The Sonic Drive-In crew at 5810 Lake Ave. in St. Joseph one step closer to qualifying for the National Finals of the 16th annual Dr Pepper Sonic Games. The St. Joseph Sonic is one of 300 remaining drive-ins striving to become one of the Final 12 teams to participate in the finals in Las Vegas, Nev., Sept. 20-21.

“The crew should be proud of their hard work and dedication to advance to the top 10 percent of all Sonic’s in the nation,” said Nelson Taylor, vice president of operations services. “The games are a unique and fun experience that encourages employees to deliver outstanding customer service. It also provides opportunities to learn about goal setting, responsibility and teamwork.”

The nine-month, Olympic-style competition tests the knowledge of crew members in the categories of Carhop (food delivery), Fountain (drink preparation), Switchboard (service delivery), Dresser, Grill and Swamp (food preparation).

The Final 12 teams will receive an all-expense-paid trip to the National Finals in Las Vegas, Nev., September 20-21, where they will compete to be named the nation’s best drive-in.