Pittsburgh, PA (January 29, 2012) Just over a year ago the FASTRAK Northeast lost a fierce competitor and a great friend when Gary Knollinger tragically lost his life in an automobile accident.

Those of us that knew him and the drivers that had the pleasure of racing with him vowed to never forget him and with the help of his family and friends, the Inaugural “Gary Knollinger Memorial took place at Sharon Speedway on June 25.  The event again will be held this season at Sharon on June 23.

Gary truly represented what we believe FASTRAK is all about; a grass roots racer giving his all each and every night, lap after lap, traveling hundreds of miles throughout the summer just to race.

But beyond that, Gary was a true gentleman both on and off the racetrack.  Always smiling, willing to lend a hand at anytime to his fellow competitors, and just simply happy to race with what the FASTRAK Northeast Touring Series has become, to all of us, a second family.

This year we have created a special award The Gary Knollinger “Golden Award” that will given annually at our awards banquet to a driver that we feel represents himself in the way that we will always remember Gary.

The initial recipient of this award carries himself in a very similar fashion as Gary did...He’s a fierce competitor, finances his operation pretty much on his own, has the strong support of his family, but more importantly, and to his credit, no matter what situation has presented itself to him on the racetrack, he has always handled himself with class and integrity. MORE