Jon Stanbrough Named North American Non-Winged Sprint Car Poll "Driver of the Year" for 2010

02-07-2011

Jon Stanbrough of Brownsburg, Indiana, today was named the 2010 “Driver of the Year” by the North American Non-Winged Sprint Car Poll voting panel of media members, promoters, sanctioning officials and manufacturers for the third time.  The King of Indiana Sprint Series (KISS) and Indiana Sprint Week champion, and 2006 and ‘07 “Driver of the Year,” earned eleven (11) of the eighteen (18) first-place ballots cast in the year-end poll.  His car owners, brothers Brad and Steve Fox, will receive the 2010 non-winged sprint car “Team of the Year” award for their third time as well.  They had also previously earned it in 2006 and ‘07.

Those drivers ranked second through fifth, respectively, are United States Auto Club (USAC) national champion and 2005 and ’09 “Driver of the Year” Levi Jones of Illinois, Damion Gardner of California, Bryan Clauson of California, and USAC-California Racing Association (CRA) champion Mike Spencer of California.  Rounding out the ‘top ten’ are Dave Darland, Kokomo Speedway champion Chris Windom, 2008 “Driver of the Year” Jerry Coons, Jr., Midwest Sprint Car Series (MSCS) champion Blake Fitzpatrick, and Shane Hmiel, respectively.  Levi Jones captured the remaining seven (7) first-place votes.  Blake Fitzpatrick, who won the USAC-sanctioned Indiana Sprint Week finale, earned the “Wild Card Award” for his exciting sprint car performances in ’10.

According to poll coordinator Bob Baker, “Our National Non-Winged Sprint Car Poll voting panel is regionally balanced between the Midwest and the Southwest, but for whatever reason, the 2010 year-end awards are all headed back to Indiana.  It shows what a great state Indiana is for traditional sprint car racing in this country!”

Sean Buckley, “Follow the Corn” documentary filmmaker and web master for www.jackslash.com, will receive the North American Non-Winged Sprint Car Poll’s “Media Member of the Year” award for the first time.  Indiana promoter Dave Rudisell of the Lawrenceburg Speedway will earn the “Promoter of the Year” honors for the second consecutive year.

Lincoln Park Speedway feature winner Wes McIntyre of Indiana will receive the 2010 North American Non-Winged Sprint Car Poll “Rookie of the Year, presented by Jack & Sharon Jory” award from the voting panel.  Joe Devin of DRC Chassis will receive the “Builder/Manufacturer of the Year” honors for his fourth time.

The North American Non-Winged Sprint Car Poll is an annual awards program of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum Foundation, Inc., of Knoxville, Iowa.  All awards will be distributed in the spring of 2011 at tracks throughout North America.  The awards were announced on the fifth day of the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Final 2010 North American Non-Winged Sprint Car Poll: rank, driver (first place votes), hometown, state/province, points

1., Jon Stanbrough (11), Jamestown, IN, 1298

2., Levi Jones (7), Olney, IL, 1240

3., Damion Gardner, Concord, CA, 545

4., Bryan Clauson, Carmichael, CA, 463

5., Mike Spencer, Temecula, CA, 360

6., Dave Darland, Walton, IN, 254

7., Chris Windom, Canton, IL, 220

8., Jerry Coons, Jr., Tucson, AZ, 213

9., Blake Fitzpatrick, West Terre Haute, IN, 128

10., Shane Hmiel, Pleasant Garden, NC, 111

11., Robert Ballou, Rocklin, CA, 105

12., Tracy Hines, New Castle, IN, 99

13., Brandon “Bud” Kaeding, Los Gatos, CA, 82

14., Cory Kruseman, Ventura, CA, 70

15., Dickie Gaines, Mitchell, IN, 57

16., David Cardey, Riverside, CA, 49

17., Danny Sheridan, Santa Maria, CA, 46

18., Tony Hunt, Inglewood, CA, 36

19., Matt Mitchell, Yorba Linda, CA, 31

20., Craig Stidham, Fresno, CA, 28

21., Charles Davis, Jr., Buckeye, AZ, 27

22., Andrew Elson, San Jose, CA, 24

23., Blake Miller, Yorba Linda, CA, 44

24., Thomas Meseraull, San Jose, CA, 21

25., Shane Hollingsworth, Indianapolis, IN, 15

Also receiving multiple votes:  Henry Clarke, Shane Cottle, R.J. Johnson, Troy Rutherford, Brady Short, Chase Stockon.