Editor's Note: This is the first in a series of articles about Valvoline and Cummins' attempt to compete at the 49th SCORE Baja 1000 in November 2016.  Cummins engineer Roger England didn’t have much time to admire the view driving up the winding, 12.42-mile course at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb near Colorado Springs, Colorado (U.S.A.).

Participants in the 79th annual National Truck Driving Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana, took to the road course Thursday (Aug. 11) for the second challenge phase in the competition to identify the best drivers in the U.S. More than 430 professional drivers from all 50 states are competing for top honors in eight different classes, plus step van, and the chance to be named the 2016 Bendix National Truck Driving Championships Grand Champion.

Cummins is the talk of the trucking industry yet again following last month’s unveiling of our 2017 X15 heavy-duty truck engines, an evolution of our legendary ISX15, and a dramatic leap forward in diesel engine technology. Owners and drivers are eager to take advantage of the X15’s improved engine efficiency, lower cost of ownership and enhanced overall driving experience.

*Note: Srikanth Padmanabhan is the President, Engine Business at Cummins Inc. On Aug. 4, 2016, he joined Cummins leaders and thousands of Cummins employees unveil the newest products and technologies in Cummins' 2017 engine lineup. Here, in his own words, Srikanth describes how Cummins employees around the globe are dedicated to Powering What's Next.