JASON JOHNSON NAMED NORTH AMERICAN 360 SPRINT CAR POLL “DRIVER OF THE YEAR” FOR 2013… FOR FIFTH TIME
KNOXVILLE, IOWA (January 16, 2014) – Jason Johnson of Eunice, Louisiana, was voted the 2013 “Driver of the Year” by the North American 360 Sprint Car Poll voting panel of media members, promoters, sanctioning officials and manufacturers for the fifth time. Johnson, the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) national tour champion, earned thirteen (12) of the fifteen (15) first-place ballots cast in the year-end poll. Jason & Bobbi Johnson earned their third “Team of the Year” award as well.
Those drivers ranked second through fifth, respectively, are Johnny Herrera of New Mexico, two-time “Driver of the Year” Shane Stewart of Oklahoma, Jeff Swindell of Tennessee, and ASCS Northwest Region champion Roger Crockett, originally of California and now living in Oregon. Rounding out the ‘top ten’ for the season are Empire Super Sprints (ESS) champion Steve Poirier, ASCS Midwest Region champion Jack Dover, United Racing Company (URC) champion J.J. Grasso, Brian Bwn and Tony Bruce, Jr., respectively. In addition to Jason Johnson, others receiving single first-place votes were Shane Stewart, J.J. Grasso and California Sprint Car Civil War Series champion Sean Becker.
URC competitor Brian Carber of Pennsylvania earned the North American 360 Sprint Car Poll “Rookie of the Year” title in his first full season of winged 360-cubic-inch sprint car competition. Chuck Merrill of Maxim Chassis earned the “Builder/Manufacturer of the Year” honors for 2013.
In addition, T.J. Buffenbarger of www.tjslideways.com will receive the “Media Member of the Year” award for the first time. Tracey Clay of the I-30 Speedway in Arkansas earned her fourth “Promoter of the Year” award, while 2012 “Rookie of the Year” Christopher Bell of Oklahoma will receive the “Wild Card Award” for his exciting ‘360’ sprint car performances in 2013.
The North American 360 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 2014 at tracks throughout North America. The awards were announced on the third day of the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Final 2013 North American 360 Sprint Car Poll
rank, driver (first place votes), hometown, state/province, points
1., Jason Johnson (12), Eunice, LA, 1220
2., Johnny Herrera, Albuquerque, NM, 540
3., Shane Stewart (1), Bixby, OK, 322
4., Jeff Swindell, Memphis, TN, 254
5., Roger Crockett, Rio Linda, CA, 182
6., Steve Poirier, St. Mathieu de Beloeil, PQ, CAN, 142
7., Jack Dover, Springfield, NE, 134
8., J.J. Grasso (1), Pedricktown, NJ, 128
9., Brian Brown, Grain Valley, MO, 108
tie, Tony Bruce, Jr., Liberal, KS, 108
11., Brad Loyet, Sunset Hills, MO, 92
12., Derek Hagar, Marion, AR, 82
13., Tim Crawley, Little Rock, AR, 72
14., Andy Forsberg, Auburn, CA, 69
15., Sean Becker (1), Oroville, CA, 59
16., Dustin Daggett, Portland, MI, 48
17., Matt Covington, Glenpool, OK, 35
tie, Clint Garner, Sioux Falls, SD, 35
19., Jonathan Cornell, Sedalia, MO, 25
20., Jared Zimbardi, Little Valley, NY, 22
21., Justin Barger, Montrose, NY, 13
tie, Logan Forler, Orting, WA, 13
23., Randy Hannagan, San Jose, CA, 12
tie, Robbie Stillwagon, Burlington, NJ, 12
25., Pat Cannon, Etters, PA, 9
Also receiving multiple votes: Seth Bergman, Wayne Johnson, Justin Sanders, Butch Schroeder, David Steele, Rick Ziehl.
Category: Iowa, Knoxville Raceway
