HOLLY, Mich. – Must See Racing honored the top performers from its 2018 season during the annual Must See Racing Awards Banquet on Saturday in Coldwater, Mich., where Jimmy McCune was officially crowned champion for the fourth-straight year.
McCune put together another stellar season that included five wins in 12 Must See Racing events, locking up the title just by pulling in for the finale and securing the title by 100 points over nephew Anthony, who finished second for the second year in a row.
Virginia’s Anthony Linkenhoker was also honored as the 2018 Must See Racing Rookie of the Year after his 10th-place finish in the championship this season. Linkenhoker participated in seven of the 12 points-paying features run during the year, traveling eight hours or more to several events in the process.
Linkenhoker also made a classy gesture during the night, as after he was announced as the winner of the 50/50 drawing, he donated his winnings back to Wounded Warriors.
Among the myriad of recognitions handed out during the night were plaques for the MSR staff members and series sponsors – including Engine Pro, Fel Pro, American Racer, 1-800-RADIATOR and Rev-X Products – as well as more than $30,000 in points fund money, product certificates and other awards.
Trophies for the top 15 in series points were also handed out, along with 24” by 36” profile posters that commemorated each driver’s place in the season standings.
Special awards handed out included:
Driver of the Year (Jimmy McCune)
Crew Chief of the Year (John Reiser)
Young Gun Award (Bronzie Lawson IV)
Fast Qualifier of the Year (Anthony McCune)
Most Improved (Adam Biltz)
Sportsmanship Award (Jerry Caryer)
Hard Luck Award (Joe Speakman)
Hard Charger Award (Charlie Schultz/Tom Jewell)
Perseverance Award (Jeff Bloom)
Car Owner of the Year (Gene Fogle)
“Simply stated, it’s our drivers and teams, their contributions and their quality of character that has defined Must See Racing and that made 2018 a really fun year,” said Must See Racing President Jim Hanks. “This was arguably our best season yet. When you have first class teams and quality competition at top shelf race tracks, are backed by great sponsors and are racing on a safe, level and competitive playing field … in a culture of cooperation and mutual respect; it doesn’t get better than that.”
“This has been a season that has been extremely rewarding, appreciated and valuable beyond measure for Must See Racing as a whole and we are so excited to continue that momentum into 2019,” Hanks added. “Congratulations to all our champions.”