GRAND BLANC, Mich. — Should See Racing acknowledged its high drivers and groups from the 2024 season in the course of the sanctioning physique’s Night time of Champions celebration Saturday on the Fairfield Inn & Suites of Grand Blanc.
Chief among the many banquet’s honored company have been Should See Racing Nationwide Dash Automobile Sequence offered by Perfit champion Joe Liguori and Maxima Racing Oils Should See Racing Midwest Lights titlist J.J. Henes.
Liguori wasn’t capable of have a good time his championship season on the racetrack after the finale was misplaced to a mixture of climate and extenuating circumstances again in September, however collected the key {hardware} by 42 factors over runner-up and fellow owner-driver Kevin Mingus.
After a top-shelf, post-COVID 2021 season that couldn’t be formally acknowledged on the time, Liguori was capable of nod in his title acceptance speech to the truth that 2024, in impact, marked his second time on the high of the Should See Racing mountain.
“We’ve simply in some way made a behavior of not having the ability to have a good time till so much later,” joked Liguori of his championship crown.
“My daughter Emilee was supposed to assist me write a speech, however I’ll simply wing it,” he continued. “For the 5 years we’ve been on tour, Jim and Nancy (Hanks, collection homeowners) have given us a terrific platform and I admire them accepting us into the collection and coping with our antics, as a result of I do know we are able to make it tough typically (laughter).
“However I’m glad to race with everybody that we do and that we’re all capable of be on the racetrack having enjoyable, as a result of that’s actually what that is about. None of that is our occupation, but it surely’s what all of us like to do and I believe that’s what separates this collection from wherever else, is the eagerness that’s dropped at the desk.
Henes additionally returned to the top, topping the Midwest Lights crate dash automotive division for a second time after beforehand successful the tour’s inaugural title in 2020.
“It’s been a pleasure to race towards Cody (Gallogly, Midwest Lights runner-up) however man, he’s been placing a whooping on us up till this previous 12 months,” famous Henes. “My dad and I had been speaking about constructing a brand new race automotive (after the 2022 season) and we lastly determined to do it final offseason as a result of we have been uninterested in Cody beating up on us (laughter).
“Going into the 12 months, I used to be scared, to be trustworthy. While you construct a brand-new race automotive and don’t know something about it (on-track) as a result of it’s fully totally different to something that you simply’ve achieved earlier than, it’s a variety of unknown … however as quickly as we acquired that first (win) at Owosso (Speedway) I knew we had one thing actually good,” he added.
“To capitalize the way in which that we did as a household staff … it means so much and you may’t ask for way more.”
Among the many different Should See Racing nationwide honorees Saturday was Dick Myers, the longtime chief of the long-lasting RAM Engineering No. 50m dash automotive staff, who obtained Automobile Proprietor of the Yr honors.
Liguori was named Driver of the Yr for the third time in his embellished profession, whereas his chief mechanic Brad Ringer secured Crew Chief of the Yr laurels for a second time.
Extra Midwest Lights award recipients included Ethan Rader (Rookie of the Yr) and Terry Bogusz (Crew Chief of the Yr), whereas Jon Henes and J.J. Henes have been named Automobile Proprietor and Driver of the Yr, respectively.
The night time’s highest honor, the Jerry Caryer Ironman Award for dedication to Should See Racing, was offered to journeyman Rick Holley as the driving force who most exemplified loyalty to pavement dash automotive racing as a complete and for his spirit in making practically each collection race during the last 5 years.
Holley joined Tom Jewell (2021), Charlie Schultz (2022), and Ryan Litt (2023) because the fourth recipient of the perpetual honor, which is housed at Should See Racing’s collection headquarters in Holly, Mich.
“I actually wasn’t anticipating this,” mentioned an emotional Holley, who was joined by son Probability and granddaughter Frankie on the podium afterward. “Jerry was a buddy and liked this collection as a lot as anybody earlier than we misplaced him, so to be honored like this … I hope he’d be proud.”
