With the roar of 101,000 NASCAR fans greeting him, Larry Allar stepped across the race track at the LENOX 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday, picked up the keys to the Site Commander Sweepstakes grand prize, and drove off with the most awesome work truck on the planet.

The Minnesota custom builder – and long-time TOOLS reader and LENOX customer – won the tricked-out Dodge Ram 5500 Site Commander, loaded with LENOX tools and cutting-edge products and technology all worth $118,990. Allard entered the contest online early this year and then forgot about it, until he got the call.

"At first I couldn't believe I'd won," Allard said right after learning the good news. "And even now a few weeks later it's still sinking in. I feel fantastic."

This was by far the most ambitious Site Commander build-out and tour since we launched the program nine years ago, with more new products on display, and more high-tech systems in operation than ever. And the response has been awesome.

So far the Site Commander tour has visited more than 300 Lowes stores coast-to-coast, and Allar's name was selected from the 28,957 contractors from across the country that had entered the Sweepstakes by the May 1st deadline.

Allar brings decades of construction trade experience and architectural training to his award-winning design-build company, Nest Builders located in St. Louis Park, MN, and was an early adopter of green building techniques in his market. When he's not working on one of his projects or building furniture in his shop, Allar coaches high school wrestling and enjoys time with his wife and four children.

This is the 9th year of the Site Commander program since Tools of the Trade launched the first tour in 2000. Since then, through truck appearances, Web site promotions, and media coverage, millions of contractors across the country have seen the latest work truck concepts and construction tools and technologies - many developed just for the Site Commander.

Each of the three 2009 Site Commanders has a complete custom wireless mobile office integrated into the cab, a wireless computerized command center built into a custom gull-wing door compartment in the utility service body, a jobsite-tough Segway housed in a custom "garage" complete with electric lift, and demonstration centers for the latest in tool accessories, tools, and building products.

The Site Commander tour is sponsored by Tools of the Trade, LENOX Industrial Tools and Dodge Trucks. Other participating companies include Carhartt, Dell, Georgia-Pacific, Reading Truck Body, Segway, Sprint, Therma-Tru Doors, and Werner Ladder.

The tour continues. Go to www.thesitecommander.com to find out where you can see this year's Site Commander for yourself.

#x2013; Rick Schwolsky