Seeing both Tim Blair from Tennessee and Mark McLean from New York at Safety Drive 2026 is perfect confirmation that TDC Champions and National Title holders make the trip to Atlanta from near and far to sharpen their competitive driving skills at Safety Drive. In this episode of the podcast (at the 19:20 mark), we’ll hear from Tim and Mark, who are part of a FedEx Freight Team that brought another large contingent from across the country to the NTDCs last year.

For Mark, his trip from the Empire State represented his first visit to Safety Drive. As the reigning Grand Champion from New York, Mark made the most of his initial Safety Drive experience by claiming the Twins Division Championship. Meanwhile, Tim, who caught the attention of everyone at the NTDC in 2023 as a rookie winning the Pre-Trip competition, was once again in his element at Safety Drive. Tim tied for best score on the Pre-Trip portion of Safety Drive.

While the opportunity to experience the challenges of a top-shelf driving course, written test and pre-trip against some best drivers in the country served as the perfect practice session as Mark and Tim seek to return to the Nationals in 2026, both FedEx Freight veterans were also drawn to Safety Drive because of the money the event raises to support the work of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Recorded on the Monday following Safety Drive, PodWheels Executive Producer Greg Thompson is joined on this episode by NTDC Historian Eugene Mulero.

SAFETY DRIVE is still accepting donations as the event’s organizers, volunteers and participants continue to work to drive their all-time fundraising total over the past 15 years to benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation to the $500,000 mark. If you would like to make a donation to Safety Drive, please click here.

FRIEND OF THE PODCAST SPONSOR:  The Lutzie 43 Foundation is our Friend of the Podcast for this episode of the NTDC 2026 Series. Founded to honor the legacy of Philip Lutzenkirchen, the Lutzie 43 Foundation is dedicated to make sure that the tragedy that took his life would never have to be repeated. Philip was a standout athlete, a beloved teammate, and a man of tremendous character. Today, the foundation that carries his name is working to change the driving culture across the Southeast and beyond by tackling distracted driving, impaired driving, and unsafe habits behind the wheel. To learn more about the Lutzie 43 Foundation and how you can use 43 Key Seconds to run through an important safety checklist before starting your vehicle, visit Lutzie43.org.

The post Mark McLean and Tim Blair Give Back While Sharpening Skills At Safety Drive appeared first on PodWheels.