Scott Owen, Leader Columnist
With only two nights remaining in the 2016 season, it is time to hand out some awards and give a little recognition where it is due.
A few years back, I came up with the Corny awards. The Oscars go out to those in Hollywood, and the Cornys (named after former racer, promoter and flag man Warren “Corny” Schmidt) honor some of Shawano Speedway’s finest. By the way, Corny, who recently had a pacemaker installed, is slated to be at the track this week for alumni night.
So, without further ado, let’s get to the winners.
The Corny award for hard-luck racer goes to IMCA Stock Cars racer Mike Schmidt. Poised to contend for a track championship, Schmidt has been involved in more than one horrific accident this year. Yet, Mike and his crew have shown their resolve by missing only one night and sitting sixth in track points.
The Corny for breakout performance goes to 16-year-old IMCA Modifieds racer Konnor Wilinski. Konnor, son of defending track champion Jerry Wilinski, has shown that he is a serious contender. Konnor stormed onto the scene during the track’s IMCA Modifieds special, The Fury at the Fairgrounds. In his first night behind the wheel at the track, Konnor won his heat race and finished ninth in the feature while racing against some of the best modifieds racers in the nation. Since then, he has scored two feature wins, including holding off his father for the win on Aug. 13.
The Corny award for best racing family goes to the Muenster family. At 75 years of age, Jerry Muenster continues to shine, currently sitting tied for third in the IMCA Modifieds point standings. Jerry’s son, Eddie, is only a single point behind him. Both are former track champions and deserve a mention as great racing ambassadors also.
The Corny award for most excited feature winner goes to IMCA Stock Cars racer Vern Stedjee. Vern scored his first-ever Shawano Speedway feature win on July 23 while holding off Travis Van Straten. Van Straten has been truly dominant over the last two years, so the win was extra special for Stedjee. The win was a popular one as the affable Stedjee was overjoyed as the checkered flag waived.
Winning the Corny award for best mustache once again this year is Tom Naeyaert. Naeyaert’s “nose neighbor” was in fine shape again this year.
Finally, the Corny award for outstanding achievement is split between Marcus Yarie, Lucas Lamberies and Travis Van Straten. These three racers have an incredible 22 feature wins between them this year.
Make sure and congratulate each of these racers on their highly coveted wins.
See you at the speedway.