2009 Banquet Just Around the Corner

(January 13, 2010, Halifax, NS) – The CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour banquet is fast approaching and Tour staff are busy finalizing preparations.

The CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour’s top 20 drivers of 2009 will be honoured on January 23rd, when the teams come together at the Holiday Inn Harbourview Hotel in Dartmouth, NS, to celebrate the past season. Family, friends and sponsors will join the drivers and crew, as they trade their race day uniforms for business attire for the awards presentation, dinner and dance that make up the gala evening. Over $75,000 in cash, trophies and awards will be presented to the drivers during the event.

Shawn Turple (Enfield, NS), the 2009 champion will receive $10,000 and the winner’s trophy from the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour year-end point fund. The remaining $40,000 of the year-end point fund and finish place trophies will be paid to the remaining 19 drivers during the presentations.

EIT Race Radios will present cash awards and trophies to the 2009 EIT Race Radio rookie of the year, Josh Jaillett (MacDougall Settlement, NB) and runner-up Jason Carnahan (Stilesville, NB).

Parts For Trucks will honour the three drivers who earned the most points in the Parts For Trucks Challenge, the four races sponsored by Parts For Trucks. A pair of Shawns were on top of the board once the tally was completed. Shawn Turple captured the 2009 Parts For Trucks Challenge, while Shawn Tucker, (Fredericton, NB) was runner-up. Greg Proude (Springvale, PE) grabbed the third place hardware.

Proude captured the Atlantic Tiltload Time Trial award to be presented to the driver recording the most “fast times” in Atlantic Tiltload qualifying during the season. Proude set the fastest qualifying times at three events in 2009.

Coast Tire & Auto Service will present the Coast Tire & Auto Service Most Laps Led award to the three drivers who led the most feature race laps. Wayne Smith (Timberlea, NS) led the most laps in 2009. Greg Proude was runner-up, while John Flemming (Halifax, NS) rounded out the top three.

The Cathy Ledwidge Memorial Award, one of the most prestigious of the night, will be presented to the most sportsman driver. What makes this award so special is that the drivers in a secret ballot decide the winner. That and the fact it is named after a long time racing official and member of the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour family who was well liked and respected.

Awards will be presented to the drivers in the top finishing cars for each automobile manufacturer. Recognition to the top Dodge, Ford, General Motors and Toyota drivers will be made. As well, R&D Performancenter, Linde Canada and Lonnie Sommerville Racing will make a number of vendor awards during the evening.

All those who gather to celebrate the 2009 CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour racing season are sure to have a great evening.