Q&A with Shawn Fleury, Our 2013 Thunder Road SpeedBowl Sponsee

We had the opportunity to ask Shawn a few questions about his participation in the Thunder Road International SpeedBowl. Shawn will be driving a Toyota Camry that will be emblazoned with the 802 Toyota logo, company colors as well as several additions from Shawn. He is the No. 2 most-winning driver of the Tiger Sportsman Division in the history of Thunder Road!

Q: How did you get into racing?
A: I got into racing because I grew up around it; my uncle Ron Bettis raced when I was growing up.

Q: How long have you been competing?
A: I have been competing for 17 years.

Q: How does it feel to be listed as second on the all-time win list?
A: It is exciting to think that with five more wins I could break the record.

Q: Why do you think you’ve been so successful?
A: I have been successful because of a lot of hard work and help from my crew and family.

Q: Why #31?
A: I have been several numbers over the years. I picked #31 because Dale Earnhardt Sr. was my favorite driver and I wanted something similar to his #3.

Q: What are you doing to prepare for the events?
A: My crew and I are preparing the car by going through every nut and bolt from front to back.

Q: What are your other hobbies, other than racing?
A: I like to go camping with my family, as well as watching my son play sports.

Q: Thunder Road has a pretty huge fan base, how does it feel having so many fans for an event you participate in?
A: It is great to have all the fans. If we didn't have the fan base we have that support us and the track there would be no racing.

Q: What’s your favorite car?
A: My favorite car is a '73 split bumper Camaro (if you are talking about street car), but if you are talking race car, my favorite is the one that wins me the race!

Even though you can't buy Shawn's Camry, we do have quite a bit of "civilian" Camrys in stock now. Check out our new Toyota Camry inventory here! Stay tuned for regular updates on Shawn's progress in building his race-ready Toyota Camry!

The Ladies of the 802 Toyota Service Department

Introducing our two amazing females in the 802 Toyota Service Department, Michele Miller and Amber Dudley!

Michele Miller is your one-stop Warranty Administrator. She knows the who's who of warranty claims. If there's a question about whether or not your service is covered under warranty, Michele either has the answer or she knows who does. She has been with 802 Toyota for over seven years, and prior to her working with warranties, Michele was the Service Writer guru. She has received numerous certificates from Toyota University for Warranty Fundamentals, Codes/Abbreviations, Record Keeping, and Claim Processing Systems. Michele has also been trained in the Scion Customer Service Process. Her Motto: "The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today."

Amber Dudley has both lived in Vermont and worked at 802 Toyota as a Service Writer for one year. Her favorite Vermont beer is Switchback, but her favorite restaurant lays in Worcester, Ma. at O’Connor’s Restaurant. Why does she love 802 Toyota? “The job is fast paced, and I enjoy working hard to have a customer leave satisfied.” Next time you get your car serviced, you’ll see Amber behind the desk ready to meet your needs and leave you with the best service experience possible! She may be new to the automotive industry, but she is taking it by storm!


Need your vehicle serviced? Or maybe you just want to meet one of our wonderful employees in person? Either way, be check out our 802 Toyota Service Department here; you can even schedule service online!

802 Toyota Staff Feature: Shannon Bolduc

Say hello to our leading (sales)lady, Shannon Bolduc!

Shannon has been with 802 Toyota for three years; a graduate of Mount Mansfield High School and resident of South Burlington, Vt., she is a life-long Vermonter, although she's also spent time living in Nevada and California. Shannon's favorite eatery is Koto Japanese Steakhouse, and she loves tubing down Vermont's rivers, camping and visiting the Church St. Marketplace.

Her two pets at home are a 22 pound iguana named Beast and a turtle named Pitu. Since her horse Sampson is now retired, she currently drives a used SUV, but her favorite new car to sell is a Toyota Tacoma. Her favorite used car to sell? "Whichever one that best suits my customer's needs, wants and budget." She believes 802 Toyota is awesome because "our customers are treated honestly and fairly, with dignity and respect.

Here are seven things you didn't know about Shannon, followed by her staff video feature! Want to see her customer's testimonials and find out her schedule? View Shannon's full staff page here.

1. She's been skydiving.
2. She loves to garden.
3. She grew up on a small horse farm in Jericho.
4. She's been in the car business since she was just 19 years old.
5. She prefers creamy peanut butter over crunchy, and she hates Miracle Whip.
6. She's both a Green Bay and Red Sox fan.
7. She can wiggle her ears.

More Details of the Redesigned 2014 Toyota Tundra

The 2014 Toyota Tundra Debuts at the Chicago Auto Show

 

Technology and fuel efficiency are two major factors for competitors when it comes to designing trucks. Toyota hasn't redesigned the Tundra since 2007, but with the 2014 Toyota Tundra, it's showing off both technology and added fuel efficiency.

A 6.1-inch color touch screen with Toyota Entune is available and includes Bluetooth streaming, navigation and Pandora streaming audio. The center of the gauge cluster also plays home to an all-new 2.5-inch multi-information display.

The exterior has a larger chrome grille; both the front and rear bumpers now have a three-piece design, which will aid in having less expensive replacement parts. The rear tailgate has an integrated spoiler to help with aerodynamics and therefore fuel efficiency.

Fun fact: there are SR, SR5, Limited and Platinum trim levels, but also a 1974 Edition, which is a new trim reflecting a western lifestyle. It's a tribute to the ranch where the Tundra plant resides, which was founded in 1974.

A backup camera is now standard on the 2014 Tundra, there's also a new blind-spot monitoring system with rear cross traffic alert, which will be available on the Platinum and 1974 Edition trim levels. There are eight standard airbags as well as a new manual headlight leveling system that includes LED daytime running lights in order to make things easier when towing heavy loads (available on the Platinum and 1974 Edition).

Pricing hasn't been announced yet - but is expected to be released alongside fuel economy information later on this summer. The 2014 Toyota Tundra is expected to hit dealerships in September. Can't wait that long? View our used Toyota Tundra and 2013 Toyota Tundra inventory here.


All information via The Washington Post, all images via USA Today

A Redesigned Toyota Tundra to Debut on Feb. 7!

Our very own 2008 Toyota Tundra in white

Toyota has just announced that a redesigned Toyota Tundra will debut at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show. This will be the 2014 Toyota Tundra; we don't yet know how redesigned it will be, but we're excited to see it! The current Toyota Tundra design has been around since 2007, but on Feb. 7, 2013 (tomorrow!) we'll see the new one - stay tuned!

Take a look at our 2013 Toyota Tundra or used Toyota Tundra inventory here!


All info via Autoblog