Land Rover Rockville to Compete in Land Rover TReK 2000 Final
6 November 2000
Land Rover Rockville to Compete in Land Rover TReK 2000 Final Maryland Land Rover Retailer Will Compete in Final Round Of
Four-Wheel-Drive Manufacturer's Off-Road Driving Competition
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va., Nov. 3 Land Rover Rockville
has won the first of Land Rover TReK 2000's six Territorial Trial events.
Land Rover TReK 2000 is an annual off-road driving competition currently
taking place on the grounds of The Greenbrier, a world-class vacation resort
located in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. The Land Rover Rockville team won its
place in the November 16 Final by acquiring the most total points in
Territorial Trial #1's competitions. The Trial #1 events included running;
biking; four-wheel-drive product knowledge; and off-road driving. The team
emerged from their grueling, 12-hour Territorial Trial even more enthusiastic
about Land Rover than ever before.
"Our team was thrilled just to be a part of Land Rover TReK 2000,"
remarked Brad Helms, Centre Manager of Land Rover Rockville. "To advance to
the Final is a wonderful achievement. We're very proud of our team." Land
Rover Rockville's TReK team is comprised of staffers Gregory Gagorik, Bill
Kelly and Christopher Ridgely.
Land Rover TReK was created by Land Rover North America, Inc. to build
product knowledge and brand enthusiasm among the sales and service personnel
of Land Rover's nationwide network of retail outlets. The Greenbrier is home
to one of only two permanent Land Rover driving schools in North America.
During the rest of Land Rover TReK 2000, a stream of 48 three-person
teams-each like the team from Land Rover Rockville-from across the U.S. and
Canada will travel to West Virginia to camp and then compete in one of TReK's
six rigorous Territorial Trials. The winning team from each Territorial
Trial, including Land Rover Rockville's team, will return to The Greenbrier
for the November 16 TReK Final.
The TReK Final will be even more intense than the Territorial Trials. It
will be a daylong competition consisting of eight unique skills events. For
the competitors, the TReK Final will start early-at 5:00 a.m.-with a written
quiz that challenges retailers' knowledge of Land Rover history; Land Rover
vehicles; four-wheel drive systems; and even competitive products. Following
the quiz, the teams compete head-to-head in four intense competitions that put
their teamwork to the test. The teams will compete in a mountain bike race, a
foot race and-in a first for TReK-a specially designed river race conducted
using inflatable rafts. The team that acquires the most total points will
win.
The grand finale of the TReK Final will be a timed off-road driving
competition. Each team will drive a specially outfitted 2001 Land Rover
Discovery Series II manufactured by Land Rover Special Vehicles. Team members
are required to carefully maneuver their Discovery Series IIs through an
obstacle filled path; physically move any obstacles that cannot be driven over
(or around); stop and swap drivers along the way; and, at all times, adhere to
proper and safe driving techniques. In this competition, it is skill-not
speed-that can help to ensure victory.
The staff of each competing Land Rover retailer knows that TReK's real
payoff is reserved for Land Rover customers. Customers benefit from the know-
how and enthusiasm the highly skilled, TReK-veteran retail staffers such as
Gagorik, Kelly and Ridgely bring back to their Land Rover retail facilities.
Land Rover Rockville is one of 124 Land Rover retail outlets in the U.S.
Eighty-one of these are critically acclaimed Land Rover Centres. Due in part
to team-building events like TReK, Land Rover retailers continue to score near
the top of the industry in critical retailer-focused customer satisfaction
studies. Land Rover retailers also benefit from very low employee turnover
rates.
The 48 teams chosen for Land Rover TReK 2000 were culled from Land Rover's
network of North American retailers. To qualify for TReK, each participating
retailer must have scored a 90 or better in Land Rover North America Inc.'s
most recent internal Customer Satisfaction Index research, among other
requirements. Entry was offered to the qualified Land Rover retailers on a
first-come, first-served basis.
The first Land Rover TReK event was held in Social Circle, Ga., not far
from Atlanta, in 1996. Subsequent TReK events have been held in Manchester
Village, Vt. and Bodega Bay, Calif.
