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WHITE BROTHERS RACING

(following article from www.dirtmotorsports.com Sept.11th 2003 press release)

FASTEST SUPER DIRT WEEK CAR EARNS HOLBROOK MEMORIAL AWARD


OTEGO, NY.....The memory of the late Maurice Holbrook will once more be honored by a $1,000 prize presented to the Modified driver who turns the fastest lap during Super DIRT Week XXXII preliminaries leading up to the headline Eckerd 200 in Syracuse.

Maurice Holbrook


2003 marks the eighth straight year of the award. Pole winner Brett Hearn was last year's recipient, becoming the first repeat winner since its inception. Tim McCreadie (2001), Billy Decker (2000), Bobby Varin ('98) and Joe Plazek ('97) and Steve Paine ('96) are past award winners while Hearn won his first prize in 1999.



Donald G. and Alison White presenting 2000 Holbrook Memorial Award to Billy Decker


Picture to left courtesy of Kustom Keepsakes, Inc.

Mauri Holbrook was in charge of preparing the Moody Mile from the late 1970s until just before his death in 1995 at age 64. He prided himself on a smooth, fast racing surface and was especially proud of Syracuse's reputation as the fastest one-mile dirt track in the world.

The Holbrook Memorial award goes out to the driver who turns the fastest lap of the week at any time prior to Sunday's big-block modified finale. The fast lap can occur during time trials, Triple 20s, or even practice, so long as it is timed on the official clock ---computer using the AMB Transponder System--- and certified by DIRT chief timer Gary Spaid.

The $1,000 prize is handed out in the awards ceremony held just prior to the start of the Eckerd 200 on Sunday afternoon.

The late Mr. Holbrook died without a spouse or children surviving him. So his Will, approved by the Otsego County Surrogates Court, established a fund to reward the fastest car and driver at Syracuse in Mauri's memory. The overseers of this prize are his executor and cousin, Don White, attorney Andrew Fusco and Mark Kolceski, who succeeded Mauri as foreman of Syracuse's track prep crew.

The Syracuse Mile, largely due to Mauri's preparatory techniques, usually gets faster each day of Super DIRT Week. So while the front row times are rewarded on Wednesday pole day, faster times set later in the week had often gone unrewarded.

The Holbrook Memorial prize changes that. In 1997, Plazek turned the week's fast time during second round time trials on Thursday while Paine posted the week's fastest lap in his qualifying heat on Friday. The fast laps of Hearn, McCreadie and Varin did come on Pole Day Wednesday while Decker, and Hearn in 1999, were recognized during Thursday's second round time trials.

"It's nice that Syracuse continues to honor its departed pioneers like former winner Dick Tobias, Hall of Fame announcer Jack Burgess and my cousin Mauri," said White. "It's one of the things that makes Super DIRT Week special."



(following information from www.dirtmotorsports.com Super Dirt Week XXX results)

2001 memorial award winner:
MAURI HOLBROOK MEMORIAL FAST TIME OF WEEK AWARD: Tim McCreadie (29.222 sec/123.195 mph).

(following information from www.dirtmotorsports.com Super Dirt Week XXXI results)

2002 memorial award winner:
MAURI HOLBROOK MEMORIAL FAST TIME OF WEEK AWARD: Brett Hearn (29.072 sec/123.830 mph).

(following information from www.dirtmotorsports.com Super Dirt Week XXXII results)

2003 memorial award winner:
MAURI HOLBROOK MEMORIAL FAST TIME OF WEEK AWARD: Billy Decker (*28.763 sec./125.161 mph).
*New Track Record.

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