11/21/2016
2016 UMSS Awards Banquet At Best Western Plus
The Upper Midwest Sprintcar Series (UMSS) has set the date for their annual awards banquet to celebrate and honor the top drivers from the 2016 winged, traditional and micro sprint series. The 2016 UMSS awards banquet will return to the same venue for the fifth consecutive year. The banquet will be held on Saturday, January 21, 2017 at the Best Western Plus (formerly Hampton Inn) & Green Mill restaurant and bar located at 1000 Gramsie Road in Shoreview, Minnesota at the intersection of I-694 and Lexington Avenue North. There will be a drivers meeting from 1:00 to 3:00 in the afternoon for those interested in discussing the 2017 racing season. Banquet activities will begin with a social hour from 5:00-6:00. A cash bar will be available all evening. A buffet dinner will be served from 6:00-7:30. The awards ceremony will take place following the dinner. The banquet room has three large screens where videos and photo highlights from the 2016 season will cycle through during the course of the evening.
The cost of the banquet is the same as last year at $30 per adult, children 6-15 are $15, and under 6 are free. Tickets should be purchased by January 14, 2017 by mailing a check payable to UMSS to Ron Bernhagen at P.O. Box 66, Harris, MN 55032. Please indicate the number of adult and children tickets on the memo line or on a sticky note, so the appropriate number of tickets can be set aside. A sign-in list will be at the registration table in the banquet room. Driving directions and other information about the Best Western Plus can be found on their website at http://bestwesternminnesota.com/hotels/best-western-plus-st-paul-north-shoreview or by calling them at 651-482-0402. The UMSS encourages race teams and fans to come out and make this an enjoyable family weekend. The Best Western Plus has an indoor swimming pool, whirlpool, fitness center and video arcade. A deluxe continental breakfast is served in the morning with hot items and complimentary high-speed internet is available in all guest rooms.
Rooms have been set aside at the Best Western Plus for the UMSS. The rate for Saturday night for a room with two (2) queen-size beds is $99.00 or a single room with (1) king-size bed is $89.00 plus tax. Reservations can be made by calling the hotel at 651-482-0402 and mentioning the UMSS banquet room rate. The cut-off date for reserving a room under the UMSS banquet rate is December 22, 2016 (or based on availability thereafter).
The keynote speaker at the banquet this year will be four-time MSA sprint car champion Bob Hop of Mendota. Bob won MSA titles outright in 1976, 1977 and 1979. In 1978, Bob was the Southern Division MSA champion, as the series had a northern and southern division that season. Bob also raced several seasons at the Knoxville Raceway winning one feature race and qualifying for the prestigious Knoxville Nationals A Main twice (1981 & 1983). Bob will have some interesting insight and stories to relay during his talk.
The Upper Midwest Sprint Car Series looks forward to seeing many sprint car drivers, teams and fans at their eighth annual banquet on Saturday, January 21, 2017. Sprint car fans are especially encouraged to attend the banquet. The UMSS has completed eight successful seasons of winged sprint car racing, six seasons with the popular traditional non-winged sprint cars, and five seasons for the micro sprints. The UMSS continues to generate interest in sprint car racing, as they build and grow the sport near the Twin Cities and surrounding areas in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Please visit the UMSS website at www.umsprints.com or check out the UMSS Facebook page for information about the series and the opportunities that are available for participants, sponsors and fans.
2016 UMSS Champions:
Winged Division - Ryan Bowers
Traditional Division - Rick Kobs
Micro Sprint Division - Jeremy Kasik
2016 UMSS Rookie of the Year:
Winged Division - Roger McVitty
Traditional Division - Ty Sampair
Micro Sprint Division - Brent Smith
GRP Motorsports High Five Bonus Champion:
Traditional Division - James Giossi
Midwest Power Series Champion:
Winged Division - Chris Graf
Article Credit: Greg Parent, UMSS Media Director
