LAS VEGAS – Nelson Piquet Jr., driver of the No. 07 SH Racing Rallycross Ford Fiesta ST, will be the keynote speaker at the “Night of Excellence” dinner hosted by Babcox Media on Monday, Nov. 3 during the 2014 AWDA conference in Las Vegas. 
In addition, Babcox Media and WIX Filters, a global manufacturer of filtration products celebrating its 75th anniversary, will announce the recipients of three automotive excellence awards – Tomorrow’s
Tech’s School of the Year, Counterman’s Counter Professional of the Year and the WIX Driving Performance Award for Shop of the Year.
“Babcox Media and its program sponsors have a long history of recognizing excellence at every level of the automotive repair industry,” said Scott Shriber, publisher of Counterman, a Babcox Media publication for the automotive aftermarket distribution channel. “The skills and knowledge exemplified by this year’s winners elevate the stature of the awards and our recipients.”
During his keynote, Piquet will discuss his passion for automotive excellence, including the importance of mentoring the next generation of motorsports competitors.
“We ran an action-packed season this year with WIX as a primary sponsor of SH Racing Rallycross, and what makes this partnership even more special is that we have long used WIX Filters in our Ford Fiesta ST,” Piquet said. “I am proud to represent the brand both on and off the track and am honored to join WIX and Babcox for the Night of Excellence program.”
Piquet started his career in South American karting and soon switched to car racing in South American F3. He later moved to Europe, where he took top honors in the 2004 British F3 Championship. The Brazilian graduated to GP2 in 2005 and finished as runner-up in the 2006 series after a season-long battle with Lewis Hamilton.
Piquet graduated in 2008 to a seat in F1 racing, where his performances, including a second-place podium in the German GP, helped his team secure fourth position in the constructors’ championship.
