2019 GLEN RIDGE MOTORSPORTS PARK AWARDS BANQUET
2019 Most Popular Drivers
Palmer’s Service Center Modified: Rocky Warner
Red Chair 602 Crate Modified: Tucker O’Connor
Limited Sportsman: Tanner Warner
Yurkewecz Auto Crusher Pro-Stock: Ivan Joslin
Street Stock: Cliff Haslun
Mini Stock: Justin Bellinger
All-Star Slingshot: Danny Ballard
Northeast Paving & Sealcoating Jr. Slingshot: Lucas Duncan
2019 Ultimate Fan Favorite: Tanner Warner
Palmer’s Service Center Modified Top 5
1st – Rocky Warner
- 2019 PALMER’S SERVICE CENTER MODIFIED TRACK CHAMPION
- 1ST GRMP MODIFIED TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP
- 5 STARTS, 3 WINS, 5 TOP FIVES AND 5 TOP TENS
2nd – Bobby Varin
3rd – Jackie Brown Jr.
The Red Chair 602 Crate Modified Top 5
1st – Rocky Warner
- 2019 NYSSCA GRMP DRIVER OF THE YEAR
- NEW ALL-TIME WINNINGEST SPORTSMAN DRIVER AT THE RIDGE
- 2019 RED CHAIR 602 CRATE MODIFIED TRACK CHAMPION
- 4th GRMP SPORTSMAN CHAMPIONSHIP (2019, 2016, 2014, 2012)
- 11 STARTS, 7 WINS, 10 TOP FIVES AND 11 TOP TENS
2nd – Andrew Buff
- NYSSCA GRMP OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE
3rd – Joe Orlando
4th – Scott McCoy
5th – Ryan Heath
- GRMP ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
- NYSSCA GRMP ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Yurkewecz Auto Crushers Pro-Stock Top 5
1st – Luke Horning
- 2019 NYSSCA GRMP PRO-STOCK DRIVER OF THE YEAR
- PRESIDENT’S AWARD WINNER AT THE NYSSCA BANQUET
- 2019 YURKEWECZ AUTO CRUSHERS PRO-STOCK TRACK CHAMPION
- ALL-TIME WINNINGEST PRO-STOCK DRIVER AT THE RIDGE
- 3RD GRMP PRO-STOCK TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP (2019, 2018, 2017)
- 11 STARTS, 6 WINS, 9 TOP FIVES AND 10 TOP TENS
2nd – Andy Graves
- NYSSCA GRMP OUTSTANDING PERFORMER
3rd – Steve Cosselman
4th – Jim Normoyle
5th – Buck Gasner
Limited Sportsman Top 5
1st – Jerry Cohn
- 2019 NYSSCA GRMP LIMITED SPORTSMAN DRIVER OF THE YEAR
- 2019 LIMITED SPORTSMAN TRACK CHAMPION
- 1ST CAREER TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP
- 12 STARTS, 4 WINS, 10 TOP FIVES AND 11 TOP TENS
2nd – Harold Robitaille
3rd – Garrett Poland
4th – Tanner Warner
5th – Dana Camenga
Single Cam Mini Stock Top 3
1st – Tim Billington
- 2019 NYSSCA GRMP SINGLE CAM DRIVER OF THE YEAR
- 2019 SINGLE CAM MINI STOCK TRACK CHAMPION
- 1ST CAREER TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP
- 10 STARTS, 4 WINS, 10 TOP FIVES AND 10 TOP TENS
2nd – Zack McSpirit
3rd – Dale VanAllen
Dual Cam Mini Stock Top 3
1st – John Napoli
- 2019 NYSSCA GRMP DUAL CAM DRIVER OF THE YEAR
- 2019 DUAL CAM MINI STOCK TRACK CHAMPION
- 1st CAREER TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP
- 12 STARTS, 1 WIN, 12 TOP FIVES AND 12 TOP TENS
2nd – Josh Kane
3rd – Justin Bellinger
Sr. Slingshot Top 5
1st – Mike Hill
- 2019 NYSSCA GRMP ALL-STAR SLINGSHOT DRIVER OF THE YEAR
- ALL-TIME WINNINGEST GLEN RIDGE ALL-STAR SLINGSHOT DRIVER
- 2019 ALL-STAR SLINGSHOT TRACK CHAMPION
- 3RD ALL-STAR SLINGSHOT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP (2019, 2018, 2017)
- 11 STARTS, 3 WINS, 11 TOP FIVES AND 11 TOP TENS
2nd – Danny Ballard
3rd – Brett Putnam
4th – Scott Sprague
5th – Tyler Vadney
NPS Jr. Slingshot Top 5
1st – Brock Pinkerous
- 2019 NYSSCA GRMP JR SLINGSHOT DRIVER OF THE YEAR
- 2019 NORTHEAST PAVING & SEALCOATING JR SLINGSHOT TRACK CHAMPION
- 1ST JUNIOR SLINGSHOT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP
- 12 STARTS, 6 WINS, 12 TOP FIVES AND 12 TOP TENS
2nd – Tavien Blowers
3rd – Connor Hill
4th – Sloan Cherko
5th – Lucas Duncan
Street Stock Top 3
1st – Cliff Haslun
- NYSSCA GRMP STREET STOCK DRIVER OF THE YEAR
- 2019 STREET STOCK TRACK CHAMPION
- 1ST CAREER TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP
- 12 STARTS, 6 WINS, 12 TOP FIVES AND 12 TOP TENS
2nd – Damon Anderson
- NYSSCA GRMP OUTSTANDING PERFORMER
3rd – Kenny Allen
The 2nd Annual ‘OMAR’
This award is very special to us and is in memory of a great man. Ed ‘Omar’ Richer passed away unexpectedly at the speedway back in July of 2017. Omar was the driving force behind the #318 Sportsman driven by his son Dave Richer.
Our very own handicapper Susan Hazzard wanted to come up with something to honor Omar by recognizing an individual who goes above and beyond by more than just racing at our racetrack. It is what they do out of the race car that sets them aside. An award presented to a driver who drives himself to be the very best and makes others around him strive for the same thing. A driver who thinks of his fellow competitors as his racing family and offers his help whenever others need it to keep this racetrack going in the right direction.
This year’s recipient exceeded all of this and more. Each week when he would register to race, he always threw an extra $20 dollar bill to put 2 free passes in the night’s 50/50 raffle to make the fans happy, and hope they brought a friend the following week. He was also the person who put up $1,000 of his own money for the 50 lap ‘Mini-Shock’ 4-cylinder race in 2019, a division he used to compete in, but now is a successful street stock competitor. He was there at a moment’s notice with advice and ideas, lobbying to get cars to come up to give us a try and was a clean and respectful driver on the track all season long. We cannot begin to thank him enough for choosing to race at our facility and everything he has done for The Ridge in 2019.
Ladies & Gentlemen, we consider this award to be at the top of the honors at our racetrack, and we are extremely honored to present this year’s ‘OMAR’ to the driver of the #5 Street Stock,
Mr. Damon Anderson.
Driver of the Year Award
Drive, Determination & Domination
Three words off the top of my head describing the 2019 Glen Ridge Motorsports Park driver of the year.
Rocky Warner brought his A (1J) game to the fastest ¼ mile on dirt in 2019 with vengeance. An already Street Stock winner and champion, Pro-Stock winner and champion, Rookie Sportsman feature winner, and now a big block modified winner and champion, and now a 602-crate sportsman winner and 4-time 602 Crate Sportsman champion! A resume you couldn’t dream up.
A supporter of the Ridge since its opening, Warner and the Ridge are united together in his heart. When nobody is watching he was always putting the track in his best interests, him and the boys even showed up and mowed and weed wacked the grounds during the summer. Warner also promoted a race in memory of his father, the late Don Warner, the Who’s Your Daddy 602 Crate Regional Championship race for the past two seasons, collecting sponsor money and gifts, and awards for drivers competing.
In 2019, Warner and car owner Jake Spraker, brought the Glove City Taxi #1j Modified & 602 Sportsman to the Ridge and ran a total of 17 races. 5 starts in the modified, with 3 wins, 5 top 5’s and 5 top 10’s claiming his 1st ever championship in the Palmer’s Service Center Modified division. The 602-sportsman campaign showed 12 starts, 8 wins, 10 top 5’s and 11 top 10’s enroute to his 4th 602-crate sportsman championship! One of those wins came in the Jason A. Morrison Memorial race in memory of Rocky’s best friend.
Please welcome back to the big stage for his 2-titles and 11 wins, the 2019 Glen Ridge Motorsports Park Driver of the Year,
Rocky Warner
Mr. Excitement Award
Folks, what can we say about Corky Warner?
An award hand crafted for him, and If you knew this year’s winner at all, you would know this award HAD to go to him, and nobody else!
From aspiring track prep kid, crew chief to one of the most successful teams in the northeast, safety truck shotgun rider, to flagger, Corky has just about done it all, UNTIL….
On June 23rd, he became yet another family member to join the competition at the Ridge and brought it home 8th place in his 1st Jr Slingshot feature event. We could only imagine what was going on in his head as he was determined to make every proud with his intensity and determination. Even a few weeks into his driving career, he got his 1st flip out of the way, and of course, it wasn’t just any flip, it was as scary as you could imagine, thankfully he was uninjured and came back stronger and even MORE determined!
On July 28th, he parked his Junior Slingshot in victory lane!
He becomes the 4th Warner family member to grace victory lane, alongside his father, brother and Glen Ridge Hall of Fame member and grandfather!
Please give it up for this year’s Mr. Excitement Award winner,
Mr. Corky Warner!
DEDICATON & COMMITMENT AWARD
This season we have 2 dedication & commitment awards to be handed out. The first of the 2 belong to a long-time supporter of the Glen Ridge Motorsports Park.
For many seasons, you could see Yurkewecz Auto Crushers on the side of race cars circling around the fastest ¼ mile on dirt. Up high in the stands you could always find Bill & Cindy Yurkewecz, owners of the auto crushers business just a few miles away in the Town of Glen.
Bill & Cindy have always been there to help, whether sponsoring drivers, or putting up some extra cash throughout the seasons. They, along with the Man with the Red Chair teamed up and were responsible for the 2018 ‘Bounty’ for the 602 division. In 2019, they once again came on board to become the title sponsor for the Pro-Stock division, and just recently doing the same for 2020!
We cannot thank Bill & Cindy enough for their dedication to the Glen Ridge Motorsports Park. Please join us in welcoming and thanking Billy & Cindy of Yurkewecz Auto Crushers as this year’s Glen Ridge Motorsports Park dedication & commitment award!
DEDICATON & COMMITMENT AWARD
Our other dedication & commitment award winner is on the other end of the spectrum.
A winning driver, track prep guy, an ear to talk to and so much more.
For the past few seasons this man has stepped up and made the racing at the Ridge top notch. Sometimes referring to the track as ‘his baby’. Using his versatile skills and many years of experience operating a grader and heavy equipment and assuring we get one of the smoothest tracks in the northeast, all while trying to focus on his other ride, his #22m All-Star Slingshot.
Danny Ballard, a member of the world-famous Grand Gorge Gang, has stepped up in ways we cannot thank him enough for. Each week Danny traveled the hour distance on a Tuesday or a Wednesday to prep the track for that week’s show, and on race nights. On many occasions since he took over the wheel of the grader, we have received numerous compliments on the smoothness of the racing surface. No more water Ray, right Dan? In all seriousness, we would not be nearly as successful without Dan’s help and guidance.
Please join us in thanking and honoring this year’s Dedication & Commitment award winner,
Mr. Danny Ballard.
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