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46th Annual Banquet of Champions
St. Louis Auto Racing Fan Club
January 19, 2013
Orlando Gardens
Annual Awards
1. Arnie Knepper Scholarship – Shauna Wollmershauser
The Arnie Knepper scholarship is awarded to a High Performance Racing Technology student at Ranken Technical College. Arnie enthusiastically and tirelessly shared the thrills, the mechanics, and the intricacies of the sport with everyone. This year’s recipient was the beneficiary of this scholarship last year. Since our last banquet she’s taken her love for the sport beyond the drag strip that inspired her to the oval tracks thanks to Ranken’s Modified racing team, and has joined the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood committee and will serve as their Chief of Tech next month. She, like Arnie, is taking her knowledge and sharing it with everyone. The St. Louis Auto Racing Fan Club is delighted to present the Arnie Knepper Scholarship to the soon-to-be May 2013 Ranken graduate Shauna Wollmershauser.
2. Bob Mueller Award – The Stanfill Family: Mark, Shari, Zach, Dustin, and the twins Bradley and Clayton
Award presented by Mike McGinnitey, St. Louis Auto Racing Fan Club President and Chairman of the Board of the Allied Auto Racing Association
Bob Mueller was my grandfather. I grew up watching him do all those little things that needed doing behind the scenes to make racing safe, fun, and successful. This year the Bob Mueller winners are a family who has spent their lives doing those same things. As fans we might not always see the countless hours they spend in watering the track, running the front office, operating a tow truck, staffing the pit shack, working concessions, grooming the track during intermission or the countless other tasks it takes for us to enjoy a fabulous night of racing. It’s cool to watch the kids, and I mean kids, come up through the ranks and make magic happen at the Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55. This year’s winner of the Bob Mueller Award is the Stanfill Family: Mark, Shari, Zach, Dustin, and the twins Bradley and Clayton.
3. Outstanding Media Award – Sam Martin
The Outstanding Media award winner’s involvement with motorsports began with trips to local oval tracks at an early age. It was Mid-America Raceways where his weekly trip to the drags led to a job at the track before he finished high school. He hit the road with several NHRA teams before he became an intern with Gateway International Raceway while still in college. The ADRL noticed his abilities and hired him for two years. He then joined the Chris Duncan Pro Modified Super Series. There he serves as their Race Director and Public Relations liaison, producing all of their media and coordinating all of their live events. He’s recently added a tour of oval tracks to his schedule supplying results, releases and photography to a large network of media outlets from his home base in St. Louis. The SLARFC is pleased to present our 2012 Outstanding Media award to twenty-five-year-old Sam Martin.
4. Founder’s Award – not presented this year
5. Mike Meurer Ambassador Award – (newly rechristened Mike Meurer this year)
This year we’ve rechristened our ambassador award as the Mike Meurer Ambassador Award. “The Talker Guy”, as Mike was affectionately known, set the bar for track announcers and banquet emcees so high it’s in the stratosphere. We’re not certain anyone knew just how much he loved this sport, but we are sure that there was no better ambassador of it. The first winner of the Mike Meurer Ambassador award shares the same love deep down in his soul for this sport that Mike did. His poise, charisma, sportsmanship, public composure, service to the sport and inspiration coupled with his impressive stats compiled over seven decades of competition equally set another bar in the stratosphere: this time for racers. As Missouri Governor Jay Nixon pointed out this summer, having watched him compete as a kid, this racer put Ste. Genevieve on the map. I am honored to present our first Mike Meurer Ambassador award to the legend, Dandy Don Klein.
6. Curt Lehman Award – Jon Huber
It is not a demonstrated single extraordinary example of sportsmanship exhibited by this year’s Curt Lehman winner, but more than six decades of continuous sportsman-like conduct that stems from his passion for motorsports that has earned him this award. Quiet and reserved, he has always been interested in how and why things work. A retired aircraft quality control engineer he’s used his engineering abilities by building a variety of engines for racers across the country. He’s helped drag racers, dirt trackers, road racers, NASCAR teams, motorcycle racers, offshore racing boats, quarter-midget racers, shifter karts, and slot car enthusiasts. He’s taught others how to approach engineering challenges, the value of team work, the pay-it-forward mentality, and the treasure of helping even your competitors achieve new personal bests. The St. Louis Auto Racing Fan Club is honored to present our Curt Lehman award to Jon Huber.
7. The George Award – Steve Kempf
The “George” Award honors our late Fan Club member Frank Suggs, who was always there when we needed help and honors the most active member not on the Fan Club board. This year’s winner is cut from the same mold. He silently steps in and volunteers when needed. His skill at working the crowd at the Arnie Knepper Memorial selling 50/50 tickets insures that the scholarship we present in Arnie’s name is fully funded. The St. Louis Auto Racing Fan Club is honored to present The “George” Award to Steve Kempf for his quiet dedication to the future of the sport.
8. Lifetime Membership – not presented this year
9. Dale Mueller Award – Doug Jenkins
His passion for motorsports began at an early age and later combined with a passion for broadcasting. From riding in Kevin Goss’ “Triple Nickel” as a kid, he moved to announcing the races at area tracks including Godfrey, St. Charles, Tri-City and Highland. He spent five years hosting The Thunder on the Eastside cable TV show, providing copy and audio for the All-American Race Talk website, and contributes to the Motor Racing Mondays radio show on WDLJ as well as his own racing radio show, Let’s Talk Racing on Alton’s WBGZ. His passion extends to keeping alive the history and memory of where it all began for him, the now shuttered Godfrey Speedway, through a Facebook page. The St. Louis Auto Racing Fan Club is proud to present our highest honor, the Dale Mueller Award to Doug Jenkins.