Great fun had at KLEIN TOOLS / Great Lakes Region SKUSA Awards Banquet By Terry and Shirley Riggins ANDERSON, IN - The KLEIN TOOLS / Great Lakes Region year end awards banquet was held last Saturday Night, November 29 at the Anderson, IN Holiday INN. Over 106 persons attending were pleasantly surprised at the quality BUSH Trophy Case & Embroidery trophies and Series points winner jackets for our point winners. All race classes top five-point series class winners received the very nice year end trophy, Jacket, and an assortment of KLEIN TOOLS packaged in a 100% leather tool carrier. All top 3 in adults received a set of KLEIN TOOLS 13-piece chrome combo wrenches, and a selection of other tools. Other items included in the tool bag included some certificates from DIGATRON, LLC for all racers of the series including a new DT-54 KMax to the Junior class winner. Other items included a selection of racing apparel from K & N, VP Fuels, with random bags including 428 Chain from ALDEN Engine Components. All Juniors and Novice drivers received a similar selection of tools, apparel and most juniors received a History of Racing book and scaled KLEIN TOOLS sponsored replica of past champ cars. The class winner also each class received a commemorative KLEIN TOOLS Racing Goblet each. Each class of drivers attending the banquet also was drawn for a single winner of a new 2000 ZAP, Bieffe, or G-Force helmet. Helmets were compliments of MRP Motorsports, Henry MotorCar Motorsports, and Target Distributing. Rapid Racing Enterprises of Clermont, IN, MRP Motorsports, Jim McCollough Racing, Henry MotorCar Motorsports, Streeter Superstands, Jim Perry, J-2 Gear, Signature Design Alden Engine Components, National Kart News, Great Lakes Region Laps for Kids Charity, Pilot Race Gear, Willis Bros. Racing and KLEIN TOOLS. All contributed to the overall items for support and success of our year-end contingencies and banquet. DECAL WORKS again was our pre-tech and post tech area sponsor. Thanks also were given to Ken Gimpert being our webmaster of the glskusa.com website, also sponsored by KLEIN TOOLS. Our Australian Pursuit event sponsor, Dave Nirschl with Industrial Service Group was also honored for his contribution. Special awards were given to all sponsors with a special clock, Screen Print, and momento of this years series. Also in attendance were Don and Susan Janowski, the originators of SUPERKARTS! USA and Mr. Jim & Karen Murley from SUPERKARTS! USA, Dublin, OH. Both couples were presented with a special 10-year award for commemorating the 10th year of the organization from the "Home" original region of SKUSA. Both were thanked for their contribution to our region's past participation and success. A special KLEIN TOOLS set of Goblets was also presented Karen and Susan. All women in attendance were treated to a pick of the table of wrapped gifts from Terry and Shirley Riggins, thanking them for allowing their drivers for them participating with us. All SKUSA Great Lakes Staff were also honored and presented with a special thank you from Great Lakes Region and KLEIN TOOLS. The SKUSA Great Lakes Staff, Families, participants and sponsors presented Terry and Shirley Riggins with an appreciation award of an expense paid trip to North Carolina to visit the Dale Earnhart Enterprises shop. Terry and Shirley were definitely taken by surprise with this and overwhelmed by this gift from everyone. Thank you. All Non Drivers and Wrench tuner crews were treated with an open table of various KLEIN TOOLS thanking them also for participating with us. Point class winners for 2003 are: Rapid Racing Enterprises FS-1 - Larry Nagy, Jr. Digatron, LLC F80 Jr. - Logan Gomez John's Kart Shop FMX - Tom Birchard MRP Motorsport FIC - Darin Marcus Jim McCollough Racing FG-1 - Garrick Miller Alden Engine Components FK-1 - Dustin Shriver Signature Design FRotax - Brian Bryniarski FLATOUT Group 60 Nov - Cap Henry Special driver awards were presented as the annual K&N Performance Filters "Rookie of the Year" was awarded to FLATOUT GROUP 60 Novice Driver Cap Henry of Bellevue, OH. Cap obtained the highest points of any rookie this year, and was awarded a plaque, One hundred-Dollar Cash prize, and a K&N Performance Racing jacket. Four drivers of the 60 Novice class were also presented a SKUSA Great Lakes Red-White-Blue Medal commemorating their willingness to share engines on a very bad weekend for 60 Novice engines at G & J Kartway in August. Some kids raced Sat, and sat out Sunday to allow the other kids to use their engines. Great Sportsmanship! Bush Trophy Case and Embroidery awarded the "Most Improved Driver" to Plainfield, IN Miles Miller of the Johns Kart Shop Formula MX Class. Great Lakes Region "Sportsman of the Year" was awarded to Ada, MI, Chris Kuenning running from the MRP Motorsports Formula IC Class. Thirteen drivers were recognized for making all 9 events for the year. All Tracks were also recognized for their cooperation of the series. A special presentation was given to Gary Kannagiesser on behalf of the SKUSA Great Lakes Series "Laps for Kids". The winners are always the kids and one of our contributions this year was to the Madison County, Indiana Gateway Association. This is a child development agency and a United Way Agency. We purchased and donated 2 wagons they really needed. Thanks to Harvey Riedel with his assistance on this project. A special thanks goes out to our track announcer and banquet emcee, Mr. Phil Dashler for his efforts and contributions for his 1st year on the job at our short tracks. Phil also contributed his professional services and provided music and effects for the after banquet entertainment and dance music. Some of our racers and families appreciated this as a little extra-added entertainment. Special thanks to everyone, Garrick and Tonya, and everyone to pick up and continue things from our incident at South Bend Raceway Park. Thanks to Phil "DASH" Dashler for the special kart hitting the race director fun trophy also presented at the banquet. Finally, thanks goes out to all of our racers, staff, participants, sponsors, KLEIN TOOLS, for everything. Your participation with us was an honor. Thank you Gina. Thanks to all.