From Bob Baker
Knoxville, IA — (January 14, 2013) — Veteran World of Outlaws (WoO) announcer Johnny Gibson has been named the recipient of the 2012 “Outstanding Contribution to the Sport Award” by all three voting panels of the North American Sprint Car Poll. According to National Sprint Car Museum executive director Bob Baker, “The poll’s Outstanding Contribution Award is the museum foundation’s highest honor for current achievers in the sport, as it is voted on by industry insiders from the 360-, 410-cubic-inch, and non-winged sprint car divisions. For Johnny Gibson to earn this award, it speaks to the level of respect that people in our entire industry, nationwide, have for him and his work with the Outlaws. Carlton Reimers, who first handed a microphone to the program-selling western Pennsylvanian in 1995, should feel very proud, as would Carlton’s father-in-law and founder of the WoO sprint car tour, the late Ted Johnson, if he were still with us.”
Past recipients of the North American Sprint Car Poll’s “Outstanding Contribution to the Sport Award” are as follows: the late Jerry Reigle, Steve Sinclair, Kasey Kahne, Tom Schmeh, Dick Jordan, the late Fred Brownfield, Doug Auld, the late Hank Gentzler, Tony Stewart, Emmett Hahn, Allan Holland, Dave Argabright, Ron Shuman, the late Kevin Gobrecht, Jack Hewitt, the late Jack Miller, Brad Doty, Art & Carol Malies, Dave Bowman, Ralph Capitani, the late Ted Johnson, Mark Kuchan, Steve Kinser, the late Don Martin, Steve Beitler, Lee Brewer, Mark Kinser, Frank Lewis, Earl Baltes, Casey & Beverly Luna, Elayne Hoff, Jean Lynch, the late J.W. Hunt, and Bert Emick.
The North American Sprint Car Poll is an annual awards program of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum. All awards will be distributed in the spring of 2013 at tracks throughout North America. This award was announced on the fifth and final day of the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma.