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Chris Davis, who through his Springfield, Mo.-based Midwest Sheet Metal has been a supporter of short track racing from the grassroots level to the national scene, on Friday received the Forrest Lucas Lifetime Achievement Award for contributions on and off the track. Davis received the honor in his hometown at the Lucas Oil Speedway postseason banquet.

"He's a great friend of motorsports for all he has done,” said Danny Lorton, general manager of the Wheatland, Mo., track, “whether it's for the local racer who does it as a hobby or the best of the best on the highest level of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.”

Davis raced on asphalt and dirt tracks for several seasons and retired from driving not long after purchasing Midwest Sheet Metal from his father-in-law. He began building custom race-car parts for local racers and, through Lucas Oil Series regular Jimmy Owens, became a friend and sponsor to many drivers on the national tour.

"I'm rarely a loss for words," Davis said. "This is huge. This is Forrest Lucas and he's a good friend of mine and, gosh, I don't know. This means so much. There are so many people I forgot to thank when I was up there (on stage). The Lucas family, everyone at the speedway and so many others. Behind every person who is a success is a hidden hero and mine is my wife, Jan. I love her to death."

Davis said he takes pride in helping out racers, no matter what class they compete in.

"The street stock guys, the hobby stock guys, go-kart guys ... they're all customers and friends," Davis said. "If one says, ‘Hey, I can't get this car to turn' then I will usually try to help them get the car to turn. My wife says I'm a natural at getting things to work and people appreciate that, or at least some do. The ones that do appreciate it, you've made a friend for life.” — Lyndal Scranton