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

DALLAS (October 22, 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.” 

“TAWA is proud to honor the talent of the individuals in this industry,” said Kristin Shaw, TAWA president.  “The automotive market is important in Texas, and we appreciate the opportunity to recognize the quality and distinction within the automotive journalist community.”

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.

Judges offered the following feedback:

• Mercedes Lilienthal had a good year with several excellent stories, but her profile of Renee Brinkerhoff was the best written, most compelling, and most important story of the year. It was well researched and as I read on I wanted to know more about this fascinating woman and her mission to help end child trafficking. Well done.

• Tying her experience with the truck to the Ranger’s heritage and past ubiquity, Ms. Collier gives the piece a feeling of direct connection to how people actually live with and use their trucks. She also uses photos effectively to tie her experiences to the text. Her kids help position how the rear seat would be used and I too have washed off equipment in the bed of my truck and her pointing out how easy it is too clean is something that’s important to truck owners, but rarely is it mentioned in reviews.

• There’s nothing better than a story that takes you some place unexpected. Sue Mead’s piece isn’t really about cars (or a car) as it is about how people use the resources at their disposal when a crisis arises. Mead also does a good job of describing how the filter the Glickenhaus family builds work in easy to understand terms.

• Great rhythm, very compelling style, wonderful content. Well informed hosts [Harold Gunn and Wayne Cronin] and guest share lots of knowledge in a very entertaining manner. Makes listeners happy by knowing they made a good use of their time by learning something they didn’t know. Definitely loved it.

• I’ve always enjoyed [Greg Riley’s] ability to make us feel as if we’re riding shotgun with an old friend.  The writing is clever, conversational and nostalgic, but also professional and informational. Great photos and added video clips. Site contains extra intuitive interactive features.  Well done.

The complete list of award winners is below:

TEXAS TRUCK INVITATIONAL

Overall Winner: Kathy Locke, Toyota Cruisers and Trucks magazine, “My Journey to Rebelle”

Writing: Newspaper

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”

Writing: Magazine

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?”

TEXAS AUTO WRITERS EXCELLENCE IN CRAFT COMPETITION

Writing: Magazine

1^st: Mercedes Lilienthal, Tread Magazine

Judge’s comments: Jessi Combs, who had the drive and talent to become an all-around, legitimate automotive star, was killed driving a jet car a speed of over 500 mph, when a wheel became compromised and the car, built from a jet fighter plane, crashed. That she was even in a car some in the jet community deemed ironically unsafe, on a surface in Oregon that others found not particularly suitable, is not surprising – she said she would drive the car, and she did. Not enough was written about Combs, but among the best stories about her is photographer Mercedes Lilienthal’s account in Tread Magazine. Clear-eyed but heartfelt, the story is part tragedy, part inspiration, all very good. It’s on Treadmagazine.com.

2^nd: Sue Mead, Automotive Map

Judge’s comments: Sue Mead has been everywhere, done everything, and this time she’s racing the new Ford Bronco R in Baja, detailed in a gritty account of what it takes to compete on one of the toughest tracks there is.

3^rd: Michael Satterfield, The Gentleman Racer

Judge’s comments: Connie Kreski was the Playboy Playmate of the Year in 1969, near the height of the magazine’s influence. It was a tradition to award the POTY a pink sports car, and Kreski got a Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang. What happened to it? No one seems to know, though Michael Satterfield, in a story for TheGentlemanRacer.com, looked hard for the car, which seems to have simply disappeared.

Special recognition:

·       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.  

Writing: Newspaper

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

Judge’s comments: My standard for excellence falls somewhere between bitter jealousy and admiration in an article written by another journalist. If I feel one of those two emotions, or ideally a mixture of both, what I’ve just read is probably pretty good.

The top three entries did that. Mercedes Lilienthal had a good year with several excellent stories, but her profile of Renee Brinkerhoff was the best written, most compelling, and most important story of the year. It was well researched and as I read on I wanted to know more about this fascinating woman and her mission to help end child trafficking. Well done.

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

Judge’s comments: With all the car reviews out there, standing out is difficult. Jordan Golson managed to do that with his Lexus LX 570 review. It goes well beyond the nuts and bolts to understand the reasons why someone might purchase the vehicle. Along the way there were enough smile inducing phrases to keep the reader engaged through out.

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

Judge’s comments: In third place, Mercedes Lilienthal’s pandemic road trip story captured the zeitgeist of the nation, the fear and confusion surrounding life with coronavirus. The fact that it was wrapped around the passion for an oddball vehicle made it even more entertaining.

RADIO

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

Judge’s comment: Great rhythm, very compelling style, wonderful content. Well informed host really makes his guest to share lots of knowledge in a very entertaining manner. Makes listeners happy by knowing they made a good use of their time by learning something they didn’t know. Definitely loved it.

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

Judge’s comment: A show of knowledge about the automotive industry, well informed remarks and solidly based comments about the future of the car market in the U.S.

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

Judge’s comment: Great interview about a wonderful book, “The Hidden Superpower,” wrote by an amazing author. It has a connection with cars and the automotive industry, and it conquers the attention of the listeners and make the time spent listening remarkably worthy.

PHOTOGRAPHY

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

https://www.thegentlemanracer.com/2020/05/first-drive-2020-bentley-bentayga-speed.html

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

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5qx6AvFZyH/

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

https://www.revmatchmedia.com/posts/super-lap-battle-at-cota-2020

VIDEO

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”

WEBSITE

1^st: GarageDeluxe, Greg Riley, “Rolls Royce Cullinan Test Drive”

Judge’s comments: I’ve always enjoyed the author’s ability to make us feel as if we’re riding shotgun with an old friend.  The writing is clever, conversational and nostalgic, but also professional and informational.  Great photos and added video clips. Site contains extra intuitive interactive features.  Well done.

AND

1^st: (tie) GarageDeluxe, Greg Riley; “History of Jaguar”

Judge’s comments: Love the comprehensive history lesson, crafted with a conversational tone.  Great photography and tons of historical detail… I learned a lot from this.  Great assortment of photography. Site itself contains extra intuitive interactive features. Nice job.

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

Judge’s comments: A passionate saga about the rebirth of a favorite high school truck. Terrific photos and magazine-style layout in “The Drive” site add to a great package.  Site is well-designed. Great photography and slick interactive features. Sweet package.

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

Judge’s comments: Taut and well-written. Great details and descriptions that made me take a more in-depth dive into an often-overlooked sedan.  Made me say, “Well, whaddaya know?” out loud.

PR PRESS KIT

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

President’s note: This document is streamlined and elegant, with a simple flow that is easy to follow.

ABOUT THE JUDGES

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. He 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: Writing

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.

Harvey Briggs: Writing

Harvey is the Editor/Publisher of Rides & Drives. An automotive enthusiast, writer, marketer, and producer, he began his career as an intern at Car and Driver Magazine while studying Latin at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and learned his craft from the legendary David E. Davis, Jr. Harvey then worked at several Detroit advertising agencies on automotive accounts before moving to Madison, WI and running his own agency for 17 years.

Harvey has written for a number of websites and publications including Winding Road, Bimmerfest, 95 Octane, Automotive Map, Pursuitist, and is the on-air automotive expert for WISC TV. His first book – Rolls-Royce, Making A Legend – hits bookstores in December. He is also president-elect of the Midwest Automotive Media Association.

John Pearley Huffman, Writing

John has been writing about cars since 1990 and is getting okay at it. Besides Car and Driver, his work has appeared in the New York Times and more than 100 automotive publications and websites. A graduate of UC Santa Barbara, he still lives near that campus with his wife and two children.