IBG PASS Series Banquet and Awards Ceremonies

(November 6, 2005, Naples, ME)  The IBG Pro All Stars Series (PASS) closed out its fifth season on Saturday night November 5th at Verillo’s Conference and Banquet Center in Portland, ME with the annual awards ceremony and celebration of the champions in the PASS Series, the PASS Modifieds, and New England Allison Legacy Series.

The evenings ceremonies got underway a little early with the first PASS sanctioned wedding. The 2005 PASS Modified Champion Wayne Allard of Stetson, ME and his long-time companion Alice Colbath tied the knot in front of family, friends, and over 300 guests.

Master of ceremonies Mark Thomas then got the awards show on the road as he recognized the contribution of the Series Title Sponsor The Infinity Business Group, FARS Marketing, and E Challenge On-Line.  He also saluted Northern Race Tire and American Racer, Sunoco/ New England Race Fuels, and all the contingency sponsors especially Five Star Race Bodies for the full A-B-C bodies and discount certificates for other bodies, ARP for the full A-B-C body, Independent Wheel, Superior Image for the Rookie of the Year and Champions’ jackets and travel bags for the members of the Tom and Eileen Estes’ #00 PASS championship team.

 In addition, he thanked the newest contingency program participants AMF Motorsports of West Chesterfield, NH for the season-long support from Ohlins shocks, Eibach Springs, and AP Brakes and their generous contribution to the pool of products and services distributed during the awards ceremonies.

He also recognized  ADW Builders, Atlantic CAT, C B Kenworth, Clay GMC, Cole-Man’s Concrete, Community Pharmacies, D-J Equipment, Dysarts, E. J. Prescott, Forbes Chev-Olds, Freightliner of Maine, H-K Powersports, Hight Chevrolet, Main Street Auto, Norway Savings Bank, Pullen Heavy Industries, Roy’s All Steak Hamburgers, Seavey’s Appliances, Stilkey Trucking,  and TAT Link Belt Excavators for their individual race sponsorships.

Mark Bogue then took the microphone for the Allison Legacy Series awards. The young guns swept the podium as Dillon Moltz of Waterford, CT was crowned 2005 Series Champion with Kraig Coffin of Uxbridge, MA second, and Derek Ramstron of West Boylston, MA third. The first annual Randy Bryant Sportsmanship Award in memory of Randy, who died during the season, was presented to his son Ron, who accepted with his mother who gave a short, touching tribute to her husband.

PASS President Tom Mayberry then took the podium for the PASS Series and PASS Modified awards.  He first thanked all the competitors, the PASS officials, the promoters and race track operators for their part in a successful fifth season. Tom also told the full house that the 2006 schedule is almost complete and should be completed before Thanksgiving. He did say that the 18 race schedule in 2005 was too long for everyone and there would be 13 or 14 races for the PASS Series in 2006, including a return to Beech Ridge for a repeat of the PASS 400 Weekend that was so successful last September. He also said that there would be 10 to 12 races for the PASS Modifieds, and eight to 10 for the new Outlaw Late Model/Pro Stock Series.

Tom then called Jack Gerbrands of Northern Race Tire and First Daughter Amanda Mayberry to the podium to thank them for their work on behalf of Racing Against Cancer. Through their efforts, PASS sent a check for over $4,600 to RAC.

June and Gardner Leavitt were honored with the PASS Lifetime Achievement Award, but naturally enough, they were unable to attend as they were in CT at Thompson International Speedway for Don Hoenig’s Flea Market doing what they do week in and week out.

Tom then called Donnie Peters to the podium for a Special Achievement Award for all he did to help make the PASS Pullen 400 Weekend the success it was. It was then Roland Mayberry’s turn to be acknowledged for all he does in addition to driving the pace car. Norm Marx, the PASS webmaster and photographer, received the Commitment to Excellence Award for all he does to make the series the best there is and the PASS website one of the most popular destinations for race fans in the northeast.

Amanda was then called back to the podium to receive the Promoter’s Award as her dad acknowledged what everyone in the room already knew, that she is the one who keeps the entire operation on its wheels and moving forward.

April Barker of Weekend Thunder on Radio 1510 AM the Zone in Boston then presented the First Annual Speed51  PASS Most Popular Driver Award to Travis Benjamin of Morrill, ME the driver of the #17 Irving Oil Ford. The season-long contest is part of the Speed51 website, and it brings national attention to PASS and the other short track series it covers.

A big PASS thank you to Bob Dillner, Mike Twist, Justin St. Louis, Jeremy, and April for helping us spread the word about the most competitive super late model racing series in the northeast.

The PASS Hard Luck Award was presented to Matt Eaton of Little Deer Isle, ME. Matt was a show-stopper at all the racing shows with his tribute to the firefighters paint scheme, but the racing season was not kind to Matt. He put the car back together every time and came to the races ready to race, and all of it on a very short budget. Matt was surprised that the envelope he picked out of the box containing the contingency awards contained a certificate form ARP Race Bodies for a complete A-B-C body

The PASS Sportsmanship Award was presented to Donnie Lashua of Canaan, NH for a very successful second season in which he continued to show the skill, sportsmanship, and competitive fire and sense of fairness that marked his first year.

Corey Williams of Boothbay Harbor, ME picked up the PASS Most Improved Driver Award.  In making the presentation, Tom said that Corey is one of the young guys in PASS who has the talent and temperament to be a star in the very near future.

The PASS Modified Rookie of the Year Award went to Richie Morse of Waterford, ME, who was presented with a beautiful jacket from Superior Image by Jack Gerbrands of Northern Race Tire.

Alan Wilson of Hebron, ME was also presented with a jacket as the IBG PASS Series Rookie of the Year. Alan also received an envelope with a certificate for a complete Five Star A-B-C body.

Then it was the groom’s turn as Wayne Allard took his turn at the podium to receive the PASS Modified Series Champion’s trophy, check, and jacket. Wayne thanked his crew, his crew chief, and new bride Alice for her work as the tire specialist. He also said that his son was unable to be there because he was traveling to Navy boot camp, so everyone there, especially the young people, should “remember to hug their kids because they will be grown up and gone before you know.”

The final presentation of the night was the IBG PASS Series Championship hardware, gift certificates, and check to Ben Rowe and the Tom and Eileen Estes #00 team. This was the third championship in five years for this team. The 2005 season did not get off to a good start with a new car that it took most of the season to figure out. The turnaround for this team may have been the D J Equipment 150 at White Mountain Motorsports Park in N. Woodstock, NH in July when they had to borrow a car from Chris Kennison of Oxford, ME just to make it to the show. Championships are fashioned through adversity, and Ben and the entire Hi Tech Motorsports team showed why they are champions at White Mountain that night as they took the win in a car that Ben had no seat time in before practice.

The celebration has to end by Tuesday because Ben and the Hi Tech team will be joining the SP2 Team of Mike Rowe in a trip down to Concord Motorsports Park in Concord, NC for the big Super Late Model Asphalt Late Model Championship race next weekend.

Log on to www.proallstarsseries.com for more pictures from the Banquet of Champions and check back often as more announcements are coming shortly.

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