this year's winner, the new 2018 Ford F-150

Photo by Kevin McCauley / capturingthemachine.com

The 2018 award categories and winning vehicles were:

Truck of Texas: 2018 Ford F150
SUV of Texas: 2018 Volvo XC60
CUV of Texas: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Ti Sport

Heavy duty pickup truck: 2018 Ram 2500 Limited Tungsten
Best commercial vehicle: 2018 Nissan Titan King Cab SV
Luxury pickup truck: 2018 Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn Southfork
Off-road pickup: 2017 Ford F150 Raptor
Full-size pickup: 2018 Nissan Titan Midnight Edition
Midsize pickup: 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro
Best technology: Nissan Pro Pilot
Best connectivity: Volvo XC60
Best powertrain: Volvo XC60
Off-road utility vehicle: 2017 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Recon
Sub-Compact SUV: 2017 Jeep Renegade Desert Hawk
Compact SUV: 2018 Nissan Rogue Platinum
Mid-size Luxury SUV: 2018 Volvo XC60
Compact Luxury SUV: 2018 Infiniti QX30 Premium AWD
Full-size SUV: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT
Mid-size SUV: 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk
Compact SUV: 2018 Nissan Rogue Platinum
Full-size CUV: 2018 Mazda CX9 Grand Touring AWD
Mid-size CUV: 2017 Mazda CX5 Grand Touring GT
Compact CUV: 2018 Mazda CX3 Grand Touring FWD
Luxury CUV: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Ti Sport

*Additional event images can be found here. All images are for editorial use only and should be credited to Kevin McCauley. For commercial use, please contact Kevin McCauley / capturingthemachine.com.

The Texas Auto Writers Association, Inc. was founded in 1985 by automotive journalists who wanted to provide an avenue for professional growth, development, and networking. These professionals sought to create an automotive event that was unique to Texas, and the result was the TAWA Truck Rodeo. Since 1992, Truck Rodeos have been held in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Granbury and Spring Branch, and now Dripping Springs.

In 2003, TAWA created an event for sedans, sports cars, and other vehicles not eligible for the Truck Rodeo. The Texas Auto Roundup, as the event is called today, has been held annually at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. For more information, visit www.texasautowriters.org.

CONTACT: Fabian Campos

fabian.campos@texasautowriters.org

214.674.8987

Texas Auto Writers Association Recognizes 2017 Excellence in Craft Competition Winners

(Past member) — Sun, 01 Oct 2017 20:15:37 GMT

Texas Auto Writers Association Recognizes 2017 Excellence in Craft Competition Winners

Dallas, TX - September 28, 2017

The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) gathered for the annual Excellence in Craft Competition. More than 100 entries were received across six different categories. This year’s competition included two new features - the inaugural Texas Truck Invitational, sponsored by Katzkin Automotive Leather, and a new PR Press Kits category for manufacturers.

In the same spirit as TAWA’s signature Texas Truck Rodeo event, the new Texas Truck Invitational writing competition punctuates the importance of the state’s nationally prominent truck market. It gives TAWA members an opportunity to gauge the caliber of their work in comparison to non-member truck writers across North America. TAWA Texas Truck Invitational entrants compete in Magazine and Newspaper writing categories. An overall winner is chosen from the two categories based on the highest score.

The new PR Press Kit category had strong Manufacturer member participation with the submissions of informative, easy-to-navigate press kits. Entries also were creative, grabbing attention with bold and vivid graphics, engaging videos and photos suited for high-quality production.

This year, EICC was judged on a point system, so it could be seen in detail how an entry was scored. There were high-scoring entries that didn’t place, but came close in crowded, highly competitive categories. This situation led to a couple of tied scores and the decision to give Special Recognition awards.

TAWA thanks Katzkin Automotive Leather for its support of the Texas Truck Invitational writing category, providing a $2,000 Katzkin leather interior as the grand prize. This significantly contributed to the success of the Excellence in Craft Competition’s new endeavor.

The 2017 Excellence in Craft Competition marks the first year of an all-digital entry and judging process. This new approach worked remarkably well and significantly increased the competition’s overall efficiency.

The Excellence in Craft Competition has grown considerably for 2017. Two new categories have been added and the number of awards presented more than doubles last year’s effort.

2017 EICC WINNERS

TEXAS TRUCK INVITATIONAL WINNERS

OVERALL WINNER

(Katzkin Automotive Leather recipient)

Sue Mead - Automobile Magazine

“The desert hills life: Rod Hall -- 24-time Baja 1000 winner”

TTI MAGAZINE WRITING

FIRST PLACE - MAGAZINE WRITING

Sue Mead - Automobile Magazine

“The desert hills life: Rod Hall -- 24-time Baja 1000 winner”

Judge’s comment: “Just floor it and head southeast. I can smell the dust on this one. Great job.”

SECOND PLACE - MAGAZINE WRITING

Gregory R. Whale - Autoblog.com

“Power Wagon train: Exploring the Mojave Road”

Judge’s comment: “Greg puts me right in the Power Wagon on the Mojave Road and explains the truck's product features in plain English.”

THIRD PLACE - MAGAZINE WRITING

Dave Boldt - Autoblog.com

“The super-sized Atlas isn't the three-row VW should build”

Judge’s comment: “You can't fault VW for giving buyers what they think they want, but David makes a convincing point that VW is losing its brand focus established over a half century and will be difficult to win back.”

SPECIAL RECOGNITION - MAGAZINE WRITING

Tim Esterdahl - Truck Trend Magazine

“Million-mile Tundra: The teardown”

TTI NEWSPAPER WRITING

FIRST PLACE - NEWSPAPER WRITING

Bill Owney - Texarkana Gazette

“Ford Raptor: New truck less bird of prey, more ball of energy”

Judge’s comment: “Informative. Engaging. Well done.”

SECOND PLACE - NEWSPAPER WRITING

Kelly Taylor - Winnipeg Free Press Autos

“Discovery most capable vehicle in Land Rover’s lineup”

Judge’s comment: “Good detail”

THIRD - NEWSPAPER WRITING

Derek Price - Green Shoot Media

“Pumped to the Duramax”

SPECIAL RECOGNITION - NEWSPAPER WRITING

Marlon Hanson - Focus Daily News

“2017 Ford Raptor tackles Barnhill Mountain with ease”

EXCELLENCE IN CRAFT COMPETITION

TAWA MEMBERS-ONLY CATEGORIES (NOTE: There were 2 ties in the Magazine category *)

MAGAZINE WRITING

*FIRST PLACE - MAGAZINE WRITING

Frank Ledwell - OutdoorX4 Magazine

“Above and beyond – Land Rover’s new Discovery”

Judge’s comment: “A bell-ringer! This is one of the best new product drive reviews I've read in quite a while.”

*FIRST PLACE - MAGAZINE WRITING

Stan Wright - OutdoorX4 Magazine

Judge’s comment: “Clearly, this story is in a whole other league as to subject matter, making mere drive reviews somehow seem inconsequential. BTW, photos are outstanding, too.”

SECOND PLACE - MAGAZINE WRITING

Sue Mead - Truck Trend Magazine

“2017 Land Rover Discovery -- rugged elegance”

THIRD PLACE - MAGAZINE WRITING

Gregory R. Whale - Turbo Diesel Register

“Corporate Average Fuel Economy and you”

*SPECIAL RECOGNITION - MAGAZINE WRITING

Mark McNabb - TopSpeed.com

“2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro – Driven”

*SPECIAL RECOGNITION - MAGAZINE WRITING

Jeff Yip - AutoWeek

“What is right? So many tire options available”

NEWSPAPER WRITING

FIRST PLACE - NEWSPAPER WRITING

Sue Mead - Cool Hunting.com

“Bollinger Motors’ B1 Electric Sport Utility Truck”

Judge’s comment: “Nice depth on a unique vehicle”

SECOND PLACE - NEWSPAPER WRITING

David Boldt - Katy Trail Weekly

“Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio: In love with the shape of you”

THIRD PLACE - NEWSPAPER WRITING

Derek Price - Green Shoot Media

“FIAT 500 woos buyers with styling, price drop”

SPECIAL RECOGNITION - NEWSPAPER WRITING

Bill Owney - Texarkana Gazette

“Cruising in comfort: Boring can be a great thing in Volvo’s S90”

RADIO

FIRST PLACE - RADIO

In Wheel Time

“James Espey, VP DeLorean Motor Company interview”

Judge’s comment: “DeLorean exec: Well-told, seldom-heard perspective.”

SECOND PLACE - RADIO

Harold Gunn & Wayne Cronin - The Automotive Reporter

“Ford Motor Co. historian, Bob Kreipke”

THIRD PLACE - RADIO

Michael Garfield - Representing The High-Tech Texan/iHeartVehicles

For his “High Tech Auto Report – Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat”

SPECIAL RECOGNITION — RADIO

Meggan Bailey - Skidmarks Show

“Skidmarks Show -- Episode 30”

PR PRESS KITS

FIRST PLACE - PR PRESS KITS

FCA Communications

Dodge Challenger Demon press kit

Judge’s comment: “Vivid graphics and video, a great magazine-like design. The site is clean and easy to read while being appropriately bold for the subject matter. Even the manufacturer-rep interview was compelling. All in all, the best package I saw.

SECOND PLACE - PR PRESS KITS

Brad Nelson - Honda Public Relations

2018 Honda Odyssey press kit

THIRD PLACE - PR PRESS KITS

Dan Passe - Nissan

“Nissan Vmotion 2.0 concept makes world debut at North American International Auto Show”

SPECIAL RECOGNITION – PR PRESS KITS

Mazda Public Relations

“2017 Mazda CX-5 press kit”

WEB DESIGN

FIRST PLACE - WEB DESIGN

Greg Riley & Reagan Wyka - GearboxTV.com

“1957 Ford Skyliner”

Judge’s comment: “We ride shotgun along with Greg in a '57 Ford Skyliner. Classic, understated web design in a wider format showcases the vivid photography well.... you feel as if you're a fellow car buddy along on the test drive.”

SECOND PLACE - WEB DESIGN

OutdoorX4 Magazine

“Adventure riding and the venerable KLR”

THIRD PLACE - WEB DESIGN

Sherri Tilley - TheFlashList.com Travel & Entertainment Guide

“Riding like a rock star in the new 2017 Lincoln Continental

SPECIAL RECOGNITION – WEB DESIGN

Michael Garfield

iHeartVehicles.com – “Driven . . . with an opinion”

PHOTOGRAPHY

FIRST PLACE - PHOTOGRAPHY

Kristin Barclay - In Deep H20

"The Ram life”

Judge’s comment about this Ram pickup shot: “I like the angle – it draws attention to the truck. It also helps with the lighting and reflections on the truck.”

SECOND PLACE -- PHOTOGRAPHY

Frank Ledwell - OutdoorX4 Magazine

“Colorado's front range”

THIRD PLACE -- PHOTOGRAPHY

Jeff Yip - AutoWeek

“Blue BMW”

SPECIAL RECOGNITION – PHOTOGRAPHY

Marlon Hanson - Focus Daily News

“The new Camry”

All winner photos can be found HERE.

A special thanks goes out to James "Spoony" McClain with Major League Photography for photos of all of our winners.

JUDGE BIOS

Stan Hulen: Judge for Web Design and PR Press Kits:

Stan Hulen is an award-winning Dallas designer with more than 35 years of experience. Starting his career with a journalism degree from University of Missouri, he worked as Art Director for both the Dallas Morning News and Dallas Times Herald until he started his own design firm 25 years ago. Since then, he has served a variety of clients including the State Fair of Texas, Baylor Scott & White Healthcare, Texas Instruments, SMU, Southwest Airlines, and the cities of Frisco and Plano, Texas. An avid automotive-design buff, Stan said he’s devoured every car magazine he could get his hands on for the past 50 years.

Christian Alan Waits - M.Photog. Cr ( Master Craftsman Degree): Photography judge

Christian has been a photographer for 45+ Years.

Degrees: Commercial Photography Degree from East Texas State University, with High Honors, Master of Photography, Professional Photographers of America 1992, Craftsman Photographer, Professional Photographers of America 1993, Past President Dallas Professional Photographers Association 1993, Christian holds the degree of Master Craftsman Photographer in Professional Photographers of America. Awards, professional organizations:

Ron Sessions and Steven Cole Smith:

Newspaper and Magazine Writing/Texas Truck Invitational.

Ron also judged Photography and Steven was a Radio judge

Ron Sessions:

Ron’s career has spanned 40+ years. He’s been a staff editor at Road & Track, Motor Trend and Car and Driver, worked behind the scenes as a vehicle analyst at General Motors, created two auto enthusiast magazine titles (including the award-winning Open Road), and he’s written five automotive books. He created the award-winning magazineExotic Cars Quarterly and penned a coffee-table book on the Nissan 350Z. In addition to his work for BeCarChic.com, Ron is a contributing editor for Car and Driver, Caranddriver.com, Autotrader.com, AutoWeb.com, the New York Daily News and others.

Ron also was a photography judge. He has had thousands of his images published in magazines, books and online.

Steven Cole Smith:

Steven holds a bachelors degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and was a TAWA founding member. He’s formerly the executive editor of Car and Driver and AMI Auto World magazines, and he wrote a weekly column for the New York Times Syndicate for seven years. He has worked for newspapers in Louisiana, Texas and Florida, and has had bylined stories in hundreds of publications ranging from The Times of London to Forbes magazine to the Financial Times. He has held NHRA Pro Comp, IMSA, NARRA and SCCA Pro racing licenses. Steven also was the Radio category judge -- he was the executive producer of Car and Driver Television, and hosted a nationally syndicated motorsports radio program, as well as two weekly local automotive radio shows in Florida.

About TAWA

Texas Auto Writers Association is a nonprofit organization that has promoted professionalism and quality reporting in automotive journalism for more than two decades. TAWA produces two annual events that have gained national traction; the Texas Truck Rodeo at the Long Horn River Ranch in the Texas Hill Country and the Texas Auto Roundup at Texas Motor Speedway. Each year, TAWA awards scholarships to Texas College and university students majoring in journalism. The group’s annual Excellence in Craft Competition recognizes its members’ exceptional coverage of the automotive industry.

Texas Auto Writers Association Chooses the 2017 Performance Car of Texas, Family Car of Texas and Car of Texas

(Past member) — Mon, 08 May 2017 21:51:51 GMT

AUSTIN, Texas, May 8, 2017

The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) gathered for the annual Texas Auto Roundup, presented by the Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), to drive and evaluate 42 vehicles within 11 categories at the Circuit of the Americas May 5-8. Fifty-two journalists evaluated vehicles on the Formula 1 racetrack and chose the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio as the Car of Texas.

2017 TAWA Texas Auto Roundup - Car of Texas - 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio - Photo courtesy of Marshall Tidrick Photo

In addition, the group named the 2017 Mercedes-AMG GT S as the Performance Car of Texas and the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Platinum as the Family Car of Texas.

2017 TAWA Texas Auto Roundup - Performance Car of Texas - 2017 Mercedes-AMG GT S - Photo courtesy of Marshall Tidrick Photo

2017 TAWA Texas Auto Roundup - Family Car of Texas - 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid - Photo courtesy of Marshall Tidrick Photo

Journalists came from across the country and from around the world, including the Netherlands, to evaluate vehicles at the Roundup. The beautiful weather over the Circuit of the Americas allowed them to drive through a variety of exercises, including tight turns, a 0-60 mph test, and a slalom course.

TAWA president Nic Phillips said, “This is a pivotal year for the Texas Auto Writers Association, moving our on-road focused event to Austin’s Circuit of the Americas, home of the Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix and immediately following the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship: Advance Auto Parts Sportscar Showdown. The vision of the event was to create an opportunity for our members to learn about the latest advances in technologies derived through racing and then experience their application in the latest street cars.”

Phillips added, “The manufacturers provided us with an incredible stable of the latest family, luxury, and performance vehicles to evaluate, and our journalists racked up more than 1,100 individual drives for more than 130 cumulative hours behind the wheel.”

Winning the Compact Car category was the 2017 Mazda3 5-Door Grand Touring, with the 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback coming in as the runner-up.

The Minivan category was won by the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Platinum, with the 2017 Toyota Sienna Limited AWD runner-up. Activity Vehicle was the 2017 Jeep Compass Latitude/Trailhawk, with the 2017 Mazda CX-5 runner-up.

In the Full-Size Luxury Car category, the 2017 Volvo S90 Inscription was the winner with the 2017 Chrysler 300 runner-up.

The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Platinum came in first in the Green Vehicle category. The 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid was the runner-up.

Performance Compact winner was the 2017 Mazda MX-5 Miata RF, with the 2017 Toyota 86 860 Special Edition runner-up. The top Performance Coupe was the 2018 Lexus LC 500h with the 2017 Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400 runner-up. Performance Sedan winner was the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, with the 2017 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat runner-up.

Winning in Performance Utility was the 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT. The 2017 Infiniti QX30 Premium AWD was runner-up.

The 2017 Mercedes-AMG GT S won the Supercar category, with the 2017 Nissan GTR Premium as runner-up.

In the Best Feature competition, the hybrid powertrain of the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid was the winner. The Toyota Safety Sense system was runner-up.

The award for the Best New Interior went to the 2017 Volvo S90 Inscription.

Circuit of the Americas - Austin, TX: site of the 2017 TAWA Texas Auto Roundup - Photo courtesy of Marshall Tidrick Photo

TAWA is one of the most reputable automotive press organizations in the industry, with a mission to promote quality and accuracy in automotive journalism and disseminate information about the industry through news-related print, online and broadcast media. TAWA produces two driving events each year—the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall. Media members enjoy driving and evaluating new vehicles competing for the coveted Car of Texas or Truck of Texas trophies. For more information, please visit www.texasautowriters.org.

For Multimedia: click here

Media contact: Fabian Campos, 214.674.8987, fabian.campos@texasautowriters.org

SOURCE Texas Auto Writers Association

STEEL INDUSTRY CHAMPION IS TITLE SPONSOR OF TEXAS AUTO WRITERS ASSOCIATION TEXAS AUTO ROUNDUP AND TEXAS TRUCK RODEO

(Past member) — Thu, 04 May 2017 04:52:01 GMT

STEEL INDUSTRY CHAMPION IS TITLE SPONSOR OF TEXAS AUTO WRITERS ASSOCIATION TEXAS AUTO ROUNDUP AND TEXAS TRUCK RODEO

AUSTIN, Texas, May 3, 2017 –The Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), a business unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute, is now in the fourth year of support of Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) and will double its presence in Texas as the title sponsor of the 2017 TAWA Auto Roundup and the Texas Truck Rodeo.

"We are thankful for SMDI’s continued support and increased commitment to our organization and look forward to welcoming them at the Roundup. With strong partnerships with organizations like SMDI, we are better able to serve our members with enhanced programs and more educational sessions during our events."

Nic Phillips, TAWA president

“Texas is a huge market for trucks, SUVs and passenger vehicles and there’s no better venue than the TAWA events to demonstrate how advanced high-strength steels are accelerating innovation in the automotive industry by providing unmatched performance, value and sustainability for both OEMs and consumers,” said Jody Hall, vice president of the automotive market for SMDI. “The competition at both the Roundup and the Rodeo are some of the best opportunities in the country to showcase all steel has to offer.”

The annual Texas Auto Roundup will be held May 6 – 8 in Austin at the Circuit of The Americas, the first purpose-built Formula 1™ racing facility in the United States. This is the first time the event will be held at this iconic racing venue. During the Roundup, journalists will be able to spend a full day on the track to evaluate the latest vehicles in categories ranging from luxury, performance, utility and green.

For the fourth year in a row, SMDI will also return as title sponsor of the 2017 Texas Truck Rodeo, an annual event bringing journalists from throughout Texas and the U.S. to evaluate the nation’s top trucks and SUVs. Writers recognize excellence in several categories, including selecting the year’s coveted “Truck of Texas.” The Texas Truck Rodeo will be held Oct. 15 – 17 at the Longhorn River Ranch in Dripping Springs, Texas.

For more than two decades, TAWA has promoted professionalism and quality in automotive journalism. TAWA produces two annual events that have gained national traction: the Texas Truck Rodeo and the Texas Auto Roundup at Texas Motor Speedway. Both events give TAWA’s journalists the opportunity to evaluate vehicles back-to-back on the street, track or off-road. Manufacturers and dealerships promote the award winners and the “Truck of Texas” is touted in national television commercials, including appearing in previous Super Bowl commercials.

TAWA awards scholarships to Texas college and university students with a journalism major each year. The nonprofit’s annual Excellence in Craft Competition also recognizes exceptional coverage of the automotive industry by its members annually.

AISI serves as the voice of the North American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI also plays a lead role in the development and application of new steels and steelmaking technology. AISI is comprised of 19 member companies, including integrated and electric furnace steelmakers, and approximately 125 associate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry.

SMDI increases and defends the use of steel by developing innovative materials, applications and value-added solutions for customers in the automotive, construction and packaging markets. SMDI automotive investors include: AK Steel Corporation, ArcelorMittal and Nucor Corporation. For more information on SMDI, visit www.autosteel.org or follow @DriveUsingSteel on Twitter.

Media contacts:

Deanna Lorincz

586.634.1766 / dlorincz@steel.org

Ann Marie Fortunate

586.214.1731 / fortunate@franco.com

Fabian Campos

214.674.8987 / fabian.campos@texasautowriters.org

Texas Auto Writers Association Partners with the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association

(Past member) — Sat, 15 Apr 2017 14:37:33 GMT

TAWA Director at Large, Derek Shiekhi presents two (2) Harold Gunn Scholarship for Journalism checks of $1,000 each to Megan Rodriguez from Texas A&M University and Marangeli Lopez-Santiago from University of Texas at Arlington.

Texas Auto Writers Association Partners with the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association to Help College Students

To help make a difference in the lives of tomorrow's journalists, the Texas Auto Writers Association recently awarded $2,000 in scholarships at the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association's 2017 convention in Dallas.

The Texas Auto Writers Association started in 1987 as an organization in which automotive journalists could network with each other and automobile manufacturers. Through those connections and various driving events, TAWA members have been able to share news about vehicles and developments within the automotive industry with their readers. Under the leadership of Texas Radio Hall of Fame broadcaster and prolific automotive journalist Harold Gunn, TAWA established a scholarship fund (now known as the Harold Gunn Scholarship for Journalism) that could benefit college journalists. Over the years, automobile manufacturers and TAWA members have contributed to the scholarship fund which has helped ease the financial burden of higher education for students in Texas.

This year, to broaden its reach to students in all parts of the state, TAWA has partnered with the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association, one of the largest collegiate groups in the country. According to Fred Stewart, executive director of TIPA and a professor of journalism at Texas A&M University - Commerce, TIPA has more than 70 member schools.

TAWA board member Derek Shiekhi attended the 2017 TIPA awards breakfast and scholarship presentation at the Crowne Plaza Dallas Downtown on Saturday, April 1 to award a $1,000 scholarship to a pair of journalism students. In front of more than 500 faculty members, advisors, and students from 45 Texas colleges, universities, and community colleges, Megan Rodriguez from Texas A&M University - College Station and Marangeli Lopez-Santiago from University of Texas at Arlington accepted their scholarships.

To learn more about the Texas Auto Writers Association and find out how to join the organization, visit TexasAutoWriters.org.

The 2017 TIPA awards breakfast and scholarship presentation at the Crowne Plaza Dallas Downtown.

The New York Times: "Rodeo Offers a 90-M.P.H. Glimpse of Texans’ Truck Mania"

Sat, 31 Dec 2016 14:00:00 GMT

Fred Diaz, Division Vice President and General Manager, North America Trucks and Light Commercial Vehicles, Nissan North America, explains Texas Titian features to The New York Times' reporter Manny Fernandez at the 2016 TAWA Texas Truck Rodeo, photo courtesy Nic Phillips

The New York Times' Manny Fernandez joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) for the full two days of the 2016 Texas Truck Rodeo, ultimately gaining "a new appreciation for the word truck-a-thon" which he shared readers in national print and digital coverage running New Years Eve, December 31, 2016.

Fernandez, having never so much as driven a truck let alone a vast competitive field of them, featured his conversations with Fred Diaz, Division Vice President and General Manager, North America Trucks and Light Commercial Vehicles, Nissan North America, Inc., long-standing TAWA members Tim Spell, 2011 Dakar Rally winner Sue Mead and his high-speed troublemaking with Seth Goslawski, Performance Powertrain PMT in the Ford Motor Company 2017 F150 Raptor.

Read the Article: Rodeo Offers a 90-M.P.H. Glimpse of Texans’ Truck Mania

"The Oscars for pickup trucks" version of this article appears in print on December 31, 2016, on Page A12 of the New York edition with the headline: A 90-M.P.H. Glimpse of Texan ‘Truck-Itis’.

Images of The New York Times National Print Edition

Houston, December 31, 2016

San Francisco, December 31, 2016

2017 Mid-size Truck of Texas Award Presented to Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas

Tue, 29 Nov 2016 22:31:33 GMT

Each fall, the Texas Auto Writers Association’s (TAWA) annual Texas Truck Rodeo attracts more than 70 automotive journalists from across the United States for a two-day evaluation of the industry’s best trucks, SUVs and CUVs in 17 different categories.

This year's Rodeo provided an opportunity for Toyota to showcase the all-new 2016 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro and allow journalists the first opportunity to drive it anywhere. After thousands of drives and what accumulated to more than 15 days behind the wheel, the truck was awarded the 2017 Mid-size Truck of Texas, for the second year in a row.

Toyota was thrilled to receive the award and wanted to celebrate with those who helped make it possible.

TAWA President Nic Phillips shares remarks with the Toyota Texas Team as to the significance of a repeat win by the Toyota Tacoma at the plant in San Antonio, Texas. photo courtesy of TMMTX

On November 29, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas in San Antonio hosted TAWA’s President Nic Phillips in a ceremony to present the award. Phillips, alongside Plant President Yoshi Nagatani and Plant Vice President Kirk Kohler, spoke to plant team members, on-site suppliers and community partners about their strong role in winning of the Mid-size Truck of Texas award for a second consecutive year.

Texas Auto Writers Association Announces 2016 Texas Truck Rodeo Winners

(Past member) — Wed, 12 Oct 2016 14:30:03 GMT

Austin, TX - Oct. 11, 2016

The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) gathered in Dripping Springs, Texas, for the 26th annual Texas Truck Rodeo where more than 70 journalists named the 2017 Ford Super Duty the 2017 “Truck of Texas.”

More than 71 vehicles valued at nearly $4 million were evaluated in 17 categories over a two-day period at a new venue for this year’s truck rodeo, the Longhorn River Ranch.

“We are honored to win the ‘Truck of Texas’ award as it underscores how the all-new 2017 Ford Super Duty lineup are the toughest, smartest and most capable trucks we’ve ever built,” said Doug Scott, Ford Truck Group Marketing Manager. “This prestigious award from the Texas Auto Writer’s Association further solidifies Ford’s truck leadership in Texas, where F-series continues to be the best-selling truck and builds on our momentum as the top-selling truck in the United States for 39 consecutive years.”

The 2017 Nissan Armada was named the SUV of Texas and the 2017 Volvo XC90 was named the CUV of Texas. TAWA journalists voted Ford Motor Co. as the 2017 Truck Line of Texas.

The TAWA Truck Rodeo, sponsored by Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), was held in the scenic Texas Hill Country as vehicles were tested both on and off-road. TAWA members evaluated the off-road vehicles while climbing rocks, crossing creeks and dodging exotic wildlife.

TAWA members evaluated pickups, SUVs and crossover utility vehicles whose combined sticker prices totaled more than $4 million. Engineers from the competing manufacturers were on hand to answer questions from journalists about the vehicles and to aid in the evaluation process. Journalists were also able to evaluate vehicles side by side.

“This year’s Texas Truck Rodeo was by far the most competitive in the most categories,” TAWA President Nic Phillips said. “More than 70 member journalists put in more than the equivalent of 15 days of driving time in the competing vehicles. After careful evaluation, I believe the results of the competition show just how competitive truck and utility vehicles are today,” Phillips said. “Ford’s all-new 2017 Super Duty and its innovative use of advanced materials, as well as improvements in powertrain and features, thoroughly impressed our journalists,” he said. “Nissan was the most overall awarded brand with five category wins, including the 2017 Nissan Armada as the SUV of Texas. Volvo defended its title as CUV of Texas with the 2017 XC90.”

The 2017 award categories and winning vehicles were:

Truck of Texas: 2017 Ford Super Duty

SUV of Texas: 2017 Nissan Armada

CUV of Texas: 2017 Volvo XC90

Truck line of Texas: Ford Motor Co.

Heavy duty pickup truck: 2017 Ford Super Duty

Best commercial vehicle: 2017 Nissan Titan XD Single Cab

Luxury pickup truck: 2017 RAM 1500

Off-road pickup: 2017 RAM 2500 Power Wagon

Full-size pickup: 2017 Nissan Titan

Midsize pickup: 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro

Best technology: Honda In-bed audio system

Best connectivity: FCA Uconnect Access

Best powertrain: 2017 Ford F-150 with 3.5 EcoBoost V-6 engine

Off-road utility vehicle: 2017 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon

Full-size luxury SUV: 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLS

Mid-size luxury SUV: 2017 Jaguar F-Pace

Full-size SUV: 2017 Nissan Armada

Mid-size SUV: 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Compact SUV: 2017 Jeep Cherokee

Full-size CUV: 2016 Mazda CX-9

Mid-size CUV: 2016 Nissan Murano

Compact CUV: 2016 Jeep Renegade

Luxury CUV: 2017 Volvo XC90

The Texas Auto Writers Association, Inc. was founded in 1985 by automotive journalists who wanted to provide an avenue of professional growth, development and networking. These professionals sought to create an automotive event that was unique to Texas, and the result was the TAWA Truck Rodeo. Since 1992, Truck Rodeos have been held in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Granbury and Spring Branch, and now Dripping Springs.

At nearly 1,650 acres, with over a mile of frontage on FM 165, approximately 1.25 miles of both sides of Onion Creek, rich bottom land and high hilltops, ample native and exotic game, Longhorn River Ranch was an ideal location for evaluating the off-road capabilities of the latest and greatest from auto manufacturers.

For multimedia content: http://texasautowriters.tritium.co/tawa-announces-2016-texas-truck-rodeo-winners

CONTACT: Fabian Campos, fabian.campos@texasautowriters.org, 214.674.8987

Texas Auto Writers Association Names the 2016 Car of Texas and Family Car of Texas

Marc Newman — Wed, 04 May 2016 19:26:51 GMT

Texas Auto Writers Association Names the 2016 Car of Texas and Family Car of Texas

FORT WORTH, TX -- May 03, 2016 - The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) gathered once again for the annual Texas Auto Roundup to drive and evaluate 53 vehicles, within 17 different categories, over a two-day period. Fifty-eight journalists descended on Texas Motor Speedway and have chosen the 2016 Ford Shelby GT350R as Car of Texas, and the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica as the Family Car of Texas.

Journalists came from 11 different states across the country, and from around the globe including the Netherlands. Despite early threats for a repeat of the deluge of 2015, the weather finally cleared up enough to allow journalists to take full advantage of the Texas Motor Speedway facilities including the infield racetrack.

Winning the Compact Car category was the 2016 Honda Civic Touring, with the 2016 Mazda3 5-door Grand Touring runner-up.

In the Mid-Size Car category, the 2016 Kia Optima SXL was named the winner with the 2016 Nissan Altima SL runner-up. In the Mid-Size Luxury Car category, the 2016 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 was the winner with the 2016 Lexus ES 350 runner-up.

In the full-size category, the 2016 Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack was the winner with the 2016 Nissan Maxima Platinum runner-up. For the full-size luxury car, the 2016 Cadillac CT6 was the winner, with the 2016 Chrysler 300 Platinum runner-up.

Performance Compact winner was the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata Club, with the 2016 Volkswagen Golf R runner-up. Performance Coupe was the 2016 Ford Shelby GT350R with the 2016 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat runner-up. Performance Sedan was the 2016 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, with the 2016 Cadillac CTS-V Sedan runner-up.

The Minivan category was won by the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Limited, with the 2016 Toyota Sienna Limited runner-up. Activity Vehicle was the 2016 Nissan Murano Platinum, with the 2016 Volvo XC60 T6 AWD Drive-E runner-up.

Performance Utility was won by the 2016 Volvo XC90 T6 AWD R-Design with the 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT runner-up. The Green Vehicle was the 2016 Lexus RX 450h, with the 2017 Chevrolet Volt Premier Hatchback runner-up.

The Super Car of Texas was the 2016 Dodge Viper GTC.

"This year's Texas Auto Roundup was our biggest yet with a record number of journalists and a highly competitive field of vehicles to evaluate."

"All our manufacturers brought outstanding vehicles for us to assess, however, there were some standouts that caught the attention of our journalist members when considering their performance, value, and versatility." "This event represents a tremendous amount of work and consideration and I'd like to thank our diverse group of journalist members, the Board of Directors and especially our automotive manufacturers for their continued dedication to our recognition of their best of the best." -- Nic Phillips, President, TAWA

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TAWA is one of the most reputable automotive press organizations in the industry, with a mission to promote quality and accuracy in automotive journalism and disseminate information about the industry through news related print, online and broadcast media. TAWA produces two driving events each year -- the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall. Media members enjoy driving and evaluating new vehicles competing for the coveted Car of Texas or Truck of Texas trophies. For more information, please visit www.texasautowriters.org.

For Multimedia -- http://texasautowriters.tritium.co/texas-auto-writers-association-chooses-the-2016-car-of-texas-and-family-car-of-texas

Media contact:
Fabian Campos
214.674.8987
fabian.campos@texasautowriters.org

TAWA Partners with Wieck for Digital Support

(Past member) — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 17:26:20 GMT

TAWA Partners With Wieck For Digital Support

AUSTIN, TX -- April 4, 2016 – The Texas Auto Writers Association, Inc. (TAWA) has entered into an exclusive agreement with Wieck, a digital technology firm that provides services to numerous Fortune 500 companies and leading automotive brands, to become the official technology & communications partner of TAWA.

The Dallas-area Wieck team will provide TAWA with its latest multimedia news distribution platform to broaden the Association’s communications reach, along with a new e-commerce platform and other digital development support.

“Wieck has the industry understanding, the technological know-how and the comprehensive multimedia platforms to enhance our member experience and external news distribution capabilities,” said Nic Phillips, President of TAWA. “We are a lean organization and the efficiency of Wieck’s platform coupled with their benchmark customer service made this decision an easy one for us.”

“Wieck has the industry understanding, the technological know-how and the comprehensive multimedia platforms to enhance our member experience and external news distribution capabilities. We are a lean organization and the efficiency of Wieck’s platform coupled with their benchmark customer service made this decision an easy one for us.” Nic Phillips, President of TAWA

“We’ve been providing digital newsrooms and asset management systems for the world’s top automakers and other Fortune 500 companies for more than 25 years,” Wieck CEO Tim Roberts said. “We look forward to the partnership and collaborations with the TAWA team.”

Marc Newman, Senior VP at Wieck, said, “We are thrilled that the TAWA team has chosen Wieck as a partner. Our long record of multimedia content management, web development, and digital distribution expertise will quickly broaden TAWA’s narrative.”

“We very much look forward to working with Roberts, Newman and the entire Wieck team as we expand the reach of the Texas Auto Writers brand and the impact of our signature Texas Truck Rodeo and Texas Auto Roundup competitive evaluation events in 2016. ” Phillips said.

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About TAWA –

Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) is a nonprofit organization that has promoted professionalism and quality reporting in automotive journalism for more than two decades. TAWA produces two annual events that have gained international traction; the Texas Truck Rodeo at the Long Horn River Ranch in the Texas Hill Country and the Texas Auto Roundup at Texas Motor Speedway. Each year, TAWA awards scholarships to Texas College and university students majoring in journalism. The Association’s annual Excellence in Craft Competition recognizes its members’ exceptional coverage of the automotive industry.

About Wieck –

Pioneering today’s online newsroom, Wieck is a web development, content management and multimedia production company fueled by strategic techies and storytellers. Its clients include American Honda Motor Co. Inc., Baylor Scott & White Heath Care, Ford Motor Co., Hess Corporation, Mercedes-Benz USA, The New York Times Syndicate and News Services, Nissan Motor Company Ltd, Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) and Southwest Airlines. Combining veteran editors and website managers with the latest in digital technology, Wieck helps the world’s top news organizations and corporate communications teams distribute their stories and information around the world.

For Multimedia - http://texasautowriters.tritium.co/tawa-partners-with-wieck-for-digital-support

Media contacts:

TAWA --

Fabian Campos, 214-674-8987

fabian.campos@texasautowriters.org

www.texasautowriters.org

Wieck --

Marc Newman, 469-215-2557

marc@wieck.com

www.wieck.com

Excellence in Craft Competition 2015 - news release

Michael Marrs — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 14:08:44 GMT

Texas Auto Writers Association Names Winners of Excellence in Craft Competition

Dallas, TX, September 25, 2015…Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) announced the winners of their ninth annual Excellence in Craft Competition at a lunch event held at the Music Hall at Fair Park September 25. The six categories and winning entries follow:

English Language Newspaper, judged by esteemed newsman, author, and four-time Pulitzer Prize nominee Hugh Aynesworth.

1. Steve Wheeler, The Advocate, article about Dodge SRT Hellcat.
2. Derek Price, St. Louis Post Dispatch, column evaluating the Toyota Highlander.
3. Tabatha Chovanetz, Focus Daily News, article about the Ford Mustang.

Spanish Language Newspaper, judged by bilingual Northwood University MBA and DSM Public Relations manager Francisco Chairez.

1. Ellie Byrd, El Heraldo News-Sabre Ruedas, article on the 2015 Scion tC..
2. Gretha Gudmundsson, El Lider USA, Motor Avenida, article on 2016 Ford Edge.
3. Krystle Smart, El Lider USA, article on 2015 Nissan Rogue.

Magazine, judged by award-winning journalist and author Carlton Stowers.

1. “Tow, Tow, Tow Your Boat” by Linda Water Nelson for Gaff Magazine.
2. “Driving It Makes All the Difference” by Joe Sage for Arizona Driver Magazine.
3. “What Drives Us? By Beverly and Steve Smirnis for Estate Life.

Radio, judged by longtime KSCI reporter Brother Van.

1. The Car Pro Show, listener call-in program. Jerry Reynolds hosts syndicated program on numerous stations across the country with sidekick Kevin McCarthy.
2. The Automotive Reporter, Houston area radio show featuring Harold Gunn and Brent Clanton, Interview with Ford Historian Bob Kreipke.
3. The High Tech Texan Show with Michael Garfield, Interview with GM Communications Manager Stuart Fowle.

Internet, judged by graphic artist, illustrator, journalist Stan Hulen.

1. Derek Shiekhi, Internet Brands Automotive Group, article: “Ford Wins Truck of Texas and More at TAWA’s 2014 Truck Rodeo”
2. Sherri Tilley, TheFlashList.com, article “Car Review: 2015 Chrysler 200 C AWD”
3. Greg Riley, Garage Deluxe. Article: “Greg Goes a Hellcattin’…”

Photography, Entries Judged by Christian Waits, ProPhotography Studios.

1. Kevin McCauley, Ford GT40

2. Sherri Tilley, Mazda 3 Kodo Design.

“The Excellence in Craft Competition is the opportunity to showcase the work of our members,” said Michael Marrs, President of the Texas Auto Writers Association. “The 2015 competition was an outstanding success, with Chairman Durhl Caussey putting together an esteemed panel of judges who really had their work cut out for them with all the great entries.”

Texas Auto Writers Association is a nonprofit organization promoting professionalism and quality in automotive journalism for more than two decades. TAWA produces two annual events that have gained national traction: the Texas Truck Rodeo and the Texas Auto Roundup at Texas Motor Speedway. Each year, TAWA awards scholarships to Texas college and university students with a journalism major. The group’s annual Excellence in Craft Competition recognizes its members’ exceptional coverage of the automotive industry.

# # #

For more information about TAWA, visit www.texasautowriters.org.

For media information, please contact Jo Ann Holt Caussey, VP Communications, at communications@texasautowriters.org.

Active Lifestyle Vehicle of the Year Judges announced!

Michael Marrs — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 21:41:36 GMT

ALV - active lifestyle vehicle of the year award

A competition that brings athletes and journalists together

The Active Lifestyle Vehicle Awards recently named two TAWA members to the panel of 17 nationally recognized automotive journalist that participate in the evaluation of vehicle entries for this prestigious award.

About the Active Lifestyle Vehicle Awards

A Phoenix based event, the Active Lifestyle Vehicle Awards has consistently grown in size and prestige since its inception in 2004. The event brings the perspectives and opinions of over 100 consumers who live the active lifestyles automakers market their products to, culminating into top awards in multiple categories.

The group of athletes, celebrities and active lifestyle enthusiasts act as a valuable focus group for automakers and industry experts alike. With this year's event moving to a new data rich electronic scoring system, the outcome of consumer perspective metrics for manufacturers will be more comprehensive than ever.

Linda Water Nelson

Linda Water Nelson has been writing about a wide variety of vehicles for more than 25 years. As sport vehicle editor of Texas Fish & Game magazine and for its website at Fishgame.com, she drives the newest trucks and SUV regularly.

A current member and former board member for the Texas Auto Writers Association, she is a judge for the Truck of Texas and SUV of Texas competitions. She is also an active member of the Texas Outdoor Writers Association and the Outdoor Writers of America Association.

Her work focuses on the relationships between trucks, SUV and other passenger vehicles and the quality of life of their owners and users. She is working on the launch of a new website, Bucket-List-Guide.com this year with an emphasis on vehicles, adventures and ideas about the outdoor life.

Nic Phillips

Nic Phillips is a Houston, Texas based automotive correspondent and evangelist for CultureMap.com – an essential source for real-time, digital coverage of culturally relevant breaking news and information, analysis and opinion on the arts, fashion, dining, music, events, politics, sports and society in Texas.

A serial entrepreneur, Mr. Phillips co-founded the digital media venture with newsrooms in Dallas, Austin and Houston and has interests in creative entertainment, high performance lighting and control technologies and his latest venture, wattsON Power.

The latter focuses on the supply of specialty rotary electric machines and critical power systems for industrial, oil and gas, conventional and renewable power generation and electric vehicle traction applications.

Nic is a Vice President of the Texas Auto Writers Association, a Founding Director of the United Council of Automotive Media and he is a Director of the non-partisan public policy forum The Texas Lyceum.

Media Contacts

The ALV organization would like to thank OEMs for their continued support of this program. Please feel free to direct any questions to

Nina Russin, ninarussin@yahoo.com

Sam Haymart, sam.haymart@steedpublications.com .

TAWA Auto Roundup 2015!

Michael Marrs — Tue, 10 Mar 2015 21:39:08 GMT

Texas Auto Writers Choose 2015 Car of Texas and Family Car of Texas

FORT WORTH, Texas, March 10, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Texas Auto Writers (TAWA) refused to let a day-long deluge of rain keep them from diligently test driving and evaluating 54 vehicles Monday, both on and off the Texas Motor Speedway Racetrack. The 52 journalists attending the annual Auto Roundup chose the 2015 Chrysler 300 as Car of Texas, and the 2015 Toyota Sienna as the Family Car of Texas.

Other Auto Roundup winners included: Best Value, 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Coupe; Best New Feature, 2015 Dodge SRT Hellcat 6.2-liter Supercharged HEMI V8 Engine; and Best New Interior, the 2015 Lincoln MKZ's Black Label Package.

Winning the Sub-Compact Car Division was the 2015 Kia Forte5 SX, with the 2015 Chevrolet Trax LTZ runner up. Compact Car of Texas was won by the 2015 Ford Focus SE, with the 2016 Acura ILX runner up. Premium Compact was the 2015 Subaru WRX Ltd with the 2014 Mazda Mazda3 S 5-door Grand Touring runner up.

In the Mid-Size Car category, the 2015 Chrysler 200 was named the winner with the 2015 Mazda6 I Grand Touring runner up. In the Mid-Size Luxury Car category, the 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe was the winner with the 2015 Lincoln MKZ Black Label runner up.

In the full-size category, the 2015 Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack was the winner with the 2015 Toyota Avalon Hybrid runner up. For full-size luxury car, the 2015 Mercedes-Benz S550 was the winner, with the 2015 Jaguar XJ (long wheelbase) runner up.

Performance Compact was the 2015 Volkswagen Golf R, with the 2015 Ford Focus ST as runner up. Performance Coupe was the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat with the 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C Coupe runner up. Performance Sedan was the 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, with the 2015 Cadillac CTS V Sport TT runner up.

The Minivan category was won by the 2015 Toyota Sienna Ltd., with the 2015 Chrysler Town & Country runner up. Activity Vehicle was the 2015 Lexus NX 200t F-SPORT, with the 2015 Jeep Renegade Limited a close runner up.

Performance Utility was won by the 2015 SRT Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT with the 2015 Land Rover Ranger Rover runner up. The Green Vehicle was the 2015 Lexus NX 300h, with the 2015 Toyota Camry Hybrid SE runner up.

The Super Car of Texas was the 2015 Bentley Continental GT V8 S Convertible, with the 2015 Nissan GT-R Premium runner up.

TAWA is one of the most reputable automotive press organizations in the industry, with a mission to promote quality and accuracy in automotive journalism and disseminate information about the industry through news related print, online and broadcast media. TAWA produces two driving events each year—the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall. Media members enjoy driving and evaluating new vehicles competing for the coveted Car of Texas or Truck of Texas trophies. For more information, please visit www.texasautowriters.org.

Media contact: Jo Ann Causey, 469-363-7371, joannholt@gmail.com

SOURCE Texas Auto Writers Association

Houston Auto Show

Michael Marrs — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 06:08:57 GMT

TAWA is very pleased to announce that the trophies for the 2014 Texas Truck Rodeo will be presented to the winners at the 2015 Houston Auto Show. The presentation will be during the Preview Gala the night before the media day and the show opening.

It is a great opportunity for TAWA to be presenting these awards in front of the Houston Auto Dealers Association membership.

TAWA announces Texas Truck Rodeo winners!

Michael Marrs — Mon, 13 Oct 2014 13:12:52 GMT

Ford F-150 Named Truck of Texas at 2014 Texas Auto Writers Assn. Truck Rodeo

The all-new Ford F-150 was named Truck of Texas at the 2014 Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) Truck Rodeo.

“This year, the Texas Truck Rodeo had a record number of vehicles on hand for our members to evaluate,’ said Michael Marrs, president of TAWA, “We want to thank all of our partners in the automotive industry as well as sponsors for making this such a great event.”

Sixty auto writers drove 75 vehicles on and off road for two days (Oct. 9-10) at the Knibbe Ranch outside San Antonio to choose the prestigious Truck of Texas. This year’s Texas Truck Rodeo, which was sponsored by the Steel Market Development Institute, also saw the 2015 Lincoln MKC take the CUV of Texas; the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee capture the SUV of Texas title for an unprecedented fifth straight year; and Ford being named the Truck Line of Texas.

Doug Scott, marketing manager of Ford’s truck group, said, “This is a significant honor, one of the three big ones along with the Motor Trend and North American Truck of the year awards. Our entire truck team is proud and honored to win the Truck of Texas trophy.”

Winning the Compact Crossover Utility Vehicle (CUV) title was the 2015 Honda CR-V Touring; the 2015 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium was named the Mid-size CUV; the 2015 Kia Sedona SX was named Full-size CUV; and the 2015 Lincoln MKC was named Luxury CUV.

Stephane Cesareo, Lincoln Global Communications Manager, said, “It’s been a long time since Lincoln participated in the TAWA Truck Rodeo and we will definitely keep coming back. I had never been to Texas and have really enjoyed meeting the friendly members of TAWA and seeing some of the Hill Country of Texas.”

The 2015 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk was named Compact Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV); the 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 4x4 was named Mid-size SUV; the 2015 Chevrolet Tahoe 4WD was named Full-size SUV; and the 2015 Range Rover Evoque 5-Door was named Compact Luxury SUV.

"We are extremely delighted and proud that for the fifth consecutive year, the respected and influential Texas auto writers have named the Jeep Grand Cherokee the SUV of Texas," said Mike Manley, president and CEO of Chrysler Group’s Jeep Brand.

The 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit EcoDiesel 4x4 was named Mid-size Luxury SUV; and the 2015 GMC Yukon Denali was named Full-size Luxury SUV. The 2015 Jeep Wrangler was named Off-road SUV.

Mid-size Pickup Truck title was won by the 2015 Chevy Colorado Crew Cab; and Full-size Pickup Truck was the 2015 Ford F-150 King Ranch. Luxury Pickup Truck was the 2015 Ford F-150 Platinum; and Heavy Duty Pickup Truck was the 2015 Ram 2500 Laramie Longhorn. Off-road Pickup Truck was the 2015 Ram Power Wagon.

Commercial Vehicle was the 2015 Ford Transit 250. Other winners were Best Connectivity, Chrysler Group’s Uconnect Access; Best Powertrain, Chrysler Group 3.0-liter V-6 Eco Diesel Engine; and Best Technology, 2015 Ford F-150 King Ranch high- strength military-grade aluminum body.

The Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) was founded in 1987, with a mission to promote quality and accuracy in automotive journalism and disseminate information about the industry through news related print, online and broadcast media. For more information, please visit www.texasautowriters.org. TAWA’s communication are powered by PR Newswire.

# # #

Media contact: Communications@texasautowriters.org; 469-363-7371

TAWA Names Winners of Excellence in Craft Competition - PRN release

Michael Marrs — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 14:16:05 GMT

Texas Auto Writers Association Names Winners of Excellence in Craft Competition

Dallas, TX, September 29, 2014…Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) announced the winners of their eighth annual Excellence in Craft Competition at a lunch event held at the Music Hall at Fair Park September 25. The five categories and winning entries follow:

English Language Newspaper, judged by esteemed newsman, author, and four-time Pulitzer Prize nominee Hugh Aynesworth.

1. Derek Shiekhi, Austin American Statesman article about Austin’s new police fleet using Ford’s Police Interceptor Utility vehicle to replace Crown Victoria models.
2. Steve Wheeler, Baton Route Advocate, column evaluating the 2014 Toyota Corolla.
3. Jeff Yip, Houston Chronicle, consumer report on replacement tire costs.

Spanish Language Newspaper, judged by bilingual Northwood University MBA candidate Francisco Chairez Yanez.

1. Gretha Gudmundsson, El Lider USA, article on the 2015 Hyundai Genesis.
2. Krystle Smart, El Lider USA, article on 2015 Chrysler 200 C.
3. Fabian Campos, Mercado Billingue, article on the 2013 Chrysler 300 SRT8 Core.

Magazine, judged by award-winning journalist and author Carlton Stowers.

1. Marty Bernstein (co-authored by Jackie Jouret), Bimmer article on “The Amazing Mal Hoffman.”
2. Beverly Smirnis, Greater DFW Metroplex Building Savvy article about SUVs in today’s Texas market.
3. Steve Smirnis, Building Savvy Magazine article on four door cabs.

Radio, judged by longtime CBS stations newscaster and Radio Hall of Fame member Mitch Carr.

1. The Car Pro Show (Jerry Reynolds hosts syndicated program on WBAP, KRLD and numerous other stations across the country with sidekick Kevin McCarthy).
2. In Wheel Time (Houston area radio show featuring Mike Herzing and Don Armstrong).
3. The Automotive Reporter, radio show hosted by Harold Gunn in the Houston area.

Internet, judged by husband and wife entrepreneurs and car enthusiasts Scott and Sherri Tilley (theflashlist.com).

1. Mark McNab, TopSpeed.com, article on the 2015 Hyundai Genesis.
2. Marlon Hanson, FocusDailyNews.com, 2015 Dodge Challenger.
3. Holly Reich, JeanKnowsCars.com, article about Land Rover Driving School.

“The Excellence in Craft Competition is the opportunity to showcase the work of our members,” said Michael Marrs, President of the Texas Auto Writers Association. “The 2014 competition was an outstanding success, with Chairperson Durhl Caussey putting together an esteemed panel of judges that really had their work cut out for them due to a record number of 61 entries.”

Texas Auto Writers Association is a nonprofit organization that has promoted professionalism and quality in automotive journalism for more than two decades. TAWA produces two annual events that have gained national traction: the Texas Truck Rodeo and the Texas Auto Roundup at Texas Motor Speedway. Each year, TAWA awards scholarships to Texas college and university students with a journalism major. The group’s annual Excellence in Craft Competition recognizes its members’ exceptional coverage of the automotive industry.

# # #

For more information about TAWA, visit www.texasautowriters.org.

For media information, please contact Jo Ann Holt Caussey, VP Communications, at communications@texasautowriters.org.

TAWA and SMDI join forces!

Michael Marrs — Wed, 03 Sep 2014 15:38:38 GMT

The Texas Auto Writers Association is very proud to announce that the Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI) is the title sponsor for the 2014 Texas Truck Rodeo!

The steel industry is an integral part of automobile manufacturing, and in Texas that means trucks! The Texas Truck Rodeo is the premier event for journalist members to evaluate the leading trucks, SUVs, and CUVs on the market, and with SMDI, there will be even more opportunity!

We look forward to meeting with the SMDI leadership at the Texas State Fair Auto Show media event as well as having them attend the 2014 Texas Truck Rodeo!

Here's the crux of the press release:

SMDI is a business unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute that maintains and grows the use of steel in the automotive, construction, container and emerging markets.

“Texans know and love their trucks. When they need a vehicle to keep up with their workload and lifestyle, advanced high-strength steel offers the perfect balance between weight and performance,” said Ronald Krupitzer, vice president, automotive applications for SMDI. “With recent anticipation surrounding the use of alternative material designs in the automotive industry, SMDI and its member companies look forward to partnering with the Texas Auto Writers Association and sharing their insight on why time-tested materials, like advanced steel, will help to ensure the durability, strength and safety of future vehicles.”

Calling the partnership a "milestone," Michael Marrs, president of TAWA, said, “Steel is an integral part of the automotive industry; now that we are working with such a broad reaching group as SMDI that can provide timely information to our members on such an important aspect of the business, we have the opportunity to make our flagship event the best Truck Rodeo ever."

TAWA's rodeo brings journalists from throughout Texas and the U.S. to the Texas Hill Country to evaluate the nation’s top trucks and SUVs. The writers recognize excellence in several categories, including selecting the year’s coveted “Truck of Texas.” The TAWA Texas Truck Rodeo will be held Oct. 8-10 at the Knibbe Ranch outside San Antonio.

For more than two decades, TAWA has promoted professionalism and quality in automotive journalism. TAWA produces two annual events that have gained national traction: the Texas Truck Rodeo and the Texas Auto Roundup at Texas Motor Speedway. Both events give TAWA’s journalists the opportunity to evaluate vehicles back-to-back on the street, track or off-road. Manufacturers and dealerships promote the award winners and the “Truck of Texas” is touted in national television commercials, including appearing in previous Super Bowl commercials.
Each year, TAWA awards scholarships to Texas college and university students with a journalism major. The nonprofit group’s annual Excellence in Craft Competition recognizes its members’ exceptional coverage of the automotive industry.

SMDI partners with government entities, industry organizations, steel producers and processors, fabricators and customers to conduct research surrounding new steel technologies and market growth opportunities; provides technology transfer to bring the resulting innovations to the marketplace and promotes the benefits of steel solutions to customers.

In the automotive industry, SMDI works to advance the use of steel, especially advanced high-strength steel, in the highly competitive automotive market through research, advocacy, and industry and government collaboration. SMDI’s automotive member companies include AK Steel Corporation, ArcelorMittal Dofasco, ArcelorMittal USA, Nucor Corporation, Severstal North America and United States Steel Corporation.

Texas Auto Writers Association, Inc. News

3rd ANNUAL BILL NEALE AUTOMOTIVE FINE ART AWARD FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS **2026 WINNERS ANNOUNCED**

- Award honors world-renowned automotive artist Bill Neale who passed away in 2021

- 1st, 2nd, 3rd Place winners hail from Wisconsin, Michigan and Oklahoma

- In a world where AI increasingly threatens traditional creative arts, award seeks to advance automotive fine art among the next generation

"Automotive art is about more than just machines. It tells stories of innovation, design, and human passion,” said Marc Newman, President of the Texas Auto Writers Association. “These awards celebrate young artists who transform movement into feeling and engineering into lasting works of art."

In a world where AI-generated art is quickly changing the creative landscape, the award also seeks to keep traditional automotive fine art alive in its truest form by advancing the next generation of artists passionate about cars and art.

Wisconsin 12th grader Felix Bucaro took top honors this year, winning 1st place with his entry “Road America 500”.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to honor the legacy of Bill Neale. For the piece, I used acrylic on canvas with contrasting color to give a feel for how the Road America 500 was in its day.” - Felix Bucaro, 1st Place Winner.

Winners 1st: Felix Bucaro - 12th grade, Wisconsin, “Road America 500” - $1000 cash prize 2nd: Joel Murphy - 12th grade, Michigan, “Monaco” - $500 cash prize 3rd: Emily Eilers - 12th grade, Oklahoma, “Race Against Time” - $250 cash prize

1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners also receive $100 in BLICK Art Materials Gift Cards.

Honorable Mentions (tie)William McElhoes, 11th Grade, Idaho - “North Idaho Winter Rally” Madison Randick, 12th Grade, Michigan “Momentous Macchina Match”

To view these students’ exceptional artwork, visit BillNealeAward.org.

Sponsors

The Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art Award for High School Students would not be possible without the generous support of the following sponsors: BLICK Art Materials, Carroll Shelby Foundation, Terlingua Racing Team and the Texas Auto Writers Association.

Award Beneficiary

MEDIA CONTACT: Amy Plemons amplemons.tvproducer@gmail.com.

About the Texas Auto Writers Association

Texas Auto Writers Association Announces 2026 Auto Roundup Award Winners

Former NACTOY President Gary Witzenburg Offers Insider View in Legends in Motion

WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR 2026 TRUCK AND SUV OF TEXAS

2026 SUV of Texas: Nissan Armada

2026 Truck of Texas: Toyota Tacoma

The Toyota Tacoma Trailhunter earned Texas Truck of Texas by delivering confidence from the driver’s seat. This was the truck that impressed the most based on feel behind the wheel.

About the Texas Auto Writers Association

TAWA Welcomes New 2026 Board of Directors

3rd Annual BILL NEALE AUTOMOTIVE FINE ART AWARD FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ANNOUNCES CALL FOR ENTRIES

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***

3rd Annual BILL NEALE AUTOMOTIVE FINE ART AWARD FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ANNOUNCES CALL FOR ENTRIES

Texas Truck Rodeo Winners Announced For 2025

See the list of winners below!

Texas Auto Writers Association Announces Excellence in Craft Competition Winners for 2025

Excellence in Craft Competition Call for Entries

TEXAS AUTO WRITERS ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES AWARD-WINNING VEHICLES FROM 2025 TEXAS AUTO ROUNDUP

Texas Auto Writers Association Announces Award-Winning Vehicles from 2025 Texas Auto Roundup

2ND ANNUAL BILL NEALE AUTOMOTIVE FINE ART AWARD FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

2ND ANNUAL BILL NEALE AUTOMOTIVE FINE ART AWARD FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

About the Texas Auto Writers Association

Texas Auto Writers Association Announces 2024-2025 Truck Rodeo Winners

New Year, New Board of Directors

Texas Auto Writers Association Announces Excellence in Craft Competition Winners for 2024

TAWA Announces the 2024 Auto Roundup Results

2024 Texas Auto Roundup Awards

Bill Neale Automotive Fine Art For High School Students Award Winners

12TH GRADER MATVEY PUKALO NAMED GRAND PRIZE WINNER OF INAUGURAL BILL NEALE AUTOMOTIVE FINE ART AWARD FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT MECUM HOUSTON 2024

TAWA Welcomes New Board of Directors for 2024

Texas Auto Writers Association Announces the 2023 Excellence in Craft Competition and Texas Truck Invitational Awardees

Texas Auto Writers Association Hosts the 2024 Texas Truck Rodeo

Toyota North America Previews the 2024 Grand Highlander for Media Members of the Texas Auto Writers Association

TAWA Announces 2022 Excellence In Craft Winners

EICC

Writing: Feature category

1st: Elizabeth Blackstock

Writing: Reviews

1st: Mercedes Lilienthal

RADIO

1st: Jerry Reynolds, The CarPro Show

PODCAST

1st: Bill Owney

VIDEO

1st: Roman Mica TFL Studios

PHOTOGRAPHY

1st: Chris Collard

SOCIAL MEDIA

TEXAS TRUCK INVITATIONAL

Writing: Features

1st: Kristin Shaw

Writing: Reviews

1st: David Boldt

Overall Texas Truck Invitational Winner

TAWA Announces 2023 Texas Truck Rodeo Winners

TITLE AWARDS

CATEGORY AWARDS

CALCULATED AWARDS

FEATURE AWARDS

Texas Auto Writers Association Announces 2022 Texas Auto Roundup Winners

2022 Texas Auto Roundup Winners

OVERALL AWARDS

TAWA ANNOUNCES 2021 BILL NEALE AUTOMOTIVE FINE ART AWARD WINNER

Please credit Shan Fannin’s winning artwork photos:Used With Permission From Shan Fannin.

3rd ANNUAL BILL NEALE AUTOMOTIVE FINE ART AWARD FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS 2026 WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Winners
1st: Felix Bucaro - 12th grade, Wisconsin, “Road America 500” - $1000 cash prize

2nd: Joel Murphy - 12th grade, Michigan, “Monaco” - $500 cash prize

3rd: Emily Eilers - 12th grade, Oklahoma, “Race Against Time” - $250 cash prize

Honorable Mentions (tie)
William McElhoes, 11th Grade, Idaho - “North Idaho Winter Rally”

Madison Randick, 12th Grade, Michigan “Momentous Macchina Match”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

3rd Annual BILL NEALE AUTOMOTIVE FINE ART AWARD
FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ANNOUNCES CALL FOR ENTRIES

Please credit Shan Fannin’s winning artwork photos:
Used With Permission From Shan Fannin.

Please credit the photo of Bill Neale:
Courtesy of the Neale family.

Amy M. Plemons
VP of Communications
Texas Auto Writers Association
amplemons.tvproducer@gmail.com