2004 Berlin Raceway Awards Banquet notes

Boyne Machine Driver Awards Banquet concludes Berlin Raceway's 2004 season

MARNE, MI -- Berlin Raceway's annual Boyne Machine Driver Awards Banquet presented by Performance Engineering and The Screen Print Department Inc. was held Friday night at the Pinnacle Center in Hudsonville, and a sold-out crowd of 650 drivers, crew members, families and car sponsors enjoyed an evening of celebration. Champions Joe Bush, Brian Wiersma and Terry Van Haitsma were awarded their championship trophies and points fund prize money for their respective divisions, and several other awards were presented for driver accomplishments.

The banquet presentations included $40,000 in points fund money distributed to the top 15 drivers in each division, provided by Hoosier Racing Tire, Van Manen Petroleum and division sponsors Coors Light, Engine Pro and Standale Lumber.

Bush, from Hastings, MI, collected six race wins on his way to winning the Coors Light Late Model championship and was a model of consistency, finishing in the top five in every race but one. Bush was also named The Screen Print Department Racer of the Year. Coopersville's Brian Wiersma won seven Engine Pro Super Stock features on his way to winning his third division championship and first since returning to the division after a five-year stint in the Coors Light Late Model division. Van Haitsma, from Hudsonville, won seven features in the Standale Lumber Sportsman division to capture the championship in just his second season racing.

In addition to the 7-foot-tall champions trophies, the three division champions each received a gold championship ring from Tom Davis Jewelers; a Hoosier jacket; $500 value helmets from Impact Racing; $100 product certificates from AFCO and Bassett Racing Wheel; and a $300 Howe Cool Radiator for the Late Model champion and two Howe premium precision ball joints ($100 value) each for the Super Stock and Sportsman champions. The Super Stock champion also received a $1,200 value complete body from 5 Star and the Sportsman champion received a $250 certificate towards a complete body from 5 Star.

The top 10 drivers in each division were awarded trophies and positions 11-20 were awarded plaques, all engraved with their names and points finishes. Prizes from Engine Pro, Impact Racing, Lane Automotive/K&N, Valvoline, Bassett Racing Wheel, Powder Coating Services, Foerch Designs, Leaf Racewear and AFCO were awarded to the other award winners (see next page) as well as via random drawings of drivers during the two and a half hour awards presentation. The event was MC'ed by tuxedoed track announcer Norm Jelsma and MRN/WMUS race broadcaster Jeff Striegle and included several videos put to music to capture the scenes and excitement of the 2004 season.

For the finale to the evening, three prizes totalling $23,000 were awarded by random drawing among those who attended The Racing Show live broadcasts on Monday nights during the season. Boyne Machine and Port City Racing gave away a Late Model chassis, valued at $12,000, to lucky winner Randy Ellen and a Super Stock chassis, valued at $3,000, to Linda McGarvey. Finally, Performance Engineering presented a complete race engine valued at $8,000 to Tommy and Christa Willet, son of Sportsman driver Dave Willet.

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