Inaugural Mark Award Presented

Left to right: Mark Dresang, Dee Beaubien, Mary Bradford-White, Ginger Spitzer.

At the conclusion of the inaugural Barrington Concours d'Elegance awards ceremony Rick Dresang of the UEMSI Motorwerks Team presented a special award called the Mark Award.  It is fitting that this special award was presented for the first time at the first Barrington Concours.  The recipients were Dee Beaubien of the Hospice of Northeastern Illinois, Mary Bradford-White of the Barrington Concours d'Elegance, and Ginger Spitzer of Cowboy Dreams in honor of the successful first Barrington Concours d'Elegance. 

The Mark award is presented in memory of Mark Donahue.  Mark was a multiple SCCA National Champion, as well as the 1972 Indy 500 winner, 1968-69-71 SCCA Trans Am Champion, 1973 SCCA Can Am Champion, and inaugural IROC Champion.

Rick and Jacques Dresang with the UEMSI Motorwerks  keep the Eagle #7225 that Mark drove for Penske Racing in the 73 Indy 500 among other races during the same season. The Eagle was exhibited at the Barrington Concours and the award will be presented at every event that the Eagle is exhibited. 

The car's unfinished business is no longer to find every last increment of speed on the track. In the hands of UMW, its purpose has evolved to serve as a preserved element of racing history and to help charitable causes in their quest to help better serve the world. The Mark is given to a person that has shown dedication, focus, and contribution in efforts to better serve either the preservation of history or a charity.