HOLLAND HONORS TOP DRIVERS OF 2008 AT ANNUAL AWARDS BANQUET

Though the summer may have been one of the rainiest in the 49 year history of the Speedway, the racing was intense at the Holland NASCAR Motorsports Complex in 2008, and the champions and top competitors from the 2008 racing season were honored at Holland’s annual awards banquet on Saturday, November 22. The event was held in the Fillmore Ballroom of the Airport Millennium Hotel in Cheektowaga, NY.

NASCAR representative Meghan Miley  was on hand to assist in the presentation of top awards. In addition to the championship hardware and point fund monies, each divisional champion received a full size photo poster board placard of car and driver courtesy of the VSP Marketing Graphic Group of West Seneca, NY.

Jonathon Price of Colden NY earned his first open-wheeled track title, taking top honors in the NASCAR Sunoco SST Pro Modifieds.  Price, a former Holland Challenger/Charger division champion,  scored but a single feature race victory, but had only one finish outside of the top five in Holland’s designated NASCAR Whelen All-American Series division. The second generation driver walked away with $3,000  plus additional contingency monies for his efforts. In addition to the championship awards, the crew of the Price Trucking Racing Team received the Pro Modified Bobcat of Buffalo Best Appearing Pit Crew Award, and the division’s Martin Brothers Chevrolet Best Appearing Car Award was shared by the team’s #13 of Jonathon and #31 of teammate/brother Jeff Price.

Joining Price on the Pro Modified podium were Joe Evans and Mike Fiebelkorn, Jr. Evans had a break-out season in just his second year of racing, with a first-ever Holland feature victory and three additional top four finishes to earn second in the points chase. For his efforts, Evans received the division’s VSP Most Improved Driver Award. 2007 champ Fiebelkorn did not visit victory lane at all in 2008, but on the strength of five top five finishes, claimed third in the final points rundown.

Weekly Late Model racing returned to Holland in 2008 with the newly formed LAMOT (Late Models Of Tomorrow) Series, and T.J. Johnson of South Wales, NY proved that second can lead to first. Johnson raced to only one feature win, but placed second in every other start, locking up the initial LAMOT championship. Johnson also captured the Try-It Distributing Most Popular Driver Award, based on fan balloting.

Veteran driver Mike Ticco earned his first ever victories on the Holland high-banks in 2008 to claim second in LAMOT points, and Alan Fisher overcame a rugged mid-season practice wreck to earn third in the final tally. Fisher scored two wins for the season; he was also the recipient of the division’s Sunoco Hard Luck Award.

Mark Hoch of West Seneca, NY returned to race weekly at Holland in 2008, and that decision paid off nicely with a track title in the Carquest Charger division. Hoch visited victory lane on three occasions, and had just one finish outside of the top five. 2007 champion Jim Loffredo followed up with a second place points finish. Loffredo notched his only win of the year on Labor Day weekend, but had a strong start to the campaign with three consecutive second place finishes. Matt Welshans earned his second top three points finish in the past three seasons - Welshans had a solid end to 2008, with top threes in three of the final four events, including a feature win.

2007 Hornet champion Brandon Hirsch of Orchard Park, NY made the move to the Native Pride Pro Fours in 2008 and continued his winning ways.  Hirsch started the season with five consecutive feature wins en route to the divisional title, earning the division’s Clark Rice Memorial Rookie of the Year award as well.  In addition, his #17 was awarded the Pro Four’s Martin Brothers Chevrolet Best Appearing Car Award, and, based on fan voting, Hirsch was named the Pro Four’s Try-It Distributing Most Popular Driver.

Another Welshans family member had a strong finish to the ‘08 season, as Nik Welshans raced to three top threes in the final four weeks, including a feature win, to claim second in the Pro Four points rundown. Second year driver Josh Hathaway recorded two second and four third place runs through the year to claim third in the final tally; Hathaway also earned the division’s VSP Most Improved Driver Award.

After falling just short of the title a year earlier, “Earthquake” Jake Vernon of Hamburg, NY launched the 2008 campaign with a victory to start a successful summer resulting in a first points title in the limited schedule INEX Legends slate. Jeremy Haudricourt notched a feature win as well en route to a second place Legends points finish, while 2007 champ Jeff Johnson placed third in the final 2008 points tally.

Holland history was made in the Thiel Motorsports 4-cylinder Hornet division in 2008. Mae Urban of Cheektowaga, NY became the first ever female driver at Holland to win a points crown in a predominantly male class. Mae scored one feature win and three other top five finishes over large and competitive fields of the strictly stock racers to earn the title. Eric Marzec opened the season with a first career feature win and bookended the season with another victory to earn second in the final points standings. On the strength of two wins and a second in the final three events of the season, Eric Brown notched third in the final standings.

The only 2007 Holland champion to repeat in the20same division was Ashley Kirchberger of Buffalo, NY.  Ashley visited victory lane on five occasions as she rolled to her second straight Thiel Motorsports Queen Bee title. Mae Urban added to her outstanding season by claiming second in the Queen Bees points chase, grabbing one feature win in the ladies-only division. Though Samantha Lutz did not score a victory, the second year racer placed in the top four on five different occasions to place third in the final standings. Samantha was also named the recipient of the Queen Bees’ VSP Most Improved Driver Award.

With two wins and three additional top three finishes, veteran driver “Mad Mike” Eckam of East Aurora, NY earned his first career points title in the Alliance Auto Recycling Figure 8 Car division. Eckam also claimed the Figure 8 Car’s VSP Most Improved Driver Award, and, by the vote of the fans, was named the division’s Try-It Distributing Most Popular Driver. 2007 champion Jason Eck notched two victories en route to a second place points finish, while past champ Bill Lutz rode consistent top four finishes to grab third in the final standings.

Track chaplain Fr. Norb Obsolites was honored with the Ray Greenan Award, annually presented to a group or individual who goes above and beyond the call of duty in support of racing at Holland and motorsports in general. For her efforts in annually organizing and promoting the highly successful George Decker Memorial 100 for the NASCAR Sunoco SST Pro Modifieds, Phyllis Decker was honored with the Woman in Racing Award. Phyllis and son Barry Decker presented the George Decker Memorial 100 trophy to race winner Jeff Price. The Unsung Hero Award was presented to Holland’s Chief Technical Inspector, Al Morrison.

With cars he wrenches competing in three different Holland divisions, Larry Welshans was the recipient of the NASCAR Craftsman Mechanic of the Year Award. Try-It Distributing presented the Late Model Budweiser 100 Championship plaque to a representative of race winner Todd Hoddick. Media Appreciation awards were presented to Ken Hangauer, Jr. (WXRL-AM), Larry Ott (Buffalo News), and Mark Southco (NYRaceZone.com). Sponsorship Appreciation awards were presented to VSP Marketing/Graphics Group, Bobcat of Buffalo, Thiel Motorsports, and Try-It Dsitributing.

Other award winners included:

Sunoco SST Pro Modifieds  -
Feature race winners: Jeff Price (3), Neil Hopkins, Don King.
Points Awards 4-10: Justin Shepker, Don King, Jeff Ruddy, Tim Welshans, Chuck Anderson, Neil Hopkins, Mike Stevenson.
Sunoco Hard Luck Award: Chuck Anderson.
Clark Rice Memorial Rookie of the Year: Don King.
Try-It Distributing Most Popular Driver: Chuck Anderson.

LAMOT Late Models -
Points Awards 4-7: Nick Crassi, Bryce Davis, Scott Jarrell, Jason Gwin.
Bobcat of Buffalo Best Appearing Pit Crew: Bryce Davis #94 crew.
Martin Brothers Chevrolet Best Appearing Car: Nick Crassi #07.
Clark Rice Memorial Rookie of the Year: Bryce Davis.

Carquest Chargers -
Feature race winners: Jim Mallaber, Jerry Kosmowski, Joe Fetzer.
Points Awards 4-10: Bryant Burns, Shawn Lafferty, Jerry Kosmowski, Tom Northem, Jim Mallaber, Ted Welshans, Mark Harsch.
Bobcat of Buffalo Best Appearing Pit Crew: Shawn Lafferty #4 crew.
Martin Brothers Chevrolet Best Appearing Car: Al Grimmer #34.
Sunoco Hard Luck Award: Rich Carnes.
VSP Most Improved Driver: Jim Mallaber.
Clark Rice Memorial Rookie of the Year: Shawn Lafferty.
Try-It Distributing Most Popular Driver: Shawn Lafferty.

Native Pride Pro Fours -
Feature race winners: J.D. Roberts.
Points Awards 4-9: Chad Pusloski, J.D. Roberts, Jason Eck, Michelle Roberts, Mike Eckam, Bob Marzec.
Bobcat of Buffalo Best Appearing Pit Crew: J.D. Roberts #70 crew.
Sunoco Hard Luck Award: Bob Marzec.

Thiel Motorsports 4-cylinder Hornets -
Points Awards 4-10: George Quintana, Jeff Szafraniec, John “Jammer” Mueckl, Ricky Roth, Bill Lutz, Kyle Skoney, Frank Nellist.
Martin Brothers Chevrolet Best Appearing Car: John “Jammer” Mueckl #69.
VSP Most Improved Driver: George Quintana.
Clark Rice Memorial Rookie of the Year: George Qunitana.
Try-It Distributing Most Popular Driver: Jeff Szafraniec.

Thiel Motorsports Quuen Bees -
Points Awards 4-8: Elaine Pimpo, Noreen Koningisor, Julie Totaro, Kim Marzec, Lisa Loffredo.
Martin Brothers Chevrolet Best Appearing Car: Elaine Pimpo #29.
Try-It Distributing Most Popular Driver: Elaine Pimpo.

Alliance Auto Recycling Figure 8 Cars -
Feature race winners: Scott Pastorius, Jason Adams.
Points Awards 4-8: Scott Pastorius, Waylon Price, James Steins, Jason Adams, Sean McDonald.
Clark Rice Memorial Rookie of the Year: Waylon Price.


The Holland NASCAR Motorsports Complex will open for its 50th Anniversary Season on Saturday, May 23, 2009.
 

Source: Rick Mooney / Holland PR
Posted: November 23, 2008

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