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2021
PASS Awards Banquet
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Auburn, ME
- Pro All Stars
Series drivers
traded in their Fire
suits for dress
shirts and ties for
the 2021 awards
banquet at the
Hilton in Auburn
Maine March 26th,
2022.
To
start the awards
ceremony PASS
President Tom
Mayberry presented
Bruce McMahon with
an honorary rocking
chair after
announcing his
retirement. Bruce
started with PASS in
its inaugural season
in 2001 and has been
a part of 399 Pro
All Stars Series
races, showing a
truly remarkable
commitment to
motorsports Bruce
received a standing
ovation after a
quick retirement
speech.
After not having a
Banquet for the 2020
season due to the
Covid-19 pandemic DJ
Shaw was finally
able to celebrate
his 2020 Pass North
Championship his
fifth total and
third straight and
breaking a tie with
table-mate at the
banquet Ben Rowe. DJ
also was awarded the
New England South
Championship for
2021 after a strong
run on the Southern
New England portion
of the Schedule.
Johnny Clark and
team dressed in all
black just like
their Port City
Clarks Crushing
Super Late Model
#54. Clark received
his 2020 PASS North
2nd place trophy,
2021 New England
South 2nd place
trophy, 2021 New
England North
Championship award,
and the 2021 Pass
North Championship
Cup.
An
enthusiastic Clark
took to the podium
after earning his
7th PASS North
Championship. Clark
took the time to
thank PASS
officials, and
congratulate the
other champions in
the room. Then
rolled into thanking
all his sponsors
Cen-Pe-Co Oil, JT
Racecars, Merit
Pools, Swift
Springs, Schoenfeld
Headers, Nitro
Trailers and, his
family business
Clark's Scrap
Metals.
Johnny thanked his
family including his
wife Nicole and his
daughters Miranda
and Olivia. "This is
the first banquet
they've (his
daughters) been to.
It's been quite a
while since it was
worth coming to a
banquet to watch
Dad"
Like
Johnny said it has
been a quite a while
since there was a
big reason to
celebrate at the end
of the year. While
The Clark #54 has
had a lot of success
his last
championship was a
decade ago in 2011.
While his parents,
and siblings have
had the opportunity
it was the first for
a lot of crew
members including
short track pit crew
legend Buster Bean.
Buster has worked
for some of the best
drivers in Pro All
Stars Series history
including: The
Shaws, The Rowes,
Travis Benjamin and
more. However, this
was his first PASS
North Championship
almost unbelievable
considering the
massive success
Buster has enjoyed
with those other
drivers.
Johnny invited the
entire team up on
the stage. "We
really do have a
blast, and that's
how it's been the
past couple years.
We just started
having a lot of fun
after Covid. We
tested a lot when
Covid hit and
obviously it showed.
Oxford was one of
our worst tracks,
but now its one of
our better tracks as
far as consistency
goes. Winning the
Oxford 250 last year
and our seventh
Championship this
year - it doesn't
get any better than
that."
Other Awards
given out in the
Super Late Model
division included
2022 Rookie of the
year Rowland
Robinson Jr. JR
credits Distance
Racecars with a lot
of his success. The
team from Steuben,
ME knocked a clip
off late in the
season at Thompson
and wasn't sure if
they were going to
have time to get the
car ready for final
race at Seekonk.
Jeff Taylor told
them get the car
down to him and let
him worry about
getting it done in
time. Miraculously
Taylor got the car
done and they were
able to finish the
season clinching
R.O.T.Y. honors. JR
will not be running
the full north tour
but looks forward to
chasing the NEN
Championship
starting at NHMS in
April.
Dan Winter had a
heck of a year in
2021, finishing
second in PASS North
points and earning
the Most Improved
Driver Award. Other
drivers in
contention for that
award in attendance
were Jake Matheson
who finished third
in New England North
points, Scott
Mcdaniels whom
finished 2nd in New
England North
Points, Anthony
Constantino of
Sumner, Maine and
Kate Re who was just
announced as one of
the seven drivers to
be selected to race
in honor of Alan
Kulwicki in the
Kulwicki Driver
Development Program.
The youth movement
was on firm display
as the PASS MODS
awards were handed
out. Youngsters Max
Cookson, Garrett
Lamb, Ajay Cates,
and Brandon Varney
took the top four
spots over veteran
Shawn Knight. While
Cookson, Lamb and
Varney all had
rookie status, Max
Cookson took home
the PASS MODS
Championship and The
Rookie Award.
Max thanked all
of his sponsors and
team while
expressing his
excitement for the
upcoming adventure
in a Super Late
Model at Oxford in
2022. Cookson took
to the dance floor
after the awards
ceremony was over,
dancing with family,
former competitors,
and crew chief Jason
Ricker.
Ajay
Cates took home the
Most Improved PASS
MODS Driver award
after leading the
point standings
early in the season
and picking up his
first career win in
Hudson, NH in 2021.
2021 was an
exciting season and
2022 will be even
better. See the Pro
All Stars Series
Super Late Model
Drivers in action
April 2nd, 2022 at
Thompson Speedway
Motorsports Park for
the kick-off of the
PASS North Season.
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