Menard's Infiniti Pro Series runner-up Paul Dana, a native St. Louisan, and 18 year-old rising star Justin Allgaier, of Riverton, IL, will be the guest speakers for the St. Louis Auto Racing Fan Club's 38th Annual Banquet of Champions. The club will be celebrating their 50th anniversary at the banquet on Saturday, January 15, 2005 to be held at the Stegton Regency Banquet Center in St. Charles, MO.
Dana, age 28, finished second last year to Thiago Medeiros in this developmental open wheel series, which is one step below competition in the Indy Racing League (IRL). He kick-started his year with a pole at the season-opener at Homestead and notched two other front row starts. He won on the challenging one-mile oval at Milwaukee, and added four second-place and seven top-five finishes during the 12-race season. Dana was second in laps led in 2004. Driving for the IndyCar team Hemelgarn Racing, he is sponsored by the ethanol industry which is a clean, American, high-performance renewable fuel. Over 25 individual companies from within the industry back the team. His racing career began in Ontario, Canada eight years ago with the Bridgestone Racing School where he worked and was paid in "seat time".
Allgaier began racing quarter-midgets at the age of four in 1990 with help from Ken Schrader Racing. He won five Grand National Championships with the Quarter Midgets of America (QMA) and over 100 feature wins before moving up to the 600cc Mini Sprints and a Rookie-of-the-Year honor in 1999. Then he tackled racing full-sized midgets and UMP Late Models at the age of 14! Next came the ARCA stock cars and in 2004 he added USAC Silver Crown cars to his resume (while continuing to race UMP Late Models, midgets, and ARCA stock cars!). He represented the USA at the South Pacific Saloon Car championship in New Zealand last January. He set a new track record at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, MO touring the 3/8-mile, high banked dirt track in 12.610 seconds or 107 plus mph! He became a partner with the U.S. Air Force. He also joined the Race Against Drugs Campaign, which took his race car to the Pentagon.
Dale Mueller founded the Fan Club in 1955 to help racing achieve its rightful place alongside other sports. He dreamed of a Banquet of Champions. Following an untimely accident while filming races at the Springfield (IL) Mile in 1966, the club members honored his passing by fulfilling his dream of a banquet.
Each year since the club has brought together the champions from the wide range of motorsports St. Louis is fortunate to enjoy. Boat racers join pre-teen quarter-midget racers, sports car drivers, open wheel stars, dragsters, and stock car champs (among others) at this one-of-a-kind racing banquet.
Tickets for this year's event are $30 and available from Carol Marino-Feldscher at 636-928-4047. Doors open at 5 p.m.
Dana, age 28, finished second last year to Thiago Medeiros in this developmental open wheel series, which is one step below competition in the Indy Racing League (IRL). He kick-started his year with a pole at the season-opener at Homestead and notched two other front row starts. He won on the challenging one-mile oval at Milwaukee, and added four second-place and seven top-five finishes during the 12-race season. Dana was second in laps led in 2004. Driving for the IndyCar team Hemelgarn Racing, he is sponsored by the ethanol industry which is a clean, American, high-performance renewable fuel. Over 25 individual companies from within the industry back the team. His racing career began in Ontario, Canada eight years ago with the Bridgestone Racing School where he worked and was paid in "seat time".
Allgaier began racing quarter-midgets at the age of four in 1990 with help from Ken Schrader Racing. He won five Grand National Championships with the Quarter Midgets of America (QMA) and over 100 feature wins before moving up to the 600cc Mini Sprints and a Rookie-of-the-Year honor in 1999. Then he tackled racing full-sized midgets and UMP Late Models at the age of 14! Next came the ARCA stock cars and in 2004 he added USAC Silver Crown cars to his resume (while continuing to race UMP Late Models, midgets, and ARCA stock cars!). He represented the USA at the South Pacific Saloon Car championship in New Zealand last January. He set a new track record at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, MO touring the 3/8-mile, high banked dirt track in 12.610 seconds or 107 plus mph! He became a partner with the U.S. Air Force. He also joined the Race Against Drugs Campaign, which took his race car to the Pentagon.
Dale Mueller founded the Fan Club in 1955 to help racing achieve its rightful place alongside other sports. He dreamed of a Banquet of Champions. Following an untimely accident while filming races at the Springfield (IL) Mile in 1966, the club members honored his passing by fulfilling his dream of a banquet.
Each year since the club has brought together the champions from the wide range of motorsports St. Louis is fortunate to enjoy. Boat racers join pre-teen quarter-midget racers, sports car drivers, open wheel stars, dragsters, and stock car champs (among others) at this one-of-a-kind racing banquet.
Tickets for this year's event are $30 and available from Carol Marino-Feldscher at 636-928-4047. Doors open at 5 p.m.
