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If the finalists at the 81st National Truck Driving Championships were feeling the pressure, so were their families.

Images from Columbus as well as the state truck driving championships.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The stage is set for a classic clash of the giants at the finals of the 81st National Truck Driving Championships on Aug. 18.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — While the diminishing front stop problem on the course of the 81st National Truck Driving Championships tested most of the country’s elite drivers on the tournament’s second day of competition, a few drivers appeared to figure it out.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Although competing on the second day of the National Truck Driving Championships allows drivers 24 additional hours to stir up nerves about the course, it also gives them extra time to analyze every turn, stop, cone and duck.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — In a partitioned section of the Greater Columbus Convention Center, removed from the occasional staccato of horns, the cheers of supporters and the deep voice of the announcer moderating the National Truck Driving Championships, uniformed law enforcement officers began to conduct vehicle inspections.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A sharp left turn to cross over five scoring zones after avoiding a rubber duck and then maneuvering through a row of tennis balls were among the problems tripping up many competitors on the first day on the course at the National Truck Driving Championships.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The law enforcement officers participating in the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s North American Inspectors Championship will not be asked to inspect electronic logging devices during this year’s competition.

Fans attending the National Truck Driving Championships have a competition of their own — securing the prime viewing spots in the exhibit hall.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Ray Martinez paid his first visit as the agency’s chief to the National Truck Driving Championships, rallying a crowd that included 424 truck drivers, 52 commercial vehicle inspectors, family members and volunteers.