By Tommy Goudge
(October 30, 2010) – The fifteenth season of Southern Ontario Sprints competition came to a conclusion on Saturday, October 30 as the club honoured 2010 champion Glenn Styres at the annual SOS awards banquet, held this year at the Holiday Inn Toronto/Markham.
The top 10 in 2010 SOS points took home point fund money and sponsor products, while awards were presented to:
Marie White Memorial Award (100 career SOS races) – Adam West
Founders Rookie of the Year Award – Jim Munsie
ImageFactor.ca Best Appearing Car Award – Tyler Rand
Dave MacLeod Mechanic of the Year Award – Steve Moulton
Stealth Racewear Under the Radar Award – Adam West
The Racers Edge Hard Charger Award – Tyler Rand
SOS Points Championship – Glenn Styres
Wiseco Piston Perfect Attendance – Bob Crawford
The Top Ten in 2010 Southern Ontario Sprints Points were:
1st – Glenn Styres (Ohsweken, Ontario)…The “Ohsweken Flyer” won his 4th career SOS title with consistency. The #0 didn’t grace SOS victory lane at all this season, but 4 runner-up finishes and 6 top 10’s in 7 races propelled Glenn to the title. Along with a cash award from the SOS point fund, Glenn also won a certificate for a 2011 Triple X chassis.
2nd – Keith Dempster (Alton, Ontario)…Keith won the season opener at Brighton Speedway, and finished in the top 5 on 3 other occasions on his way to 2nd place in the standings. Along with a cash award from the SOS point fund, Keith also won a certificate towards a set of HRP wings.
3rd – Tyler Rand (Consecon, Ontario)…Rand came within a few feet of his first career feature win at Brighton in May. The sophomore driver finished in the top 10 on 6 occasions, and took home the Racers Edge Hard Charger award for 2010.
4th – Adam West (Ridgetown, Ontario)…”Batman” had 5 top 10’s this season, including 3rd place at Brighton in May. It was his 3rd straight year finishing in the top 5 in tour standings. Adam also received the Stealth Racewear Under the Radar award, and the Marie White Memorial Award as the 6th driver in SOS history to compete in 100 races.
5th – Dick Mahoney (Newmarket, Ontario)…”The Pig” competed in all 7 SOS races this year and ran his series-leading total to 155. He finished in the top 5 in points for the first time since 2005. Dick recorded 3 top 10 finishes this season, including 6th at Brighton in May.
6th – Jim Munsie (Pickering, Ontario)…Jim finished a career-best 5th in the season opener at Brighton. He had 2 top 10 finishes overall, and took home the Founders Rookie of the Year award.
7th – Bob Crawford (Sutton, Ontario)…Bob fought through mechanical issues and finished the season with 3 top 10 finishes out of 7 races. The “One Man Army” hasn’t missed an SOS race since his Sprint Car career began in 2003.
8th – Brad Lodge (Stouffville, Ontario)…Brad began his Sprint Car career with a 9th place at Brighton in May, and spent the season learning. He stayed within striking distance of Jim Munsie for the Rookie of the Year award for much of the season, and plans to be back full-time next year.
9th – Chris Jones (Demorestville, Ontario)…2010 was a banner season for this part-time SOS competitor. He claimed his first ever Sprint Car win at Brighton in July, and followed that up with another win on Labour Day weekend. He finished in the top 10 in 4 of his 5 SOS races this year.
10th – Doug Banks (Inverary, Ontario)…Banks competed in 6 SOS races this season, including 7th at Brighton in May. He made his debut on Labour Day last year, and continued to show improvement each night in 2010.
Also recognized for their contributions to the Southern Ontario Sprints in 2010 on Saturday night were:
Competition Director – Cliff Williams
Pit Steward – Loree Ferrell
Car Shows – Mike Ferrell, Loree Ferrell and Mike Dougherty
Quad Trailer – Chris Ferrell
50/50 – Kristy Munsie, Debi Munsie, Jane Williams, Karen Crawford, and Ryan Crawford
Announcer – Tommy Goudge
Media Officer – Tommy Goudge
Photographer – Mike Dougherty
Firemen/Tech Inspectors/Crew – Neil McKay
Merchandise Tent – Ron Ferrell and Judy Ferrell
2010 SOS race venues – Brighton Speedway, Ohsweken Speedway, Merrittville Speedway, Autodrome Edelweiss
2010 Board of Directors – Mike Dougherty, Tommy Goudge, Warren Mahoney, Tyler Rand, Adam West
2010 Executive – Helen Brown, Loree Ferrell, Mike Ferrell, Dick Mahoney
2010 Tour Sponsors – Wiseco Piston, Stealth Racewear, Triple X Race Co., ASI Racewear, The Racers Edge, ImageFactor.ca, Hepfner Racing Products, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, Saldana Race Products
30 different drivers competed in at least one SOS event in 2010. Drivers competing in their first SOS full-points events in 2010 included Al Blanchard, Todd Hoddick, and Brad Lodge. 189 Drivers have competed in 186 scheduled events with the SOS over the past 15 seasons.
The annual meeting and elections were held prior to the banquet. Bob Crawford was elected to the board of directors, while Adam West was re-elected to the board. Dick Mahoney was re-elected Vice President, and Helen Brown was re-elected as Treasurer.
One rule change was voted upon to clarify the wording for disqualification and the black flag rule. The membership was given an update on the financial status of the club, and SOS President Mike Ferrell told the membership that work on the 2011 schedule has already begun.
The Southern Ontario Sprints will be taking part in many of the car shows and motorsports expos coming up in the area during this offseason, and will be releasing the 2011 schedule in the new year as well. The SOS club would like to thank the competitors, fans, officials, and everyone else involved for making 2010 a great season, and we hope to see you again in 2011!
Please visit www.SouthernOntarioSprints.com for more news and information about the Southern Ontario Sprints! 2010 marks the 15th year of operation for the Southern Ontario Sprints, brought to you this season by Wiseco Piston, Stealth Racewear, Triple X Race Co., ASI Racewear, The Racers Edge, ImageFactor.ca, Hepfner Racing Products, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, and Saldana Race Products.