With safety on the line, Contender's a winner

When Daytona International Speedway hosted a big 400-mile NASCAR race recently, there was a new contender on the world-famous track. Kenworth Truck Co and Pierce Mfg recently delivered a new Contender Series dry-side tanker built on a Kenworth T300 two-door chassis to Daytona Fire Chief Bob Vining and Captain John Erdman.

The Kenworth T300 chassis has a Cummins ISC 315-horsepower engine, Allison five-speed automatic transmission and antilock brakes. The Pierce Contender Series dry-side tanker includes a 2,000-gallon water tank and 500-gallon-per-minute pump. The firefighting vehicle will be used for all major events at the track, including the Daytona 500.