NASCAR wrapped up its touring-series season with two nights of banquets at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Philip Morris was crowned NASCAR Whelen All-American Series champion for the fourth time on Friday night.
Morris, 46, from Ruckersville, Va., also won the title in 2006, 2008 and 2009. He raced weekly at South Boston (Va.) Speedway, winning 20 features in 28 starts.
Morris and the late Larry Phillips (five-time champion) are the only two drivers to win multiple NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national championships.
On Saturday, the sanctioning body crowned six regional touring series champions–Max Gresham (NASCAR K&N Pro Series East), Greg Pursley (NASCAR K&N Pro Series West), Scott Steckly (NASCAR Canadian Tire Series), Germán Quiroga (NASCAR Mexico Series), Ron Silk (NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and George Brunnhoelzl III (NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour).
FAMILY AFFAIR
Ty Dillon, whose brother Austin won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series title, was officially crowned champion of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards at the group’s annual banquet at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center in Covington.
Driving his grandfather Richard Childress’s Chevrolets, Dillon won seven races during the season and left the stage on Saturday with more than $100,000 in points fund money for his team.
“It doesn’t really hit you, how special it is to do something like this, until you’re up on the stage like this and all these people you’ve worked so hard against all year are staring up at you and you’re getting crowned the champion,” Dillon said.
Chris Buescher was honored for finishing second in points and earning the series’ rookie of the year award.
ARCA also announced that 10 of its races will be televised by Speed in 2012.
CLAUSON’S NIGHT
For the second consecutive year, Bryan Clauson was the man of the night at the USAC Night of Champions National Awards Dinner held at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in downtown Indianapolis.
Clauson was honored as both the USAC National Drivers Champion and USAC Mopar National Midget Series title winner, having won both championships for the second consecutive season.
Clauson raked in a $40,000 year-end cash bonus, along with a $300,000 scholarship from IndyCar for winning the National Drivers Championship.
Despite winning two titles for the second straight season, Levi Jones played second fiddle to Clauson. Jones was recognized for capturing both the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series title and the Traxxas Silver Crown championship. It was the fifth sprint-car title for Jones, breaking Steve Butler’s previous record of four.
Nick Drake also claimed his second consecutive USAC National Ford Focus crown.
Other champions honored included Mike Spencer (AMSOIL USAC/ CRA Sprints), Tony Hunt (AMSOIL Western Sprints and Western Classic Pavement Sprints), Geoff Ensign (Western Classic Sprints), Cory Kruseman (Mopar Western Midgets), Jim Waters (Rocky Mountain Sprint and Utah Ford Focus), Richard VanderWeerd (West Coast 360 Sprint), Taylor Ferns (Mopar D1 Midget), Joe Krawiec (DMA Midget), Ross Rankine (Midwest Ford Focus), Brodie Kostecki (Western Ford Focus and Focus Young Guns), Jared Irvan (Eastern Focus Young Guns) and Sam McGhee (Midwest Focus Young Guns).
LESS MONEY, MORE RACES
The American Sprint Car Series-sanctioned Lucas Oil ASCS presented by K&N Filters National series will feature a record 63 races at 36 tracks next season. However, the added races come about partially because of a smaller purse structure.
Single-night weekend events and the final night of two-night shows are $4,000 to win and $400 to start. A flat amount of $500 tow money per night for each team among the top 10 in points will also prove beneficial for full-time teams pursuing the $60,000 championship share.
Texas Motor Speedway is among 11 new tracks on the 2012 Lucas Oil ASCS schedule.
THIS AND THAT
– World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion Jason Meyers added Georgia Boot to the Elite Racing team’s list of sponsors for the 2012 season.
– Lucas Oil will return for its second season as sponsor of the New York- based Empire Super Sprints.
– USAC revealed tentative schedules for the USAC Mopar National Midget Car Series (24 races), USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series (45 races) and the Traxxas Silver Crown Series (nine events).
– The United States Modified Touring Series revealed a 74-race campaign for the 2012 season.
– Wayne Hammond won Saturday night’s David Reutimann Foundation 50 for open-wheel modifieds at Florida’s East Bay Raceway Park
Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20111212/MOTORSPORTS/111219997#ixzz1gSrpFIa6
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