What are the odds that owners of two car dealerships in small towns in central Illinois would be nominated for the prestigious TIME Dealer of the Year award just one year apart?

And what are the odds that the owners of those dealerships would be brothers-in-law?

If you happen to Brad Nikles and Chris Graue, the odds are pretty good.

Last fall, Chris came by the studio for a headshot. He owns Graue Inc., a Chevrolet/Buick dealership in Lincoln, and had been nominated as one of the 55 dealers from across the country to vie for the 2014 award.

Then just a few months ago, Brad (who is married to Chris' sister Barb) was nominated for the 2015 award and came over for his headshot. Brad owns dealerships in Mason City and Petersburg. The State Journal-Register has a nice write-up of Brad's history in the business, which included nearly losing the business in 2009 when Chrysler closed nearly 800 dealerships nationwide.

The 2015 winner will be announced at the NADA annual convention in San Francisco, CA, on Friday. You can view Brad's nomination profile here.

I wish Brad the best as he represents our communities here in central Illinois.