It was a night to look back on the Estevan Motor Speedway season, while also looking back into Estevan's racing history to thank the volunteers who make racing happen.
The Saturday night banquet at the Days Inn Plaza saw the introduction of the new board members as well as featuring a hot-stove panel with former NASCAR driver Randy Lajoie, 2012 IMCA Super Nationals winner Jeff Taylor and race promoter Toby Kruse, who announces at the Nextel Cup and Busch fall race at Charlotte. Kruse has also appeared at the EMS as an announcer.
The track champions were presented with their awards, as modified champ Aaron Turnbull, stock car champ Gregg Mann and hobby stock champ Brandon Beeter all collected their hardware. Rookie of the year honours were given to Cody Dignan in the hobby stock division, Michael Dionne in the stock cars and Eric Sinness from the modified standings. This year's Clint Prette Memorial Award went to Gary Goudy Sr.
EMS President Lynn Trobert noted the 2013 racing season required more perseverance on their part, as it was a challenge once again this year to get the checkered flag flapping.
"This year had its ups and downs. Mother Nature decided to fight with us every night, but we won," said Trobert, about the challenging race season.
Despite the weather, the races were able to go ahead, even when the track had to be ripped up almost to the bottom and reformed.
The EMS instituted a Wall of Fame this past year. The wall will honour volunteers who have shown hard work and dedication, featuring volunteers who have been with the Speedway since it began as well as those who continue to help out each week. A wall is expected to be in place by the end of the 2014 season.
It was a nod to the past this year, as the first inductees into the EMS Wall of Fame were Bertha Harris, Jim Barnstable and the late Lawrence Lafrentz.
Harris has been involved in the Estevan race scene for much of her life, working the concession at the old race track by the airport. She was also tasked with feeding the growing number of race fans when the races moved to the new track at its current location east of Estevan.
"I don't think I did that much," said Harris as she accepted the award. "When you do anything with an organization, you never do it alone."
Barnstable has been in the racing industry for almost 45 years. A founding member of the current EMS, he was part of the team that negotiated the land lease and also built and tinned the grandstands. Barnstable told a story of building the grandstand at his shop and having to then transport it to the track.
It couldn't be built at the track because there was no track at the time. When the decision was made to expand the grandstand, the expansion was built onsite.
David Mack introduced the Wall of Fame award for Lafrentz, who passed away in February. The award was presented to his daughter Janine Carlisle and son Darren Lafrentz.
Mack said of Lafrentz, "All the things you can talk about with the new speedway is because of him. He wanted to build a good (track). I think it's safe to say he did."
"Dad was very pleased to build the track here to have top-notch racing," said Carlisle.
He volunteered his time, his company, his equipment and the dirt that laid the foundation for the current 3/8-mile high bank track.
"You could count on one hand how many races he missed in Estevan, because he loved it so much," added Lafrentz.
