Allison's global headquarters and demonstration track in Speedway, Indiana recently provided the stage for a unique display of precision driving. Allison engineers, assembles, and validates its fully automatic transmissions on this proving ground with skilled vehicle operators in mind. This year, that same track played host to the Indiana Ready Mixed Concrete Association's (IRMCA) 2026 Mixer Drivers Championship for the first time.  

The annual championship, which tests the safety, precision, and driving skills of professional concrete mixer truck drivers, drew participants from across Indiana, all vying for the title of Best in the State. Ready-mix company leaders and family members joined the drivers, filling the Allison test track with an excited and engaged audience. The space gave everyone a fantastic vantage point to watch the action unfold and allowed IRMCA to lay out a challenging driving course that mirrored what qualifying drivers could face at the National Mixer Drivers Championship later this year.  

The competition tested drivers from every angle. It opened with a 55-question written exam covering truck operation and maintenance, road laws, and the technical science of concrete. From there, drivers took to the seven-station driving course that required everything from precision stopping to tight turning and simulated Department of Transportation (DOT) weigh station and dock maneuvering. These are skills their routes regularly demand, and scenarios where fully automatic transmissions provide the necessary power and control. The final scored event for participants was a truck inspection with 15 planted defects that no driver managed to catch in full, upping the stakes and making it a make-or-break finale. 

"This year’s competition was a great success and IRMCA is grateful to have a partner like Allison who supported us with an ideal host location," said Chad Montgomery, Executive Director of IRMCA. "The space for the obstacle course allowed us to set up our competition to give a similar feel to what drivers will experience if they should go to the National Mixer Drivers Championship. Utilizing the test track and its amenities was such a blessing and allowed us to focus on improving the overall event for our drivers. We can't thank Allison enough for the use of the facility and look forward to continuing this partnership and returning for next year’s event."

For Allison, hosting and supporting IRMCA and its driver event was a natural fit. Many of the attending ready-mix companies rely on Allison-equipped vehicles in their fleets, and the event provided the chance to better understand the operational realities of the businesses that depend on its fully automatic transmissions. The alignment between Allison and IRMCA runs deeper than a single event. Ready-mixed concrete drivers move the material that builds Indiana's roads, bridges, homes, and commercial foundations — work that depends on the same durability, reliability, and uptime that Allison builds into every transmission. Hosting the championship at Allison's own test track underscored that shared standard. 

IRMCA's Mixer Drivers Championship is about more than crowning a winner. It is an opportunity to recognize the skill, professionalism, reliability, and dedication that ready-mixed concrete drivers demonstrate every day. As the association notes, drivers are often the first — and sometimes the only — representatives of the industry that a customer or member of the public interacts with, making them the backbone of the ready-mixed concrete business.