The 2003 DNK Select Used Cars BIG DAWG CHALLENGE HERE
All DAWG Info, Starting Lineup, Results, & Photos

An upbeat crowd of drivers, crewmembers, sponsors and fans converged on the Augusta Civic Center Saturday night for the 3rd Annual Pro All Stars Series Banquet of Champions.

PASS Racing Inc. President and promoter Tom Mayberry kicked off the evening, thanking the race teams and sponsors for their support in 2003 and touching upon the series' plans for their fourth campaign under his tutelage. Although the final 2004 schedule is still receiving a few minor finishing touches, Mayberry did announce the return of PASS to Lee USA Speedway for two 150- lap events slated for May 16th and September 5th and the PASS sanctioned DNK Select 250, a $25,000.00 to win/$2,000 to start special event at Maine's Unity Raceway on June 12th and 13th. Mayberry then presented his special awards for 2003. Richie Dearborn accepted the Sportsmanship on behalf of his Dearborn Racing team and Cassius Clark was chosen for the dubious honor of Hard Luck Driver of the Year. Northern Race Tires and PASS Webmaster/Photographer Norm Marx shared the Commitment to Excellence Award, and Scott Mulkern accepted the Achievement Award. Finally, John and Charlie Holland of New England Racing Fuels accepted the Presidents' Award for their dedication and commitment to the Pro All Stars Series.

PASS announcer Mark Thomas emceeded the trophy awards ceremony for the top fifteen teams of 2003, highlighted by the presentation of the 2003 champion's hardware to driver Ben Rowe, Hi-Tech Performance Racing owners Tom and Eileen Estes, crew chief Brian Burgess and the entire High Tech racing team. Rowe called each team member to the podium to receive a personalized 2003 Championship team watch provided by Northern Race Tires and Superior Image Embroidery.

Travis Kheil was presented with the 2003 PASS/Northern Race Tires Rookie Challenge Award, a leather jacket and photo collage from series photographer Norm Marx. Sam Sessions received a special plaque and framed photos in recognition of his $100,000.00 victory in the PASS sanctioned DNK Select Used Cars Big Dawg Challenge.

Finally, the top twelve in the 2003 point standings participated in a random drawing for products and gift certificates from the Pro All Stars Series' 2003 Contingency Sponsors and Vendors. The winners were as follows:

Dave Gorveatt - HP Racing Cards Gift Certificate
Cassius Clark - $500.00 Oval Craft Product Certificate
Travis Kheil - $50.00 Longacre Racing Products Product Certificate
Mike Rowe - Aluminum Racing Products Race Car Body
Scott Chubbuck - 25% Discount Certificate on a Five Star body -courtesy of Distance Racing
Richie Dearborn - $50.00 Longacre Racing Products Product Certificate
Larry Gelinas - $500.00 Oval Craft Product Certificate
Scott Mulkern - Five Star package "A" Stock Car Body
Sam Sessions - Longacre Racing Products Air Tank, courtesy Action Racing
Dale Shaw - Fuel Safe Racing Cells 22 gallon Sportsman Fuel Cell
Johnny Clark - $500.00 Oval Craft Product Certificate
Ben Rowe - HP Racing Cards Gift Certificate

Ben Rowe capped what would have to be considered a dream season Sunday at Thompson (CT) Speedway, his second place finish more than enough to claim his second consecutive Pro All Star Series Championship. Rowe compiled a remarkable record of eight wins, four-second place finishes and one third in fifteen starts with only one race in the DNF column. Rowe has been quick to credit his race team, owned by Tom and Eileen Estes of New Gloucester Maine, for his success. His Brian Burgess led Mechanical Services/Superior Image Embroidery/ Hi-Tech Insulation crew provided Rowe with a meticulously prepared race car week in and week out. Watching Rowe extract the best from the Estes’ double zero each race, one soon learns that this talented driver is certainly an equal part of the teams' for success.

Johnny Clark and his D.N.K. Select/Clark’s Cars and Parts race team pulled their way up in the point standings Sunday at Thompson, his fourth place finish strong enough to overtake Dale Shaw for second in the points chase. Shaw had a tough outing with contact sending him for a ride on two occasions both the nose and tail of his American Air Systems/G.O.D. Dodge were severely damaged. Still he and his crew soldiered on, making countless pit stops for repairs before finally calling it quits. Shaw finished sixteenth, 57 laps in arrears, and completes the season third in the title chase.

2001 PASS Champ Sam Sessions maintained fourth spot in the final standings with an eight place run at Thompson, despite a practice crash that necessitated a complete snout rebuild in the pit area. Sessions’ Sud’n Racing team spent hours straightening the severely bent race car and their efforts paid off. Scott Mulkern earned the fifth spot in the standings, moving past Scott Chubbuck who suffered a grinding turn one wreck early in the event to finish 40th. Mulkern looked to be well on his way to victory lane before his fuel cell ran dry late in the race. With a forty car field starting, Chubbucks’ last place run dropped him from fifth to eighth in the standings with Larry Gelinas, Richie Dearborn Dearborn and Mike Rowe all picking up spots to finish the points chase in sixth, seventh and ninth, respectively.

Dave Gorveatt was a victim of the recent hurricane in the Maritimes and simply had too much property damage at home to make the Octoberfest 200. Gorveatt’s no show dropped him from eighth to twelfth in the points. 2003 PASS/Northern Race Tires Rookie of the Year Travis Kheil moved up the ladder to tenth with Cassius Clark eleventh.

Denmark Maine’s Travis Khiel received the PASS/Northern Race Tires Rookie Challenge award Saturday November 29^th at the PASS Banquet of Champions at the Augusta Civic Center in Augusta, ME.

Travis competed in all fifteen of the 2003 PASS-sanctioned race events and finished tenth in the final points standings with one top five, four top ten and nine top fifteen finishes. His best results of the season came in extra distance events with a strong second place finish at Wiscasset Raceway in the Coastal 200 and a seventh place run at Thompson International Speedway’s Octoberfest 200 highlighting his rookie campaign.

Khiel’s family owned Kheil Logging/Frechette Tire/Beach Cliff Sardines race team dominated the rookie standings, earning thirteen rookie of the race awards. Khiel received seventeen American Racer race tires from Northern Race tires for their efforts, valued at over $2,175.00.

Racin' Preview 2003 - PASS / Wiscasset Raceway / Dawg Display

The 15th Annual Northeast Motorsports Expo is the traditional kickoff to the 2003 central Maine racing season, and the Pro All Stars Series was well represented when the doors open on Friday evening at the Augusta Civic Center. 2002 Pro All Stars Series Champion Ben Rowe was on hand Friday and Saturday to meet and greet his fans, alongside his 2002 championship winning Mechanical Services/Superior Embroidery/Hi-Tech Racing 00 Monte Carlo. Joining Rowe were the 2001 and 2002 Northern Race Tires Rookie Challenge winners, Richie Dearborn and Johnny Clark.

2003 PASS schedules and the latest news on the $195,850.00 Big Dawg Challenge were available along with an up-to- date list of lap sponsors for this record-breaking 400-lap event, scheduled for October 11 and 12 at Wiscasset Raceway. The Pro All Stars Series kicks off it's 2003 campaign with 150 green flag laps at Wiscasset Raceway on Saturday April 19th.

		Larry McReynolds