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NOTEBOOK: Gala Serves As Extra Incentive

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In a tradition as old as stock car racing itself, the six NASCAR touring champions celebrating Saturday night in the Crown Ballroom did so under the watchful – and envious – eyes of fellow competitors already wanting their shot to knock them off the pedestal.

The champions from the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, K&N Pro Series West, Whelen Modified Tour, Whelen Southern Modified Tour, Canadian Tire Series and Mexico Series were honored in the Touring Series Awards Gala at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Saturday. But the clock was already ticking on their respective title reigns – even as they were posing for photographs on the big stage and centerpieces were being cleared from the dining room's tables.

“We couldn't be prouder to have (Scott Steckly) as our champion,” said D.J. Kennington, the 2010 NASCAR Canadian Tire champion. “If it's not me, I'm glad it's Scott. But we're not going to let him enjoy it for too long. I told him at midnight tonight, it's all over and it's on for next year.”

That was the sentiment echoed throughout the Crown Ballroom.

In some ways, Kennington said, NASCAR helps to fuel that fire within competitors year after year. Promotion of the championship battles in the respective series, a bevy of events for the champions during Champions Week in Charlotte and the glitz and glamour of the season-ending banquet all play into it.

“After being here last year and winning the championship, you want it pretty bad again,” said Kennington, the Canadian Tire Series runner-up this year. “I think NASCAR almost breeds that into you. After you do have the championship and see how amazing it is, how well they treat you and how important it is to everybody, it makes you want it that much more.”

For Justin Bonsignore, his fire started burning much earlier. The 22-year-old Whelen Modified Tour sophomore grew up around both Ron Silk, this year's Tour champion and George Brunnhoelzl III, the Southern Whelen Modified Tour titlist.

“I grew up watching Georgie and Ronnie both race go-karts. They were always older than I was, and I always looked up to them as a kid,” said Bonsignore, who won his first career race this season and finished seventh in the final standings while also winning the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series track championship in a Modified at Riverhead Raceway in his home state of New York.

“To see them both up on the stage there tonight, I'm really proud to say I know them. I want to come back next year, and I want to be one of those guys. I'm just really excited for 2012.”

Even Jason White, who finished eighth in the final Canadian Tire Series standings, went on his personal Twitter feed (@racinjasonwhite) immediately after the banquet and proclaimed: “What an unreal party #nascarchampions put on for us. Makes me want to win even more now.” White added the hashtag “#nevergiveup” to the end of his post.

Virtually every champion on Saturday night alluded to how hard it was translating their championship seasons into words. They used oft-recited sayings like “unbelievable,” “amazing” and “dream come true.”

Somehow, none of those words seemed to put being just one of 10 champions crowned in all of NASCAR – from the Sprint Cup Series down to the Whelen All-American Series – into proper perspective. That fact wasn't lost on Sergio Pena, who will enter his third year of K&N Pro Series East competition with Revolution Racing in 2012.

“You see the drivers, crew chiefs, sponsors, owners – everyone – going up there on stage and enjoying themselves,” said Pena, who won three races and finished fifth in the K&N Pro Series East this year. “The speeches they give, they sound like they have a feeling you can't really describe. Next year, I definitely want to be up there as the champion of the K&N Series. I want to be part of the NASCAR family as one of the championship winners.”

To do that, Pena needs to do the same thing that drivers like Bonsignore and K&N Pro Series West Sunoco Rookie of the Year Dylan Kwasniewski need to do. He needs to elevate his game.

That's something Max Gresham was able to do this year en route to the K&N Pro Series East title – learning how to go from being fast enough to win races to being able to win a championship.

“This year was a huge learning year for me,” Pena said. “I learned so much from (Revolution Racing's) Andy Santerre and my crew chief Matt Goslant. I learned so much about everything, and (Goslant) helped me mature so much as a driver.

“Last year, in 2010, I was wrecking a lot and driving over my head, trying to win every single race no matter what. They taught me it's not about winning every race – it's about finishing Top-3, Top-5 every race to win championships.”

“This was a huge learning year for me,” Gresham said in his acceptance speech. “Without great teachers, I wouldn't be the champion this year.”

Kwasniewski himself had a great teacher and role model within his own camp. Gene Price Motorsports teammate Greg Pursley dominated the competition in winning the K&N Pro Series West championship this season.

“The guy's obviously a great driver. You couldn't ask for a better teammate,” said Kwasniewski, who impressed with a pair of wins in 13 starts as a rookie. “To have a veteran driver like that when coming into the series, to give me tips and insight on the different tracks and the cars, you couldn't ask for anything better. I'm in a perfect fit with these guys. They treat me like family, and I don't plan on going anywhere else anytime soon.”

With Pursley as a role model, and with the backdrop of the Touring Series Awards Gala, to motivate Kwasniewski, the 16-year-old driver sided with Kennington, Pena and the others not granted a championship ring Saturday night. He's ready to take his shot at winning a title of his own in 2012.

“Absolutely. I want to follow the trend,” Kwasniewski said. “It's going to be a good battle. Obviously, I want to see either one of us (at Gene Price Motorsports) win the championship. It's great to see (Pursley) win it. It's humbling to see all these guys up there. I want to be up here next year, and I want to be one of the younger ones to ever do it.

“I always go out, in any series I'm in, I'm always trying to win the races. I wish we won some more, and I think we're going to win a lot more next year. I'm happy with the season. I mean, I'm ecstatic. It was a great first season, but I have some expectations.

“I think I can win the championship next year.”

Add him to a lengthy list of drivers across all six NASCAR national touring series that feel exactly the same way.

“You always get the new guys coming in, you get better competition, and you never know what's going to happen in racing,” Kennington said. “The perfect example this year – you've just got to look at the top series. Look at (Tony) Stewart. He didn't really do anything spectacular, but then look what he did – he laid a beat-down on them at the end.

“That's what this sport's all about. You never know what's going to happen next. I think that's what keeps us coming back every year, to see what's going to happen next.”