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2005 ASALMS Champion, Stephen Leicht And Waltom Racing Honored
By ASA Late Model Series Staff
Lexington, Michigan (01/16/2006): The 2005 ASA Late Model Series Awards
Banquet Presented by GM Performance Parts, Hoosier Racing Tires, Torco Racing
Fuel and the Choice Hotels Chain was held on Saturday January 13th at the
Quality Hotel and Banquet Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana. A sold out crowd
packed into the Banquet hall for the awards ceremonies as the ASALMS
officially closed the books on the 2005 season.
The weekend started on Friday evening with an official "Meet and
Greet" in the Cassidy Cocktail Lounge at the hotel. Everyone gathered for
hors d' oeuvres and cocktails to meet new teams and officials and renew old
friendships. To make it an authentic 2005 event, the rain came and the storm
knocked out a transformer and the hotel and lounge lost power for a couple
hours but we kept it going with some candles and cocktails.
Saturday morning was the 2006 all division drivers meeting, teams came in from
all over to attend the meeting. The series went over rules packages and
answered questions to a room full with competitors new and old. Available to
teams where the Marketing CD's, 2006 Travel Guides, Average Event Cost
budgets, ASALMS Fan gear, schedules and plenty of sponsor brochures to help
the teams get the products and services they need.
Later on Saturday night, it was time for the 2005 ASALMS Awards Ceremony,
ASALMS Director of Media/Public Relations and P.A. Announcer, Matt
Prieur served as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening as over $70,000 in
Cash and Awards was handed out during the ceremony. Each team was greeted by
ASALMS Founder/President, Ron Varney as well as ASALMS Vice-President, Bud
Gebben and his wife, Phyllis.
The well deserved admiration and respect from Leicht's fellow ASALMS
competitors that raced against him all season, flooded the 2005 ASALMS
Championship tables who had a front row seat to the festivities. After Leicht
and the entire Waltom Racing Team were officially crowned the 2005 ASALMS
Champions, the whole Waltom Racing Team was given a long standing ovation at
the end of the evening and every driver who came to the podium showered the
2005 ASALMS Champion with accolades throughout the evening.
Leicht's 2005 championship season speaks for itself. Five feature wins,
including all three scheduled events at the Baer Field (IN) Speedway. May 7th
during the UB Machine 100, the 8th annual International Gold Cup 100 on August
5th, and the 9/11 Tribute 100 on September 11th. Leicht's picked up two more
wins in the Gibson Chevrolet 100 at the Illiana (IN) Motor Speedway on July
23rd and the Tribune-Democrat 100 at the Jennerstown (PA) Speedway on August
13th finished up his five feature wins.
In addition to his five wins, Leicht's championship season consisted of 10 Top
five finishes with all 10 of those either wins or runner-up showings. Also
Leicht racked up 12 Top 10 finishes in the 14 events held during the 2005
season. Leicht also managed to win four Motive Gear Fast Qualifier Awards at
IRP, Sandusky, Baer Field (Third event on 9/11), and Rockford. Stephen Leicht
and the Wal-Tom Racing Team are the 2005 ASA Late Model Series
Champions.
For their championship efforts, Leicht and Waltom Racing received a plethora
of awards from: GM Performance Parts Winners Circle Program, ASALMS Points
Fund, ARP Bodies, All-Star Performance, Butler Built, Basset Racing Wheels,
AFCO Racing Products, Crane Cams, Five Star Stock Car Bodies, Penske Racing
Shocks, Performance Friction, Holley Carburetors, Howe Racing Enterprises,
Hyperco, Impact Racing, Jerico Performance Products, Mechanix Wear Gloves,
Quartermaster, Redline Oil, Racing Electronics, Race Safe Systems, The Screen
Print Department, Torco Racing Fuels, Team Tech Motorsports, Virtual Thunder,
Racedrivercards.com, and Racing Anonymous Inc.
For the 2006 season, Leicht will be moving on from the ASALMS and has signed
with the famed Robert Yates Racing stable for the 2006 season and beyond.
Leicht's schedule will consist of select events in both the NASCAR Busch
Series as well as the ARCA Remax Series. The entire staff and management of
the ASALMS wishes the 19-year-old from Asheville, North Carolina all the best
of luck and success as he moves forward with his racing career.
Also in a surprise announcement, Waltom Racing announced their new drivers for
the 2006 season as Mouston, Wisconin pilot, Kelly Bires and Montgomery,
Alabama Teenage sensation, 14-year-old, Hunter Robbins will team up to form a
potent two car team within the Waltom Racing Stable.
Both drivers will be going for the 2006 Pat Bourdow Memorial Rookie of the
Year title in the televised ASALMS Challenge Division. Bires will also run the
full Northern Division schedule and select Southern Division events while
Robbins, the winner of the Snowflake 100 at the Five Flags (FL) Speedway
during the Snowball Derby weekend will also run the full slate of events in
the Southern Division and select shows in the Northern Division.
2005 Pat Bourdow Memorial Rookie of the Year, Brian Campbell and the A.P.I.
Motorsports Team was also honored for both the Rookie of the Year honors as
well as a second place overall finish in the 2005 points standings. The
Bourdow family was on hand to present Campbell with the first ever Pat Bourdow
Memorial Rookie of the Year, Dan Bourdow gave a touching tribute to his late
son and presented Campbell with the award for the top finishing freshman
during the 2005 season.
Campbell has an outstanding 2005 season as the Grand Rapids, Michigan driver
finished second an amazing six times during the 2005 season. His runner-up
showings came at; Baer Field (IN) Speedway twice on May 7 and September 11. In
addition, Campbell's other four runner-up finishes were recorded at the I-70
(MO) Speedway on June 18, Illiana (IN) Motor Speedway on July 23, Jennerstown
(PA) Speedway on August 13, and Hawkeye Downs (IA) Speedway on September 2.
Campbell also recorded 10 Top 10 finishes and won two Motive Gear Fast
Qualifier awards at I-70 and Illiana.
For winning the 2005 Pat Bourdow Memorial Rookie of the Year Award, Campbell
and A.P.I. Motorsports received his trophy for winning the Pat Bourdow
Memorial Rookie of the Year as well as second overall. In addition to awards
from: GM Performance Parts Winners Circle Program, ASALMS Points Fund, AFCO
Racing Products, Basset Racing Wheels, Butler Built, Crane Cams, Penske Racing
Shocks, Port City Race Cars, Performance Friction, Holley Carburetors, Howe
Racing Enterprises, Hyperco, Impact Racing, Jerico Performance Products,
All-Star Performance, Mechanix Wear Gloves, Quarter Master, Redline Oil, The
Screen Print Department, Torco Racing Fuel, Team Tech Motorsports, Virtual
Thunder, Racedrivercards.com, and Racing Anonymous Inc.
The third and final Champion to be honored was the 2005 GM Performance Parts
Shootout Champion, Mart Hartline. The Hartline Racing Enterprises team was
also given a nice ovation for the Gilberts, Illinois veterans first ever
championship. Hartline received his trophy for the 2005 GM Performance Parts
Shootout Champion as well as awards from; GM Performance Parts Winners Circle
Program, ASALMS Points Fund, a cash bonus as the first ever GMPPSO Champion,
Pro-Vision, Ringers Gloves, and Racing Anonymous Inc.
Finishing third through 10th in the final points chase and receiving their
hardware, points fund checks and GM Performance Parts Winner's Circle Awards
were; Chad Wood/Wood Brothers Racing, Kris Stump/Hock Motorsports, Ryan
Carlson/Kar Korner Motorsports, Landon Cassill/Cassill Motorsports, Jack
Smith/UB Machine Racing, Jason Dietsch/Jason Dietsch Racing, Travis Dassow/T.D.
Racing, and Peter Cozzolino/Cozzolino Motorsports.
From 11th-20th and also receiving their points fund checks and GM Performance
Parts Winners Circle Awards were; Brent Downey/Downey Racing, Keeton
Hanks/Keeton Hanks Racing, Mike Satkowiak/Wieland Motorsports, Doug True/True's
Motorsports, SS Racing with Chase Austin and Jarit Johnson, Jesse Smith/Jesse
Smith Racing, Brett Piontek/Bay Motorsports, Bobby Stremme/David Stremme
Racing, Bill Tomlinson/Tomlinson Racing, and Tony Rosebrugh/Zambeck Racing,
rounded out the Top 20.
Drivers that didn't finish in the Top 20 but were part of the GM Performance
Parts Winners Circle program included; Jason Tyler/Jason Tyler Racing, Derek
Bischak/Diversified Motorsports, Chard Motorsports with drivers Doug Mahlik
and Cory Podolski, Ryan Tedesco/Marathon Manufacturing Racing, Bob Varney/RV
Performance Motorsports, Nick Mahlik/Mahlik Motorsports, Troy Barnes/Troy
Barnes Racing, Joey Dennewitz/Eagle Motorsports, Scott Baker/Top Gun Racing,
and Tommy Cook/C-C Motorsports.
Also the ASALMS staff, management, and teams are eternally grateful to the
True's Motorsports Team and driver, Doug True for their hard work and
dedication throughout the 2005 season. True helped several teams, including
Landon Cassill, Mike Satkowiak, Bill Tomlinson and several others with
providing the True's Motorsports Back-up car and overall patronage throughout
the season.
There were several special awards, voted on by the drivers and teams, that
were also handed out and they were; Lefthander Chassis Hard-Luck Award: Bill
Tomlinson, who will receive a brand new Lefthander Chassis! Tomlinson also
received a special plaque honoring the Schoolcraft, Michigan driver as the
only driver in series history to have appeared at every event in ASALMS
History dating back to the USPRO Cup Series in 2003.
In addition, several more individual awards went too: Chad Wood-Sportsman of
the Year, Brent Downey/Downey Racing-Best Appearing Crew, Keeton Hanks-Most
Improved Driver in 2005, Bill McGowan/A.P.I. Motorsports-Miller Electric Crew
Chief of the Year for the top finishing rookie. The 2005 Championship Team,
Waltom Racing walked out with several awards including; Car Owners of the
Year-Tom and Walter Glietsman, Best Appearing Car-Stephen Leicht, and Miller
Electric Crew Chief of the Year-Howie Lettow,
Jim Randerson of Randercar Chassis was the 2005 Sponsor of the Year and he
stayed on stage to present the Randercar Chassis Hard-Charger Award and a
brand new Randercar Chassis to Ryan Tedesco. The track of the Year went to the
I-70 (MO) Speedway as promoter Brad McDonald accepted the award for the
Odessa, Missouri speed plant.
In another very touching ceremony, the Promoter of the Year Award was
dedicated to the memory of the late Jim Amstutz of the Hawkeye Downs (IA)
Speedway and in a surprise announcement, the Promoter of the Year Award will
forever be renamed the Jim Amstutz Memorial Promoter of the Year!
It was only fitting then that the late Amstutz, who passed away in October
2004, would posthumanously win the first Jim Amstutz Memorial Promoter of the
Year plaque. Ed Emerson and Paul Draper from Hawkeye Downs accepted the
award.
The awards kept coming during the 2005 ASALMS Awards Banquet as Director of
Tech and Safety, Jim Haun was very surprised to receive the first ever ASALMS
Official of the Year Award. In addition, Janet Billings received the "Above
and Beyond" Award from the ASALMS for her contributions during the season and
Marcia Gebben won the "Official Appreciation" award for her outstanding
dedication to the ASALMS.
Several prizes were also drawn for the ASALMS teams that were on hand and
winning those individual awards were: Wieland Motorsports with driver, Mike
Satkowiak, won a brand new Five Star Stock Car body, while Waltom Racing won a
body kit from ARP Aluminum Racing Products. C-C Motorsports and driver, Tommy
Cook received a brand new Hoosier Tire while both Hock Motorsports and A.P.I.
Motorsports received a Pro-Vision Boroscope,
Jason Dietsch won the ASALMS Clock from Speedway Graphix while Downey Racing
won the ASALMS Mailbox also from Speedway Graphix. Scott Baker and Tony D'Ambrose
won the jackets from Red Line Oil while $50 Gift Certificates from RV
Performance went to True's Motorsports and Tomlinson Racing. Finally Kar
Korner Motorsports and Larry Chard Motorsports won the $40 Gift Certificates
from M.P.H. Promotions.
The next event for the ASALMS is the 2006 ASALMS Southern Division
Owner/Drivers meeting is set for Saturday January 21, 2006 at the Quality
Inn/Marietta Room in Marietta, Georgia from 10am-1pm. This meeting is in
addition to the ASALMS Owner/Drivers Meeting that was held this past weekend,
in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
It is very important that you register your attendees with the ASALMS Southern
Division Office as soon as possible. There is no charge to attend the meeting.
As of now, over 80 people have indicated that they will participate. So space
is at a premium. Please register via e-mail or call the Southern Division
office at: (770) 630-4571 or you can e-mail Southern Division Director, Randy
Rabinowitch at: randyr@asalatemodels.com
The 2006 season is fast approaching for all three divisions within the ASALMS.
The ASALMS Southern Division will open the 2006 season for the entire ASALMS
on Saturday March 4th at the Bronson (FL) Motor Speedway near Gainesville in
Bronson, Florida for the inaugural Florida 100.
The televised ASALMS Challenge Division will open the doors on their 2006
season two weeks later at the famed .596 mile high-banked paved oval of the
Music City (TN) Motorplex in Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday March 18th for
the running of the Music City 200. Finally the ASALMS Northern Division will
hold its' inaugural event on Saturday May 6th at the wicked fast = mile of the
I-70 (MO) Speedway outside of Kansas City in Odessa, Missouri for the Show-Me
100.
For more information about the approaching 2006 season with the ASALMS
Challenge Division, as well as the ASALMS Northern and Southern Divisions;
check out the websites at: www.asalatemodelsnorth.com
and www.asalatemodelssouth.com
You can also call the ASA Late Model Series home offices during normal
business hours (9am-5pm Eastern Standard Time) at 1 (800) 385-2503 or log onto
the main ASA Late Model Series website anytime at: www.asalatemodels.com
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