Delo’s Game Changers road trip stops in Ritzville

Residents and visitors of all ages flocked to Love’s Truck Stop on July 11 to meet History Channel stars “Ice Road Truckers’” Lisa Kelly and “Deadliest Catch’s” Edgar Hansen.

Both Hansen and Kelly were in Ritzville as a part of Delo’s Game Changers cross-country road trip, a campaign co-promoted by Chevron Corp. and Love’s.

The road trip is in recognition of the 120th anniversary of the diesel engine, as well as the transition of Delo’s API CK-4 and FA-4 heavy-duty engine oils.

The campaign also recognizes local “game changers” who have made their mark in the agriculture, construction and trucking industries.

Kelly, who is from Grand Rapids, Michigan, gained notoriety on “Ice Road Truckers’” third season as being the first woman to join the show.

During that season, she was one of the drivers who traversed across Alaska’s Dalton Highway during Mount Redoubt’s eruptive activity, which lasted for several months. She appeared on season 3-5 and 7-10 of “Ice Road Truckers,” as well as its spinoff show “Ice Road Truckers: Deadliest Roads.”

Kelly’s tenure on the show has inspired several women to embark on truck driving careers.

Hansen appeared on “Deadliest Catch” with his brothers Norman and Capt. Sig Hansen of the F/V Northwestern. He’s served in a variety of roles on the vessel throughout the years, and was the captain during the ninth, 10th seasons and part of the 11th.

Ritzville was Kelly and Hansen’s second stop of the trip - they were in Post Falls earlier that day.

The two History Channel stars will travel across the Midwestern United States and finish in Jacksonville, Florida on Sept. 29.

Kelly and Hansen were chosen for the road trip not only because of their success on their respective shows, but they are also longtime Delo oil users, even before they were on television.

Kelly would use the oil in her trucks while Hansen and his family utilizes the product for the F/V Northwestern.

For Kelly, the road trip was also an opportunity to meet people she has inspired from her experience as a truck driver.

“It’s cool to be on this tour and meet people in this country,” Kelly said. “I met someone today who told me they were stuck in two feet of snow and were terrified, but they said ‘If Lisa can do it, I can do it.”

Izabelle Kramer, 14, and her mother Teri Kramer were two fans of Kelly and Hansen who came from Harrington to attend the event. Izabelle Kramer said Kelly has inspired her to be a truck driver when she gets older.

“She already drives a T800 Kenworth semi-truck on the farm,” Teri Kramer added. “She started that when she was 10.”

At the event, folks also had the opportunity to win free cases of oil. One family who came away with free oil was the Groves family, who live in Benge.

McKaylin Groves, daughter of Jana and Robbie Groves, rated the experience of meeting Kelly and Hansen and her family winning the oil, as a “very important day” in her life.