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Whelen Modified Tour: Special Awards

2009 Sunoco Rookie of the Year

Eric Goodale became the 11th driver in NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour history to earn Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors thanks to his efforts throughout the 2009 season.

Goodale, from Riverhead, N.Y., finished 11th in the season standings on the strength of three top 10 finishes in 13 starts. Goodale’s top 10s came at Spencer Speedway in July and Martinsville Speedway in September. He also finished ninth among NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour competitors in the Bristol Motor Speedway combination race. His best outing of the year was the eighth-place effort at Spencer.

Goodale debuted in the Whelen Modified Tour with two starts in 2008 and now has four career top 10s in 15 starts. At 11th place in the season standings, Goodale became the fifth-highest finishing Sunoco Rookie of the Year since the award was instituted in 1999.

SPECIAL AWARDS
In each NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race, drivers compete for several special awards. These awards include the Coors Light Pole Award, Featherlite Most Improved Driver Award, the Coca-Cola Move of the Race Award and the Whelen Engineering Winner of the Race Award. In addition, new series drivers compete for the Sunoco Rookie of the Race Award, while vying for the year-end Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award.

A summary of 2010 Special Awards and 2009 winners of each award are as follows:

COORS LIGHT POLE AWARD: Presented to the fastest eligible qualifier in each NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race. The Coors Light Pole winner for each race will receive $600. The driver who wins the most Coors Light Pole Awards during the season will receive a year-end award.
• 2009 award recipient: Ted Christopher

FEATHERLITE MOST IMPROVED DRIVER AWARD: Presented to the driver who improves their finishing position the most, compared to the previous series race. The Featherlite Most Improved Driver Award winner for each race will receive $550. The driver who wins the most Featherlite Awards during the season will receive a year-end award.
• 2009 award recipient: Ted Christopher

COCA-COLA MOVE OF THE RACE AWARD: Presented to the driver who improves the most number of positions from their starting position in each race. The Coca-Cola Move of the Race Award winner in each event will receive $750. The driver who wins the most Coca-Cola Awards during the season will receive a year-end award.
• 2009 award recipient: Eric Beers

WHELEN ENGINEERING WINNER OF THE RACE AWARD: Presented to the driver who takes the checkered flag at each race throughout the season. The Whelen Engineering Winner of the Race Award recipient in each event will earn $500. The driver who wins the most Whelen Awards during the season will receive a year-end award.
• 2009 award recipient: Donny Lia

SUNOCO ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD: Sunoco, the official fuel of NASCAR, sponsors a Rookie of the Race Award at each event – as well as the prestigious year-end award, which recognizes the top rookie driver in the series. Eligible drivers collect Sunoco Rookie points at each race and compete under other additional criteria for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award. The Rookie of the Race Award winner in each event will receive $300.
• 2009 award recipient: Eric Goodale

Whelen Winner of the Race Award

Coors Light Pole Award

Coca-Cola Move of the Race Award

Featherlite Most Improved Driver Award

Sunoco Rookie of the Race Award

Sunoco Rookie of the Year Points