 | 107 positions were awarded over 15 classes
(Photo: Joe Brittin) |
Over 240 people attended the 2011 Route 66 Series awards banquet on the evening of November 5 where over $65,000 in award and merchandise were given out. The banquet was held at the beautiful Crowne Plaza Hotel ballroom in Springfield, IL. Awards were presented to the point champions from 15 classes with 107 positions being awarded to the drivers in attendance. Junior classes were awarded back to 10th position with the remaining classes awarding at least the top five in season points.
The kids enjoyed free drawings by a caricature artist while the adults socialized during the cocktail hour preceding the dinner. Following the dinner, master of ceremonies Rick Fulks, who served as race director throughout the season, began the awards presentations. As the class point champions were called to the stage, music that each class champion had personally picked out was played when they were recognized. Some class champions gave a brief speech to thank their supporters. Recognition awards included crystal eagle trophies for class champions and silver cup trophies for 2nd through 10th in points. During the awards presentation, each drivers photo was projected onto a screen showing their kart in action from one of the seasons events.
Merchandise awards given to the drivers included drivers suits for the class champion, Streeter Big Foot kart stands, Bridgestone tire sets, Oktane Visual helmet paint jobs by T.J. Koyen, Comet Kart Sales gift certificates, Laukaitis Racing gift certificates, Snipes chain aligners, Douglas magnesium wheel sets, L & T clutches, MyChron4 gauges, MyChron steering wheels, MyChron timers, Snipes lazar front end gauges, AIM transponders, Douglas standard wheel sets and miscellaneous gift cards. And the top eight in Kid Kart points all received new bicycles.
New series awards were given this year to the most improved Senior class driver (won by Cal Stewart), most improved Junior driver (won by Collin Griffin) and most improved Junior Sportsman/Rookie driver (won by Spike Kohlbecker). Sportsman of the year award went to Lamar Cowboy Humphries. Collin Griffin also received an award from Kart Sports North America/ Team Arrow Racing that will provide him with a chassis and support to use at a 2012 WKA Man Cup series event.
All drivers receiving awards were entered in a drawing for an Arrow kart chassis which was won by Brandon Lemke. Many of the drivers were also eligible for engine award drawings. Engine drawings were held for four Yamahas, 2 KPVs and a TAG Leopard. Winners of the Yamahas included Spike Kohlbecker, Becker Reardon, Christian Ledesma and Adam Crepin. KPV engines were won by Chad Kruger and Clair Ruenger. Adam Crepin also won a TAG Leopard engine.
Special recognition awards were given to the series sponsors, class sponsors, race event sponsors, special awards sponsors, engine builder series champion (Adkins), chassis manufacturer series champion (Merlin) and to the series workers and administrators. For the non-drivers, many family prizes were drawn for donated by Marx Fireplaces and Lighting, Stan and Lisa Guess of Express Karts and Parts, Matt Dial Racing and Brittin Photo.
For all series drivers in attendance, many prizes were drawn for using a prize board system. Prizes included sets of Bridgestone tires, sprocket sets, a Yamaha engine blue-printed by Triple E, Go-Pro cameras, Red Line Oil gallons, Burris Oil cases, RLV SSX cans, Mychron4 gauges, Douglas Wheel sets, L & T clutches, Tillett seat certificates, tire gauges, drivers gloves and many other gift certificates from various class sponsors.
 | Yamaha Supercan Lite award recipients
(left to right), 1) Jimmy Clark, 2) Drake Ostrom, 3) Matthew Laukaitis, 4) Darin Marcus, 5) Brad Brittin, 7) Adam Crepin
(Photo: Joe Brittin) |
At the end of the awards presentation, several great raffle prizes were drawn for. Brad Peterson won a 2011 Margay Brava Senior kart and Brandon Klein won an Arrow Junior kart. Colton Peterson won a KPV engine package. Grant Branscum won a Kartlift high-performance stand and Denise McQuinn won an $849 Weber Genesis gas grill.
At the conclusion of the nearly two hour awards ceremony, more socializing and dancing to a DJ took place along with viewing of racers favorite GoPro videos from the season which were projected onto a large screen for all to enjoy.
A special thank you goes out to the following supporters who helped make this years banquet possible: Bridgestone, Margay Racing, Laukaitis Racing, L&T Manufacturing, Russell Karting Specialties, Franklin Motorsports, Comet Kart Sales, Kartlift, AIM Sports, Ballistics Designs, KartSport North America, Driveline, Tillett, CKT, Burris, Streeter Superstands, Oktane Visual, WKA, Haddock Ltd., Express Karts & Parts, Triple E Sales, Tomar and Marx Fireplaces & Lighting.
The 2012 Route 66 Series race schedule will soon been announced and the series is expected to have a seven weekend schedule. Events will be held at Mid-State Raceway, Concepts Haulers Motor Speedway, Badger Raceway, New Castle Motorsports Park and Michiana Raceway Park. For more information about the series visit http://www.route66kartracing.com .
The following drivers received year-end awards:
KID KART CHAMPIONSHIP Kart Star Motorsports
1) #18 Talan Drake Riverside, Iowa
2) #25 Kyle West Quincy, Illinois
3) #28 Tyler Allison Mexico, Missouri
4) #76 James Lynch Chicago, Illinois
5) #55 Mason Santiago Joliet, Illinois
6) #22 Hayden West Quincy, Illinois
7) #75 Sinead Lynch Chicago, Illinois
8) #9 Jena Rentmeister Mt.Pulaski, Illinois
YAMAHA JUNIOR HEAVY Vogel Heating & Cooling
1) #55 Collin Griffin Winfield, Illinois
2) #09 Robby McQuinn Springfield, Illinois
3) #3 Michael Geringer Elburn, Illinois
4) #14 Kenlen Morse Plainfield, Illinois
5) #69 Anthony Granata Itasca, Illinois
6) #77 Jeremy Klein Naperville, Illinois
7) #52 Elliot Finlayson Yorkville, Illinois
8) #45 Chris Gray Naperville, Illinois
9) #39 Jimmy Tapocik Springfield, Illinois
10) #69X Dillon Morley Moline, Illinois
 | Yamaha Rookie Heavy class top-ten won by Michael Patreno (left)
(Photo: Joe Brittin) |
TAG I SENIOR- Franklin Motorsports
1) #9 Cal Stewart South Beloit, Illinois
2) #18 Drake Ostrom Moline, Illinois
3) #26 Justin Vancil Quincy, Illinois
4) #97 Mark Vielgut Hubertus, Wisconsin
5) #37 Adam Crepin St.Louis, Missouri
YAMAHA ROOKIE LITE CKT Racing Engines
1) #5 Spike Kohlbecker St. Louis, Missouri
2) #18 Michael Paterno Willowbrook, Illinois
3) #22 Matthew Northrop Sugar Grove, Illinois
4) #36 Brendan Trent Clayton, Indiana
5) #84 Grayson Shankleton Champaign, Illinois
6) #75 Sam Mayer Franklin, Wisconsin
7) #10M Evan Moore Quincy, Illinois
8) #7 Stephen Dial Elwood, Illinois
9) #10 Tyler Studant Winfield, Illinois
10 )#17 Cohle Santiago Joliet, Illinois
YAMAHA SUPERCAN LITE Adkins Speed Center
1) #18X Jimmy Clark LaGrange, Illinois
2) #18 Drake Ostrom Moline, Illinois
3) #81 Matthew Laukaitis Decatur, Illinois
4) #406 Darin Marcus Northbrook, Illinois
5) #7 Brad Brittin Springfield, Illinois
6) #1 Kevin Bowler Woodstock, Illinois
7) #37 Adam Crepin St. Louis, Missouri
9) #01 Mike Nesbitt Decatur, Illinois
YAMAHA SPORTSMAN LITE Triple E Sales
1) #7 Becker Reardon Sheridan, Illinois
2) #79 David Malukis Franklin Park, Illinois
3) #37 Thayne Chapin Maquoketa, Iowa
4) #47 Kaleb Allison Mexico, Missouri
5) #01 Brandon Lemke Eagle, Wisconsin
6) #27 Dillon Schwanbeck Poynette, Wisconsin
7) #88 Alec Evers Rochester, Illinois
8) #83 Egan Shankleton Champaign, Illinois
9) #24 Brant Carter Davenport, Iowa
10) #14 Brandon Klein Naperville, Illinois
FORMULA YAMAHA MASTERS Margay Racing
1) #08 Chad Kruger Springfield, Illinois
2) #41 Dave Timmerman Dubuque, Iowa
3) #12 Kenny Price Dewey, Illinois
4) #7 Clair Ruenger Verona, Wisconsin
5) #19 Bob Kaminski Lombard, Illinois
YAMAHA SPORTSMAN HEAVY Two Cycle Technology, Inc
1) #47 Kaleb Allison Mexico, Missouri
2) #37 Thayne Chapin Maquoketa, Iowa
3) #01 Brandon Lemke Eagle, Wisconsin
4) #27 Dillon Schwanbeck Poynette, Wisconsin
5) #7 Becker Reardon Sheridan, Illinois
6) #24 Brant Carter Davenport, Iowa
7) #9 Riley Yates Rockton, Illinois
8) #83 Egan Shankleton Champaign, Illinois
9) #12 Ryan Weyer Hubertus, Wisconsin
10) #88 Alec Evers Rochester, Illinois
FORMULA YAMAHA SENIOR Streeter Super Stands
1) #18 Drake Ostrom Moline, Illinois
2) #37 Adam Crepin St. Louis, Missouri
3) #21 Brian Zirves Antioch, Illinois
KOMET SPORTSMAN Ballistic Designs
1) #01 Brandon Lemke Eagle, Wisconsin
2) #83 Egan Shankleton Champaign, Illinois
3) #4 Alex Bertagnoli Algonquin, Illinois
4) #24 Colton Peterson Stoddard, Wisconsin
5) #23 Owen Leatherberry Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
 | Brandon Klein won an Arrow Junior kart at the banquets raffle
(Photo: Joe Brittin) |
KOMET SENIOR Jet Karting
1) #18 Drake Ostrom Moline, Illinois
2) #406 Darin Marcus Northbrook, Illinois
3) #7 Brad Brittin Springfield, Illinois
4) #17 Michael Haggar Greenfield, Minnesota
YAMAHA ROOKIE HEAVY Switch Racing Engines
1) #18 Michael Paterno Willowbrook, Illinois
2) #5 Spike Kohlbecker St. Louis, Missouri
3) #36 Brendan Trent Clayton, Indiana
4) #10M Evan Moore Quincy, Illinois
5) #84 Grayson Shankleton Champaign, Illinois
6) #7 Stephen Dial Elwood, Illinois
7) #10 Tyler Studant Winfield, Illinois
8) #17 Cohle Santiago Joliet, Illinois
9) #29 Blake Bauman Nashotah, Wisconsin
10) #75 Sam Mayer Franklin, Wisconsin
TAG II SENIOR- KartLift High Performance Kart Stands
1) #9 Cal Stewart South Beloit, Illinois
2) #18 Drake Ostrom Moline, Illinois
3) #26 Justin Vancil Quincy, Illinois
4) #94 Nick Nile Lisle, Illinois
5) #711 Dillon Kranz Columbus, Wisconsin
YAMAHA JUNIOR LITE Express Karts & Parts
1) #55 Collin Griffin Winfield, Illinois
2) #14 Kenlen Morse Plainfield, Illinois
3) #69 Anthony Granata Itasca, Illinois
4) #09 Robby McQuinn Springfield, Illinois
5) #52 Elliot Finlayson Yorkville, Illinois
6) #77 Jeremy Klein Naperville, Illinois
7) #00 Christian Ledesma Joliet, Illinois
8) #3 Michael Geringer Elburn, Illinois
9) #69X Dillon Morley Moline, Illinois
10) #41 Killean Keaveny Annadale, Minnesota
YAMAHA SUPERCAN HEAVY Comet Kart Sales
1) #18X Jimmy Clark LaGrange, Illinois
2) #18 Drake Ostrom Moline, Illinois
3) #37 Adam Crepin St. Louis, Missouri
4) #81 Matthew Laukaitis Decatur, Illinois
5) #01 Mike Nesbitt Decatur, Illinois
6) #08 Chad Kruger Springfield, Illinois
7) #6 Kyle Prokup Granville, Illinois
8) #99 Tim Brinkman Chatham, Illinois |
