Golf Outing Kicks Off NWAAS Championship Week In Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV — The three-day celebration of the 2008 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series season began in Las Vegas on Wednesday as drivers, team members, officials and guests participated in the annual Jim Hunter Invitational Golf Classic at Desert Pines Golf Club.
Among the competitors Wednesday were NASCAR Whelen All-American Series champion Philip Morris, runner-up Brian Harris and Marty Ward, the third-place finisher in the national standings. Morris, who has found a wealth of success with a steering wheel, found that a golf club was not as comfortable of a feeling, but he had fun nonetheless.
“This is my third time playing – all at these banquets – and the golf club doesn’t fit my hand too good, but I had a lot of fun,” Morris said. “This is a really nice facility and it’s just beautiful being out here, so it was an awesome day for me.”
Harris, who finished just four points behind Morris in national title chase, had similar sentiments from Wednesday’s golf outing.
“This is the fourth time golfing in my life,” Harris said. “I’m definitely more comfortable with the steering wheel, but it was a good time and I got to meet everybody that we were battling with throughout the season.”
While the drivers might not be looking for a match with Tiger Woods anytime soon, one thing is for sure, they are very appreciative of the opportunity to kick back and relax after the rigors of a campaign for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championship.
“It means a lot to be able to come out here to the banquet,” Ward said. “To finish as high as we did and be able to come out here and stay the whole week and bring my family, it’s just been a week that you can’t really find words for. We’ve really enjoyed it.”
Hunter, NASCAR’s Vice President for Corporate Communications and long-time supporter of short track racing, enjoys the opportunity year-in and year-out to host the event with competitors and members of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
“It’s always fun to relax with our track operators during the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national championship awards festivities in Las Vegas,” Hunter said. “The golf outing gives many of our track operators a chance to spend some quality time with our top Whelen weekly drivers. Everyone has a good time.”
The team of Tim Bennett (Holland International Speedway), Stan Lasky (Motordrome Speedway), Jeff Macy (Altamont Raceway Park) and Tony White (Spencer Speedway) finished with the low score among the seven foursomes. Among the day’s award winners, Harris had the longest putt while Meghan Miley from NASCAR recorded the longest drive and was closest to the pin.
The golf outing was just the first of a series of events for drivers, track operators and officials leading up to the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards Banquet on Friday evening at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas. Morris and his family will receive a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon, Lake Meade and the Hoover Dam and will have lunch on the canyon floor near the base of the Colorado River.
“I’m looking forward to it, personally, because I’ve not done anything like this before,” Morris said. “To my children I’m a hero now for them getting to ride in the helicopter and have lunch down in the canyon. My son Blake is 11 and he is just blown away by this, and I’m sure it’s going to be 10 times as good once he sees what we’re going to get to do.”
Sources: Jason Christley/NASCAR WA-AS PR