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USAC: Turkey Night 'Rookie of the Race' Award Honors Don Basile

20 November 1998

A brand-new award - the Don Basile "Rookie of the Race" Award - has been instituted for the November 26 "Turkey Night Grand Prix" USAC Midget race at Bakersfield (Calif.) Speedway.

Honoring the memory of one of auto racing's most prominent race organizers who was instrumental in the growth of the sport in southern California through his many racing-oriented ventures, the cash award will be presented to the highest-finishing driver making his first start in the 100-lap feature event. Basile, a charter member of USAC who had organized some 3,000 auto races during his career, passed away October 21 at age 82.

The 58th running of America's most traditional short-track motorsports event is scheduled for November 25-26, with preliminaries at the 1/3-mile dirt Bakersfield Speedway on Wednesday night and the 100-lap feature on Thursday night.