PLANTE,BIEBER, McGILL HONORED AT SPEEDWAY ENTERTAINMENT BANQUET

Plante, Bieber, McGill Honored at Speedway Entertainment Affair
Date: 1/7/2013 9:45:50 PM
Plante, Bieber, McGill Honored at Speedway Entertainment Affair The AACA Antique Car Museum in Hershey,PA was the setting for the 2012 Speedway Entertainment Awards Banquet with the stars of the Rich Tobias created classes,the Slingshots and SpeedSTR’s on hand to receive their monetary and special awards. With over $25,000 in point fund money,parts,chassis’ and bodies being given out the race teams made the trip to Hershey to be a part of the festivities. The spotlight shone on Oley,PA’s Brett Bieber who won his second consectutive title by a narrow margin over 2009 National Champion Cody Kline.Bieber saw the finish line first at Kutztown,Penn Can and Hamlin.Kline took victories at the Reading Nostalgia National and Selinsgrove Taking the final podium position was Simon Egan who pilots one of the 1st Slingshots ever built in 1999,owned by Randy Smith of S&S Speedways.Simon won the season opener at Atlantic City as well as the Spring Spectacular at Shellhammers and both events at the Fall Jamboree at Path Valley. Notching his first Junior National title was Plattekill,NY’s Brandon McGill who piloted the John McGill wrenched # 62 to three wins enroute to the championship. Fellow New Yorkers,Jared LaBagh and Ryan Quackenbush rounded out the top 3 with LaBagh taking 2 checkereds and Quackenbush getting the season finale at Path Valley.Also getting Junior National wins were Dylan Hoch and Dakota Kohler. The SpeedSTR point battle came down to the last race of the season as two teenagers squared off for the honors with Quebec,Canada’s Maxime Plante winning the season’s last show at Path Valley to head north as the champion after a late season spirited showdown with Salfordville,PA’s Brandon Rahmer.The top 2 drivers both secured 2 wins on the season as third place finisher Paul Lotier,Jr. of Lebanon,PA stayed close after winning the season opener at Airborne Park. Not to be left out were the Slingshot Regional Champions,Brett Bieber,Cody Kline,Rick Allen and Dustin Sorensen.Speedweeks Champion for 2012 was Cody Kline. All track champions were also honored with plaques. The SpeedSTR Regional Champions,Paul Lotier,Jr. from the USA Region and Maxime Plante from the Canada Region were honored as well. Special Awards for both classes were handed out with the SpeedSTR Special Awards going to Yannick Mathieu / Best Appearing Car,Pierre Hebert / Sportsmanship,Brandon Rahmer / Most Improved Driver,Mitchell Lacombe / Rookie of the Year and Driver of the Year,Maxime Plante The Slingshots were anxiously awaiting their special awards and the winners were quite surprised to say the least.The Best Appearing Car went to Henry Anderson,the Sportsmanship Award was voted on by the fellow racers and the winner was Effort,PA’s Tom Arntz,Jr.With a win at Kutztown this season and some upfront runs,Mark Sensenig was the 2012 Most Improved Driver.The Rising Star Award which is the Slingshot Rookie of the Year went to Jonestown,PA’s Kyle Gruber,who finished in the Elite 11 National Points.Junior Rookie of the Year is the Junior Fall Jamboree winner Ryan Quackenbush.With car counts increasing and the races attracting more fans RevStar was voted in as the Promoter of the Year.The Best track Promotion was awarded to the No-Dirt National at Borgers Speedway.Borgers made the switch from dirt to asphalt and the October National and Junior National was talked about for a long time afterwards. The media members,who do a fanstastic job for Speedway Entertainment and are a major part of the success of the classes were honored as longtime race fan,historian and former radio talk show host and race intervewer Steve Pados,who does the results and releases for Hamlin and Accord Speedway received the John LeVan Writer of the Year Award.The Bill Hess Photographer of the Year Award goes to Tim Krysiuk.Tim,does not have any travel boundaries and if there is a small car or SpeedSTR race in the area,you will see a multitude of photos from this talented lensman. Rounding out the final awards of the evening were the Slingshot Driver of the Year Awards with Simon Egan being named the All Star Class top driver and Jared LaBagh receiving the 2012 Junior Driver of the Year. Rich Tobias gave the banquet attendees some encouraging words for both classes as he and Doug Rose have taken realm of the former Kutztown Fair Speedway and have renamed it Action Track USA. All in attendance went home full from the great spread by Muddy’S BBQ and the post award entertainment supplied by PJKNAP Productions. The 2013 season opens for the Slingshots at the Herr’ Snack Bowl 25 in Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall on February 1st & 2nd. Speedway Entertainment Home of the Slingshot by Tobias Home of the SpeedSTR www.speedwayentertainment.com