Missouri Athletic Club also will honor Bruce, Backes, Goldschmidt, Kalish and Unger
ST. LOUIS – On Monday, December 6, the Missouri Athletic Club in Downtown St. Louis will host the 52nd Jack Buck Sports Awards Banquet presented by Redbird Carriers.
World Wide Technology Raceway owner Curtis Francois will receive the Jack Buck Award in recognition of his contributions to local racing, including landing a coveted NASCAR Cup Series Race for St. Louis. Recent Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Isaac Bruce will receive the Stan “the Man” Award for his contributions to St. Louis on the field and in the community through his foundation. The newly named “Bob Plager Legends Award” will honor two St. Louis Blues greats, Gary Unger and David Backes. Cardinals Gold-glove first baseman Paul Goldschmidt will be honored as the Sports Personality of the Year. Saint Louis University men’s soccer coach Kevin Kalish will receive the Carl O. Bauer Award in recognition as a top local figure in amateur sports.
The annual banquet was established in 1970 by Missouri Athletic Club member Jack Buck to honor the top St. Louis sports figures. Some of the biggest names in sports history including Bob Gibson, Joe Torre, Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith, Al MacInnis, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Brett Hull, Marshall Faulk, Albert Pujols and Kurt Warner have been honored at the event. Every banquet since its inception has aired on KMOX Radio. This year’s banquet can be heard beginning at 8 p.m. on Dec. 6.
About World Wide Technology Raceway
World Wide Technology Raceway is the home of INDYCAR, NASCAR and NHRA racing in the St. Louis region. Located just five minutes from downtown St. Louis and covering more than 600 acres, WWTR is the largest outdoor entertainment facility in the area. WWTR’s facilities include a 1/4-mile drag strip, 1.25-mile superspeedway, recently-expanded 2.0-mile road course, a state-of-the-art karting facility, a 14-acre, multi-purpose dirt off-road venue and the Gateway Drive-In Theater at World Wide Technology Raceway (a drive-in entertainment venue able to accommodate 3,000 cars). WWTR acquired Gateway National Golf Links, adjacent to the speedway property, in 2019. WWTR was the recipient of the 2017 Outstanding Facility of the Year Award from the Race Track Business Conference and the 2017 Spirit of St. Louis Award from the St. Louis Attractions Association. In 2018, owner and CEO Curtis Francois received the Innovator Award from the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission in recognition of his work for restoring World Wide Technology Raceway (known then as Gateway Motorsports Park) to prominence. The 2021 season marks Francois’ 10th year as owner and CEO of WWTR.
Our Mission
We are committed to making a difference in our community, while providing first-class entertainment and memories that last a lifetime.
