INDIANAPOLIS (July 28, 2008) – Ken Howes was honored Sunday with the C&R Racing True Grit Award, which exemplifies outstanding achievement in racing and acknowledges dedicated crew chiefs and mechanics in the motor sports industry.
Howes, Hendrick Motorsports’ vice president of competition, was presented the award by Chris Paulsen, the president and owner of C&R Racing Inc. The honor is bestowed twice annually at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, prior to the Indianapolis 500 and Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.
“I first met Ken Howes in 1989 when he went to work taking care of the Hendrick Corvette GTP car,” said Paulsen, who established the $10,000 True Grit Award in 1998. “Coincidentally, they kept that race team in the old IndyCar shop that I worked in for many years previously on Gasoline Alley.
“I’ve worked with Ken and have been friends for many years, and he is the tireless worker behind the scenes that has a very large impact on the performance of Hendrick Motorsports. I’m very happy that Ken Howes was selected for this award, and he joins a long list of very accomplished NASCAR and IndyCar professionals.”
Previous winners of the NASCAR True Grit Award include Barry Dodson, Ray Evernham, Jimmy Fennig, Tony Glover, Jimmy Makar, Buddy Parrott, Ryan Pemberton, Robby Reiser, Glen Wood and Leonard Wood.
“When I was told about this, I thought someone was mistaken or perhaps confused,” Howes joked. “The list of past winners is filled with people who I personally respect and admire, and it’s a privilege to even be mentioned with them.
“Chris Paulsen and everyone at C&R Racing play a large role in our industry, and I am sincerely thankful to them for this honor. I’m fortunate to be a part of the racing community and to make a living doing what I love. To be recognized for that is truly humbling.”
To learn more about C&R Racing, visit www.crracing.com.