HENDERSONVILLE, NC :: The UARA-STARS Late Model Stock Tour held their traditional awards banquet over the weekend at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Hickory, NC. In addition to honoring the series champion and top rookie, a number of other contingency and performance-based awards were also presented.
Series champion Dillon Bassett was awarded his long-awaited championship trophy and check, but also picked up additional awards from series partners like AR Bodies, Circle Racing Wheels, DRP Performance, Ford Motor Company, Tilton Racing Clutches, Tri-Star Racewear and WP Racing Shocks. In addition to those contingency prizes, Bassett was also named the Holley Performer of the Year, recognizing the driver who passed the most cars over the course of the season with a new Holley carburetor.
While Bassett was the youngest driver to ever earn the UARA-STARS points title, the championship honors were split between driver and team for the first time ever in the history of the tour. Assisted by his 3.00 average finish over the course of the year, Garrett Campbell picked up the owner’s championship for his team. Owner’s points in UARA are based strictly on finishing position without the aid of bonus points that drivers can receive for the drivers’ championship. Campbell was also named the tour’s most popular driver as voted on by series partners and officials. He also picked up various contingency awards including the Tilton Lap Leader Award for leading more laps during competition than any other driver during the 2013 season.
Garrett Jones saw his rookie year culminate during Saturday night’s banquet with a video review of his impressive freshman season in the tour. While he didn’t visit victory lane, he did finish fourth in series points and was able to outrun other first-year competitors like Dylan Hall, Chandler LeVan and Thomas Beane. Jones was awarded for his accomplishment by series partners AR Bodies, Five Star Bodies, Circle Racing Wheels, and DRP Performance. The No. 88 driver was also the recipient of a new welder courtesy of Miller Welders, an award that has become traditional each year for not only the top rookie, but also the owner’s champion.
Seventh place was the lucky position to finish in 2013, as Thomas Beane saw his luck change over the course of one night. Beane, one of the lowest-budget drivers on the tour, not only took home a points fund check for seventh place, but also won a new Five Star body by random draw and the series’ Most Improved Driver Award. The Arcoplate “Down Under” Award, awarded to the team who made the most of limited resources, was also earmarked for Beane and his No. 31 crew. Beane also received a certificate for $500 off of a Tiger Rear End reserved for the season’s seventh place finisher.
Comp Cams and UARA presented Charlie Long with the Comp Camps Engine Builder of the Year Award, a prize worth $1000 to the organization. Long and his team of employees won seven races with the Bassett Racing organization and their Ford powerplants in addition to other triumphs throughout the season.
Other drivers who received various awards over the course of the night included previous season champion Travis Swaim (Most Sunoco Poles (6) – $500 bonus, Swift Springs), Ronnie Bassett, Jr. (various contingency awards), Chandler LeVan (Joie of Seating Sportsman Award, Ultra Cool Brake Fans), Brandon Jones (Pigwire), Dylan Hall (Ultra Cool Brake Fans, Tiger Rear Ends) and Kaz Grala (Safety Kleen). The second half of the top ten finishers (6-10) also received a complete carburetor jet assortment courtesy of series partner Holley Carburetors. Additionally, championship spotter Paul Griffin was awarded a prize package courtesy of UARA radio communications partner Racing Electronics. Circle Racing Wheels and WP Racing Shocks also presented the top five finishers with contingency awards.
Other notable events from the 2013 season-ending UARA banquet included the release of a tentative upcoming race schedule. The series is slated to kick off the year March 22 at Hickory Motor Speedway as it has done almost every year since its inception. Ace Speedway returns to the tour and two dates were still yet to be finalized as of the banquet. Certain dates were subject to change and the UARA-STARS plans a formal schedule announcement once all dates have been confirmed.
Images from Saturday night’s banquet are available on MotorsportsPhoto.com in addition to the UARA-STARS Facebook page (facebook.com/uararacing), Twitter account (@uarastarsseries), and under #uarastars on all social media. For more information on the UARA-STARS, follow them on popular social networks, log onto their official website at uara-stars.com, or call (828) 692-3833.
