12_05 Banquet

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“Chub capped off another stellar season with his series record fourth straight championship”

December 5th, 2003

The former Renegade DirtCar Racing Series, now the Northern Xtreme DirtCar Series, honored the 2003 Top 10 drivers and other individuals and manufacturers Friday at the Omni Severin Hotel in downtown Indianapolis, IN with the annual banquet and awards ceremony. The affair marked the end of the Don and Rick Gross 18 year reign of the Ohio-based sanctioning organization. The series was sold November 4 to Doug Bland's Xtreme DirtCar, Inc.

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Chub Frank of Bear Lake, PA capped off another stellar season with his series record fourth straight championship collecting the $25,000 champions check, trophy and champions ring. Frank started all 27 main events in 2003 snaring 7 wins, 10 Top 5's and 5 Top 10's on his way to the crown. Of the 1,720 main event laps completed in 2003 Frank completed all but 4 of those laps with zero DNF's. Frank also earned 1 CARRERA SHOCKS "Challenge the Clock" fast time, 8 BRODIX, INC. heat races and 2 ISKY RACING CAMS dash wins and MASTERSBILT RACE CARS "B" Main wins while earning over $88,210 in purse money. Frank also earned the OUTERWEARS CO., INC. "Hard Charger of the Year" award pocketing an extra $1,000.

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The driver of the Corry Rubber/Nystrom's Auto Sales/Slavic Custom Racing Shirts and Decals No. 1* Chub Frank Racing Rocket Chassis/Draime Racing Engines Chevrolet Monte Carlo told the assembled crowd, "It's a real honor to stand up here again as the series champion. It wasn't an easy season at all. There are some great racers on this series. What we've accomplished wouldn't be possible without all the support of my sponsors, my crew, my family and friends. And, I need to thank the series sponsors and promoters for allowing us to do what we do. None of this would be possible without them. And, a big thank you to Don and Rick Gross. They have done so much for all of us and for dirtcar racing in general. I'm sad to see them go."

Mike Balzano of Parkersburg, WV took second place honors, the fourth time in the past four seasons, worth $12,000 in point money. Piloting the Smoker's Friendly/ Eddie's Auto Parts/Turbo Blue Racing Gasolines No. E1 Balzano Racing Rocket Chassis/Russell Baker Racing Engines Chevrolet Monte Carlo in 2003 Balzano was the only other driver in the top 10 to start all 27 main events. The unofficial "mayor" of the series captured 3 victories along with 9 Top 5's and Top 10's to pocket over $66,000 in purse money and also earned the CARRERA SHOCKS "Challenge the Clock" time trial points. Balzano cracked the crowd up when he told Frank, "You know Chub, if you either retired or moved on maybe me or some one else could be last in the awards order for once". Balzano went on to thank his sponsors, his crew and family, the series sponsors and others before wishing the Gross family well and thanking them before telling everyone, "As of know I resign as mayor".

Rob Blair of Titusville, PA garnered $9,000 in point fund money for his third place finish in points driving the Bossard-Crawford GM Store/Maloney Tool & Mold/Armstrong Lumber No. Won11 Rob Blair Motorsports Rocket Chassis/Draime Racing Engines Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Blair racked up 1 win in 2003 with 10 Top 5's and 2 Top 10's in 26 main events and nearly $50,000 in purse earnings. Blair also earned the WRISCO INDUSTRIES/HOOSIER TIRE-OHIO VALLEY "Dash King" award.

Fourth place honors went to Davey Johnson of Greensburg, PA earning $7,000 for the Dale Beitler owned Reliable Painting/Malcuit Racing Engines/Carrera Shocks No. 19J Beitler Enterprises MasterSbilt Race Cars Pontiac Grand Prix. Johnson scored 3 wins on the season to go along with 8 Top 5's and 3 Top 10's in 25 main events netting nearly $65,000 in purse money.

Rod Conley of Wheelersburg, OH drove the Conley Trucking/Cornett Building Supply/Draime Racing Engines No. 71R Conley Motorsports Rocket Chassis Chevrolet Monte Carlo to fifth place in the final standings good for $6,000. Conley failed to score a main event win but did record 3 Top 5's and 5 Top 10's earning over $26,000.

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Dave Troutman of Hyndman, PA finished sixth in points worth $5,000 and also pocketed an extra $2,500 and a chassis for winning the "ROCKET CHASSIS Rookie of the Year" award. Troutman competed in 22 main events scoring 2 Top 10's in the T.C. RaceCar Parts Warehouse/Price Distributing-Budweiser/D&R Trucking No. 7 D&R Racing Rocket Chassis/Russell Baker Racing Engines Pontiac Grand Prix.

Bart Hartman of Zanesville, OH placed seventh in points worth $4,000. Hartman piloted the Imler's Poultry/Urgent Cash/Hoosier Tire No. 75 Hartman Enterprises, LLC. Rocket Chassis/Russell Baker Racing Engines Pontiac Grand Prix to 2 victories, 4 Top 5's and 3 Top10's in 16 main event starts earning over $49,000 in prize money.

Eighth in points went to John Mason of Millersburg, OH who started 18 main events with 4 Top 10's aboard the Mason Starters/Bert Transmission/Bazell Oil Co., Inc. No. 72 MasterSbilt Race Cars/Malcuit Racing Engines Chevrolet Monte Carlo good for nearly $19,000 in point fund and purse money.

Steve Shaver of Vienna, WV competed in 16 main events with 3 Top 5's and 7 Top 10's for nearly $24,000 in total money for his work driving the The Farm/Bland's Towing/Dave Poske's Performance Parts No. 0 Steve Shaver Motorsports, LLC Rocket Chassis/Malcuit Racing Engines Chevrolet Monte Carlo to a ninth place points finish.

Completing the top 10 point drivers was Matt Urban of North East, PA who earned 1 win, 1 Top 5 and 2 Top 10's in 18 main event starts aboard the Superior Foundations/Specialty Products/Tom Parmenter Excavations No. 1U Matt Urban Racing Rocket Chassis/Custom Racing Engines Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Urban earned nearly $39,000 in total money.

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"Crew Chief of the Year": Rick "Boom" Briggs Jr.

"Crew of the Year"- Chub Frank Racing: Jake Miller, Adam Beebe, Steve Briggs, Jeff Rulander, Rich Hart, Jim Frey .

Other award winners were:

"Engine Builder of the Year": Draime Racing Engines Massillon, OH. 8 Series Wins in 2003.
"Race Car Builder of the Year": Rocket Chassis - Shinnston, WV. 20 Wins in 2003.
BRODIX, INC. Heat Race "Top Gun" Award: R.J. Conley Wheelersburg, OH. 10 Wins in 2003.
MASTERSBILT RACE CARS "B" Main Point Award: Bill Cunningham - Jefferson, OH.
DESIGN 500 "Perseverance" Award: Doug Drown - Wooster, OH

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Chub Frank Racing

Rt.1 Box 146

Lottsville Niobe Rd.

Bear Lake, PA 16402