When guests at the Milton CAT Compact Equipment Field Day held in Batavia, NY in June, and visitors to Empire Farm Days held in August in Seneca Falls, NY, participated in the Milton CAT MTL operators’ contest, they knew what to expect!

Trying out a CAT Multi Terrain Loader in challenging terrain and experiencing its powerful, versatile and comfortable performance through the mud and over the berms is pretty exciting. Add an element of competition and you’ll immediately see participants crank it up and become very demanding, focused on getting more from their machine, really putting it to the test and in the process, getting full appreciation of the MTL’s key advantages.

The Milton CAT MTL operators’ contest took place in two locations. The first was at a Compact Equipment Field Day hosted by the Batavia, NY, Milton CAT location in June. The second was during Empire Farm Days, the popular three-day event that gathers local farmers, landscapers and construction companies and their families who’re catching up with friends and looking to see what’s new in the world of equipment, technology and services.

Milton CAT sales representative Jeff Finch was very clear; “The operators’ contest was not only about speed but also about agility, skills and safe operation.” Before the competition, interested participants were asked whether they had ever operated an MTL, and got a chance to become comfortable with the controls. Then each participant loaded the bucket of his CAT MTL halfway full of dirt, and proceeded to the starting line. When the operator felt he was ready, he’d give a nod and the stopwatch would begin counting the seconds.

Carrying the load close to the ground, for safety reasons, one participant at a time had to go first over a five-foot mound, followed by a sweeping turn and then, over a berm – which put the machine at an angle and really tested the operator’s focus and skill. The next step was going around a bend, over a set of 4x4s, and on a serpentine course, slaloming through cones; last came a 15 yard dash to the finish line. All of that, of course, done safely, and without spilling the bucket! Over two hundred participants took part in the Operators’ Contest over the four days it was held.

And the prize was….

Going to the races, and, doing it in style. Winners of the MTL operators’ contests attended the September Loudon, New Hampshire NASCAR Chase Race as VIPs, courtesy of Milton CAT. The plan called for each winner to invite a guest; they would all be driven to Loudon on Saturday, spend Saturday night at an area hotel and attend the race on Sunday.

Early on Sunday morning, the group was greeted by Milton CAT and Caterpillar representatives at the CAT hospitality tent and invited to take tours of the pit area. That was a great opportunity to see first hand what few people get to see; to ask questions about what happens before and during the race and to get a pre-race look at the bustling garage area.

The best was yet to come, though…and that was meeting Jeff Burton, driver of the #31 CAT car. Gracious and well-spoken but fiercely competitive, Burton gave an insightful, personal explanation of what racing means to him, answered questions from the audience, signed autographs and posed with the MTL contests winners. For several of the guests this was their first time at a NASCAR race, and they laughed, saying that, of course, it was going to be hard to follow it up as “regular” event watchers, not as VIPs!

Chris Jeffres from Wyoming, NY, was a first time NASCAR attendee and himself a winner of the MTL operators’ contest. Jeffres doesn’t get too much time off – actually, he realized, that weekend at Loudon was the first weekend off he could remember taking! “The only reason I could be here is that my brother-in-law offered to cover for me,” he explained.

Anything in common between the work done by Milton CAT customers and NASCAR racing? At first blush, the question doesn’t seem to make much sense – but think about it. In both fields, there’s people you watch and learn from. Behind each driver in his car and behind each operator in the cabin of his machine there’s an entire team, planning, servicing and supporting. In racing you need the ability to keep your eyes on the big picture, focus on your work and not get distracted by anything else, plus a determination to partner only with the best. And then, of course, there’s fierce competition. So, two worlds that seem far apart may have a lot in common after all.