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Gala Night at CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour banquet
(Dartmouth, NS, January 25, 2010) – Teams, sponsors, staff and fans gathered at The Holiday Inn Habourview Hotel in Dartmouth, NS to celebrate the 2009 CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour season.
Over 200 people were on-hand in the Lake City Ballroom as the CARQUEST Bonus Fund honoured the top twenty teams in the summer long points series. The night consisted of a reception, dinner, and formal presentations, followed by a dance.
R&D Performancenter’s Steve Henderson presented on behalf of AFCO Shocks and Five Star Racing Bodies to Mike Stevens (Riverview, NB) and Dave O’Blenis (Boundary Creek, NB) respectively. The award winners were determined by a draw at the banquet.
Gary Jamieson of Linde made the presentation of a set of acetylene torches to Wade MacKinnon, who was representing son Darren MacKinnon (Sleepy Hollow, PE). Lowell Affleck (Summerside, PE) won the electric welder provided by Linde. The award winners were determined by a draw at the banquet.
On behalf of Sommerville Racing and ARP Racing Bodies, Larry Sommerville presented a racing body to Roger Crane (Montague, PE). David Hicken accepted the award for Crane, who was chosen via a draw.
Jim Hallahan of Forbes Chevrolet (Dartmouth, NS) made the manufacture presentations to the top finishing manufacture brands. John Flemming (Halifax, NS) received the top Dodge award, while Donald Chisholm (Antigonish, NS) the top Ford and 09 Champ Shawn Turple the top Chevrolet award. Dave O’Blenis (Boundary Creek, NB) was the top Toyota driver.
Greg Proude (Springvale, PE) won the Atlantic Tiltload Time Trial Award, setting the most “fast times” during qualifying throughout the 09 season. Ernie Ledwidge made the presentation on behalf of Atlantic Tiltload.
Scott Lockhart presented The Coast Tire Most Laps Led Awards. Third place was presented to John Flemming, while Greg Proude grabbed second place. Wayne Smith (Timberlea, NS) took home first place by virtue of leading the most laps during 2009. Darcy Tucker subbing for Smith accepted the award.
The Parts For Trucks Challenge is a four race series within the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour’s 11-race season. Rudi Foster presented third place to Greg Proude and second place to Shawn Tucker (Fredericton, NB). Dave Hamblin made the presentation to the 09 Parts For Trucks Challenge winner, Shawn Turple.
EIT Race Radios sponsors the rookie of the year award and Brent Rowley was on hand to make the presentations. Jason Carnahan (Stilesville, NB) was rookie of the year runner-up, with Richard MacArthur accepting for Carnahan. Josh Jaillet (MacDougall Settlement, NB) was crowned rookie of the year.
The Cathy Ledwidge Memorial is given to the most sportsman driver, as voted on by the drivers themselves. Cathy Ledwidge was a well-known and respected race official in the Maritimes who lost her life to cancer much too soon. The fact that the award is named after Ledwidge and the drivers’ votes determine the winner makes this a very prestigious award to win. Kent Vincent (Crapaud, PE) was chosen as most Sportsman driver.
Kevin Stuart and Marc Cloutier of CARQUEST presented the trophies and $50,000 in prize money to the drivers. Sixty-one race teams competed during the 2009 CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour, trying to be among the top 20 drivers at the end of the season and earn a spot on the banquet stage. Shawn Turple (Enfield, NS) was crowned the 2009 champion, earning his first championship on the prestigious tour. Turple thanked all the tour sponsors, his car sponsors, family, especially wife Cassie and his great crew during his acceptance speech.
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