Year's big winners honoured at gala awards
4/12/2000 14:49 (V8 Wire - Jason Whittaker) - Mark Skaife was finally given the opportunity to loft the Shell Championship Series Trophy he won so emphatically this year above his head, after being honoured at a gala awards night in Adelaide over the weekend.
Skaife was among a number of Y2K’s biggest winners recognised at the annual season-ending V8 Supercar Awards Ceremony at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday night.
Skaife – whose title win was largely overshadowed by Bathurst champs the Valvoline-Cummins team – was presented with the trophy after finishing 137-points ahead of his nearest rival, Garth Tander.
The 33-year-old paid tribute to his team for their domination of the category over a number of seasons, and the professionalism that helped Skaife gain his third Touring Car crown.
Runner-up Tander and third place-getter Craig Lowndes were also recognised for their achievements, as was Dean Canto, who claimed the inaugural Konica V8 Lites Series.
In accepting the accolades on the night, Canto signalled his intentions to compete in the “big league” next season, stepping-up into the Shell-backed Supercar class.
Craig Lowndes also received the Bridgestone Pole Award, for the most pole positions collected through the thirteen-round Series. Lowndes qualified fastest on five occasions.
After annihilating their opponents this year, Holden predictabley claimed the champion Manufacturers crown, while the Factory-backed Holden Racing Team was honoured as the Team of the Year.
General Motors won twelve of the thirteen rounds contested this season, eight of those wins belonging to the Holden Racing Team.
The prestigious Mike Kable Rookie of the Year Award was presented to an emotional Matthew White, whose largely-volunteer team helped him finish second in the Konica Lites Championship, and record a highly-credible eleventh place in the Queensland 500.
The memorial award remembers Motoring Journalist and long-time supporter of Motorsport’s youth, Mike Kable, who died earlier this year.
Touring Car immortals Bob Jane and Norm Beechy were also honoured for their life-long commitment to Motorsport, inducted into AVESCO’s “Grid of Champions” Hall of Fame. The pair collected 17 Touring Car round wins between them throughout their long, success-rich careers.
South Australian Premier John Olsen proudly accepted the Promoter of the Year Award, on behalf of the organising body behind Adelaide’s prosperous Clipsal 500 event. It is the second consecutive year the large-drawing Adelaide race was judged the best of the season.
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