SOUTHLAKE, Texas (October 25, 2022) – Ron Rigdon of Parella Motorsports Holdings (PMH) was confirmed as an award winner in the Pilot Flying J’s annual Road Warrior contest. Recognizing the hard work, dedication, commitment and sacrifice of professional truck drivers who go above and beyond to keep America moving, the honor came with a $5,000 reward for Rigdon.
An Army veteran, father and grandfather from Tignal, Ga., Rigdon operates a 53’ hauler that functions as the homebase for various PMH motorsports series. In 2022, Rigdon traveled across the country to support PMH’s 19 annual race events. In 2023, that number will increase to 22 events.
“It’s exciting to see Ron receive this recognition from Pilot Flying J,” said Tony Parella, CEO of PMH. “Our staff is small, but they’re dedicated and hard-working—and Ron is no exception. With 19 race events from coast to coast this year, Ron has definitely earned the title of ‘Road Warrior.’ He’s the first one to arrive at the racetrack and the last one to leave. We’re very lucky to have him as a member of our team.”
Rigdon began his professional truck driving career in the freight industry where he spent over 20 years and received numerous awards, including recording a Million Miles of safe driving. Retiring from the freight industry, Rigdon got involved in motorsports. After spending 10 years driving for some of the top professional race teams across America, Rigdon settled in with PMH.
When he’s not on the road, Rigdon devotes his spare time to Santa’s Toy Run—a toy drive and fundraiser that he founded 16 years ago. His continued efforts have helped many children have the Christmas they otherwise couldn’t, providing toys to children in group foster homes and domestic violence shelters, as well as securing needed funds. To date, Rigdon has provided toys to more than 6,000 children, and raised over $70,000 for nonprofits dedicated to helping children in need.
Other professional drivers recognized in the Pilot Flying J annual Road Warrior contest include first-place winner, David Sweetman, runner-up finisher Jeffrey Thomas, and Greg Hepner, who tied with Rigdon for third-place.
“It is an honor to be able to give back to professional drivers and hear their incredible stories through our annual Road Warrior contest,” said Jason Nordin, Chief Operator for Pilot Flying J in an official release about the program. “We appreciate all the professional drivers out there who, like our winners, represent the heart, determination, and resiliency of trucking. Congratulations, David, Jeffrey, Greg, and Ron on being this year’s winners – we thank you for the millions of safe miles, for being incredible stewards of our industry, and for your dedication to serving our country in many ways.”
To learn more about Pilot Flying J’s 2022 Road Warrior contest and winners, visit pilotflyingj.com/roadwarrior.
To learn more about Rigdon’s toy drive and fundraising efforts, visit SantasToyRun.org.