Monday, December 15, 2003 Classic Auto Racing Series Celebrates a Great Year by Dave Westerman The Classic Auto Racing Series officially brought the 2003 season to a close Saturday evening with the 2003 CARS Awards Banquet at the Adams Mark Hotel in Orlando. 2003 Classic Auto Racing Series Champion Ben Booth poses with his family and crew and their trophies. During the evening, over $10,000 in points money, trophies and door prizes were awarded to the competitors. Deland's Ben Booth was honored as the 2003 Classic Auto Racing Series Champion, receiving a huge trophy and a check for $1,000 as well as a Daytona Beach vacation courtesy of A-1 Discount Vacations of Orlando. Booth also became the first driver in Series history to claim both the overall driver's crown and the Door Operating Systems Rookie of the Year title as well. That honor earned Booth yet another big trophy and another $500 check making his evening take in point money and gifts well over $2,000. Booth and his team also received the Crew Chief of the Year award following a season which saw Booth finish in the top five in 13 of 16 races run. Fellow Deland driver Daryl Grief also had quite an evening. Not only did Grief finish second in points, worth a nice $750 check, but he was also named Most Improved Driver for 2003 getting another nice trophy. But Grief's night wasn't done yet. Grief was also named King of Dirt, receiving yet another trophy for earning the most points on the dirt tracks during the year, winning two of the races contested on dirt as well. Incredibly, after all the calculations were made, Grief also picked up the Hard Charger Award for 2003 and his fourth trophy of the night. Joey Strehle made it a one-two-three sweep in the points for drivers from Deland as he carted home the third place overall winnings of $500 plus second place in the Rookie standings for another $250. Strehle picked up his third trophy of the night when his #X11 was voted Best Appearing Car for the 2003 season. Winter Garden's Patrick Sanders made a late charge during the season, including his first career win at Volusia Speedway Park to nab fourth in points and a nice check for $400. Series veteran Bud Spencer used a pair of wins to end up fifth in points, worth a $350 check. Florida State Senator Bill Posey of Rockledge, despite some terrible luck during the year, came home sixth in points and also finished third in the Rookie standings. Posey, who worked diligently to promote the Series despite his busy schedule in Tallahassee, was honored with the Sportsman of the Year Award for 2003. Merritt Island's Al "Hot Rod" Hagan took seventh in the point standings and also took home the trophy nobody really wants to get, the 2003 Hard Luck Award. Defending CARS Champion Jim Rahman of Clermont cut back on his schedule for 2003, but three wins and seven total top five finishes saw him still finish eighth in the standings. The son/father combo of George Hall III and George Hall, Jr. of St. Petersburg completed the top ten in points for 2003. South Florida drivers Frank Conrad and E.B. Carr ran abbreviated schedules in 2003 but still qualified for season-ending cash awards for finishing 11th and 12th in the standings. There were door prizes galore including a boom box, floor-level seats to an Orlando Magic game, a Ft. Lauderdale Beach mini-vacation, power drill, gift cards and more all donated by the competitors. Driver Jim Rahman and his sponsors alone donated over $2,000 in door prizes while drivers Bud Spencer, Al Hagan, Joey Strehle, Race Director Randall Grief, and Daryl Grief's Hillbilly Race Team also provided great prizes. At the end of the banquet, Series PR Director Dave Westerman presented Race Director Randall Grief with a Las Vegas getaway in honor of his eight years of service to the Classic Auto Racing Series. The Classic Cars kick off 2004 in grand fashion with five consecutive nights of racing February 10-14 during the Orlando Speedworld Winternationals. The 2004 points season is set to kick off on Saturday, March 13 at Orlando Speedworld. The Classic Auto Racing Series website has been fully updated including the partial 2004 schedule. Visit www.classicautoracing.com for more information on the Series which will be sponsored by the Daniel Webster for U.S. Senate campaign. Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! <news@karnac.org>or send a letter to the editor!