From Greg Parent
Stillwater, MN — (November 15, 2014) — The Upper Midwest Sprintcar Series (UMSS) has set the date for their annual awards banquet to celebrate and honor the top drivers from the 2014 winged, traditional and micro sprint series. The 2014 UMSS awards banquet will return to the same venue as last year. The banquet will move up one week earlier than in previous years and will be held on Saturday, January 10, 2015 at the Hampton Inn & Green Mill restaurant and bar located at 1000 Gramsie Road in Shoreview, Minnesota at the intersection of I-694 and Lexington Avenue North. Activities will begin with a social hour from 5:00-6:00pm. A cash bar will be available all evening. A buffet dinner will be served from 6:00-7:30pm. The awards ceremony, featuring a keynote address by Tom Savage, will take place from 7:30-9:00pm. The banquet room has three large screens where videos and photo highlights from the 2014 season will cycle through during the course of the evening.
Well-known in the sprint car racing world, Tom Savage will provide his insight into the sport and talk about his long tenure covering sprint car racing here in the Upper Midwest area. Tom has announced sprint car races in Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa, has a 25 year run with the Trackside Racing Radio Network, written a book about racing, edited and published his own weekly racing paper, edited and published the annual Dirt Track Fury Yearbook, written countless columns in several area weekly racing publications dating back well over 30 years, contributes a column for FLAT OUT magazine, and co-emceed the first 10 years of induction into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame. Listening to Tom Savage will be a highlight for those attending the 2014 UMSS Awards Banquet.
The cost of the banquet is the same as last year at $30 per adult, children 6-15 are $15, and under 6 are free. Tickets need be purchased by January 1, 2015 by mailing a check payable to UMSS to 2700 420th Street West, Harris, MN 55032. Please indicate the number of adult and children tickets on the memo line or on a sticky note, so the appropriate number of tickets can be set aside. A sign-in list will be at the registration table in the banquet room. Driving directions and other information about the Hampton Inn can be found on their website at http://hamptoninn3.hilton.com/en/hotels/minnesota/hampton-inn-minneapolis-st-paul-north-MSPSVHX/index.html or by calling them at 651-482-0402. The UMSS encourages race teams and fans to come out and make this an enjoyable family weekend. The Hampton Inn has an indoor swimming pool, fitness center and video arcade.
Rooms have been set aside at the Hampton Inn under the group code UPP. The rate for Saturday night for a room with two (2) queen-size beds is $99.00 or a single room with (1) king-size bed is $89.00 plus tax. Reservations can be made by calling the hotel at 651-482-0402 and mentioning the UMSS banquet room rate and group code. The cut-off date for reserving a room under the UMSS banquet rate is December 11, 2014 (or based on availability thereafter).
The Upper Midwest Sprint Car Series looks forward to seeing many sprint car drivers, teams and fans at their sixth annual banquet on Saturday, January 10, 2015. Sprint car fans are especially encouraged to attend the banquet. The UMSS has completed six successful seasons of winged sprint car racing, four seasons with the popular traditional non-winged sprint cars, and three seasons for the micro sprints. The UMSS continues to generate interest in sprint car and micro sprint racing, as they build and grow the sport near the Twin Cities and surrounding areas in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Series CDO Ron Bernhagen is working to put together a preliminary schedule for the winged sprint car division and hopes to have it ready by early December. Please visit the UMSS website at www.umsprints.com or check out the UMSS Facebook page for information about this exciting series and the opportunities that are available for participants, sponsors and fans.