Anthony_Perrego_exits_car By LEON ANDRUS Well it has been awhile since my last column so first I want to say I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas with your family and or friends. I must also wish you all a very Happy New Year and hope it is very healthy and memorable year. In this article I will be do a column that I use to do while writing for the Gater Racing Photo News and that was my end of the year “Leon Awards”. I will also have some local Southern Tier News and maybe a couple of notes or two depending on space. I first must tell you what the awards are for if you’re not familiar and also remind all that these are my opinions and should not reflect on any other track, organization, publication, driver, owner, crew and or fan. The award recipient does not get any plaque, trophy or financial compensation but instead gets recognition from a lifetime fan of racing to show appreciation to some of the things that I have observed this past race season. One last rule that I use is I must have either seen it with my own eyes more than just one time for certain situations or in some cases able to read about it in a reputable publication. So I will get started by giving a number to follow easier but they are in no particular order and again remind you these are my opinions period. #1) Best return of a race track to prominence. – This award goes to Thunder Mountain Speedway located in Center Lisle, N.Y. The past few years the track was not very well attended by fans or competitors but in 2014 the track was back under the promotion of the original builder and promoter Karl Spoonhower of Berkshire, N.Y. Mr. Spoonhower made many track improvements before the start of the race season with new clay on the surface, new lighting and redid the road leading up to the speedway. The Modified division was brought back for weekly competition and special event promoter Brett Deyo was brought in to help with scheduling and promotions. The car counts approved weekly and the fans came back in groves. #2) Car owner of the Year. – Chris Gennarelli who fields a Crate Sportsman car for his Son Alec who ran at the Penn Can Speedway. Gennarelli also owns the Modified piloted by Adam MacGeorge at Penn Can and the car is also used by Danny Johnson in selected big shows. Then Gennarelli made it possible for “The Doctor” to be able to run the DIRTcar Series as he purchased the full operation from Maroney and Johnson had a great year behind the wheel of the (27j) and The MacGeorge (86). #3) Best new Race of the Season – The winner was the race promoted by Brett Deyo at the Georgetown Speedway in Georgetown Delaware known as the “Beach Blast”. For a first time race held in Southern Delaware and not being in an area that has multiple Modified competitors there was a great turn out of both the Modified and Sportsman division on this night. Plus the fan turnout was huge and they went away begging for more. To top it off young gun Tyler Dippel (1) won his first ever big block Modified event on this night and did so with a small block under the hood and driving away I might add. #4) Media member of the Year – Mike Mallett who pens an article for Area Auto Racing News and also writes many articles right here on Dirt Track Digest (DTD) from all the events that he gets to during the racing season. He also takes on some of the controversial subjects out there and tries to get all sides to those subjects. Case in point the article he wrote on here about the three main touring series and did a question and answer session with the spokesmen for those series. Mallett also takes part in a radio show known as the 31st lap and of course gets behind the microphone at Utica Rome and on the Empire Super Sprint (ESS) Tour. Plus doing press releases for that tour and some of the Utica Rome press releases. Add in taking care of (DTD) and also always doing live updates on the big races to keep the race fans informed. #5) Track Official of the Year – I am giving this award to Gary Kinne who is a track official at the I-88 Speedway in Afton, N.Y. and also at the Five Mile Point Speedway in Kirkwood, N.Y. on a weekly basis. Any special race around the Southern Tier you can expect Mr. Kinne to be at the track doing something at the track just to help out. I went to the Gobbler back in November and went I got there Mr. Kinne was already out directing traffic out on the highway as it was backing up. #6) Rookie of the Year Award – I am giving this award to Anthony Perrego a Modified pilot who is a youngster who definitely has a great future in front of him. Between piloting the family owned (18) or the Gary Mann owned (55). Perrego captured three features at the Accord Speedway his Friday night home and finished second in points to a many time champion Rich Ricci Jr. On Saturday Perrego finished fifth in the point standings at the Five Mile Point Speedway and captured eight feature victories including their Southern Tier 100. Add in many good showing in all the special events he entered in the different series races out there rather it be in DIRTcar, Race of Champions, or the new Short Track Super Series. Plus with his win early in the season at Volusia Speedway in Florida gave Perrego twelve feature win on the year. #7) Horizon Award Winner- Here again I give the award to Anthony Perrego and for the same reasons above and Perrego is my only double winner of an award. My Horizon award goes to someone that shows much promise in future racing endeavors and he certainly meets those awards. I did have a couple other candidates but my complicated formula kept spitting out Perrego. #8) Woman in Racing – A new category for me this season and my first winner of this award is Denise Page. Page is the wife of Jamie who is the promoter of the I-88 Speedway along with Ron Ford for the past five years. Denise who takes care of the concessions both fan side and pit side leading up to race night making sure it is all organized. Then on race night taking care of concessions and getting others set up for their jobs along with answering the phone. Getting drivers pay envelopes filled and employees filled also. I am sure this happens at many other speedways also but in this case Page was doing all of this while handling some serious medical issues and I am sure she would say it was because of all of their great staff. #9) Best Track Food – Even though every track I visited in 2014 either had a very good item or two and most at reasonable prices. The winner though was I-88 Speedway which has quality food at reasonable prices weekly. They usually have a special item or two weekly and also have a special deal weekly. Add in a wide variety and you have a winner. #10) Best Touring Series – This award was my easiest winner of my awards as the Short Track Super Series Fueled by VP gets the award hands down. Not only was this the first year of this series under the promotion of Brett and Heather Deyo but just shows that hard work and dedication will make these series races great for years to come. The six race series had the highest overall purses with good payout in the middle of to help all to continue. All laps sponsored in every event for usually the top seven spots. Many contingencies for the racers and always something happening for the fans. All shows have brand new apparel by Bob Hilbert Sportswear the leader in that market also. Most have a new souvenir program also and or bumper stickers. Six race champion Andy Bachetti won over $10,000.00 in prize money and contingency awards for a six race series. Wow! #11) Driver of the year – Once again this year as like last year the award goes to Stewart Friesen. Friesen who won track championships at Fonda Speedway and the Utica Rome Speedway. Well over twenty feature wins in the Modified division and has wins in the 360 Sprint division. Friesen also ran this season on the asphalt to help in capturing his big NASCAR award. Friesen also has a great chance to become the champion for the (RoC) Dirt Modified series when it runs its final event at Five Mile Point in early April. Friesen was and is a threat to win on any of the three series out there plus with just about any car he straps into. So there are my awards and certainly could have handed out many more but will stop here and as you read you can agree disagree and heck you can put your own list together. Remember first and foremost these were my opinion and hopefully all the award recipients know that I appreciate all they do and I do it to give them the many accolades they deserve. Since my last column the only road trip I have made for a race was to the Accord Speedway for the Gobbler and unfortunately that fell to the weather. As announced earlier this Month the race will be held on Tuesday April 14th. Getting long so I will end on a reminder to get out to the New York State Stock Car Association (NYSSCA) Hall of Fame awards during their banquet at the Polish Community Center in Albany, N.Y. on Saturday January 31. Also earlier in the day for a more informal ceremonies at the Saratoga Auto Museum.
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 14:05:52 +0000
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