Touring Champs Honored During NASCAR Awards Kickoff

From left: Connor Hall, Justin Bonsignore, Vittorio Ghirelli, Rubén García Jr., Alex Seid, Marc-Antoine Camirand, William Sawalich, Sean Hingorani, and Andrés Pérez are honored during night one of the NASCAR Awards. (Jacob Seelman photo)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – NASCAR honored its regional and touring series titlists Thursday evening during night one of the annual NASCAR Awards, which celebrate the sanctioning body’s top performers throughout its national and grassroots levels.

Headlined by ARCA Menards Series champions Andrés Pérez (national), William Sawalich (East), and Sean Hingorani (West), the ceremony saw more than 200 drivers from across the United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, and Europe recognized for their season-long accomplishments during the ballroom gala.

The two-and-a-half-hour event was hosted by longtime NASCAR broadcasters Adam Alexander and Jamie Little, both of whom spent time calling ARCA Menards Series action throughout the season.

Pérez, who was the final champion introduced, posted 17 top 10s in 20 races en route to a remarkably consistent ARCA national title. The Mexico City native became the first foreign-born champion in the 72-year history of the Automobile Racing Club of America, which was acquired by NASCAR in 2018.

“I’m just super proud of what all this means,” said the 19-year-old Pérez. “I’m just trying to enjoy it and take some cool pictures. It means a lot — the whole year’s work.

“I think this ARCA championship means a lot in terms of my career and how many opportunities it can bring me. There’s very good stuff coming, moving into the NASCAR world. I’m not able to [give] more details right now, but it’s definitely a good thing.”

Two drivers that have their 2025 plans already set in place are Sawalich and ARCA East championship runner-up Connor Zilisch, who will advance to the NASCAR Xfinity Series next year with Joe Gibbs Racing and JR Motorsports, respectively.

The 18-year-olds are viewed as two of the hottest prospects in the sport and have developed a competitive rivalry on-track after their multiple battles for victory in ARCA competition this year.

“We know how to race each other really good, really clean,” Sawalich said on the red carpet before the banquet. “We figured each other’s craft out, how we race and what our characteristics are … and I can’t wait to race him next year in Xfinity.”

Zilisch’s year included ARCA East rookie-of-the-year honors and a win in his Xfinity Series debut at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) Int’l in September. It sets up high expectations for him going into next season.

“That was pretty incredible,” said Zilisch, who hopes to race the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January, of his victory at The Glen. “It set the bar high for me. Every race, you have to learn to be better. I expected to do well at my first Xfinity race, considering it was on a road course, but I feel like I still have work to do.

“I’m going into next year with a lot of things I can improve on. I’m looking forward to it. Just got to continue to work hard and not let the success get to me.”

Hingorani’s second straight ARCA West title came as a bit of a surprise, considering he pieced together a championship campaign that included four different teams and six different crew chiefs in 12 races.

“It’s not how you envision doing it,” Hingorani admitted regarding how he went back-to-back. “Just thankful to all the various people who helped us accomplish the goal.”

New York veteran Justin Bonsignore collected the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championship for the fourth time in his career after a season where he ascended to second place on the series’ all-time win list.

Despite the statistics, however, a humble Bonsignore said he’s “not even close to the same breath” as the likes of Richie Evans, Mike Stefanik, and Doug Coby, who he’s now being listed with as one of the greats of modified racing.

“We won (three) races in 13 days to close the year, and to pass Teddy (Christopher) and then tie and pass Reggie (Ruggiero) to be second all time … my name doesn’t deserve to be anywhere near those guys,” Bonsignore stated. “They’re the absolute best of the best in our community and I’m just humbled and appreciative of the race team I have and the opportunity I have to do what I love.

“We have bigger goals, but you can’t get to seven (Mike Stefanik’s modern-era record for Tour championships) until you get to four … and now the next goal will be to get to five next year.”

Marc-Antoine Camirand proposes to girlfriend Sophie Marcotte on stage during night one of the NASCAR Awards. (Jacob Seelman photo)

Those who received hardware for NASCAR’s international championships included Marc-Antoine Camirand (NASCAR Canada Series), Vittorio Ghirelli (NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), Ruben Garcia Jr. (NASCAR Mexico Series), and co-champions Gabriel Casagrande and Alex Seid (NASCAR Brasil Series).

Camirand’s trophy presentation was the most memorable of the night, as he proposed to his longtime girlfriend Sophie Marcotte after 27 years together.

Their son and daughter were visibly emotional in the audience, before NASCAR’s Ben Kennedy came on stage to award the hardware and remarked, “Well, this is now the second most important ring of your night,” to cheers and chuckles from the crowd.

“I should have done this a long time ago,” Camirand said in reference to the marriage proposal.

Prior to the dinner intermission, the local foundation of racing was recognized as awards for the hundreds of successful NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series drivers across the country were handed out to begin the night.

Among the Weekly Series honorees were Division I national champion Connor Hall, as well as the national titlists for Divisions II-V, overall state champions, and track champions for the 46 NASCAR-sanctioned short tracks across the United States and Canada.

It showcased the foundation of the multiple tiers of motorsports that make NASCAR successful on the national and international stages.

“Grass roots racing is at the core of what we do as a sport,” said NASCAR President Steve Phelps in his introductory speech, setting the stage for the awards that followed. “Developing talent on the track is a key element of our regional and international series, but most importantly, these drivers help grow NASCAR’s fanbase and get fans on their feet with the best shows in motorsports.

“Whether it’s a modified in Connecticut, a late model in Idaho, or a stock car in Quebec, they are heroes to race fans across the globe and instrumental to the success of our great sport worldwide.”

It was those heroes on display Thursday night: the racers whose names the general public doesn’t always know, but who appreciated the chance to celebrate their successes just the same.