Knoxville, IA — (January 13, 2016) — Robert Ballou, originally of Rockin, California, today was unanimously named the 2015 “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 first time. The United States Auto Club (USAC) point champion earned all sixteen (16) first-place ballots cast in the year-end poll. The USAC Indiana Sprint Week champion also earned the 2015 non-winged sprint car “Team of the Year” award.
Those drivers ranked second through fifth, respectively, are 2014 “Driver of the Year” Dave Darland of Indiana, Brady Bacon of Oklahoma, USAC-California Racing Association (CRA) champion Damion Gardner of California, and Chase Stockon of Indiana. Rounding out the ‘top ten’ drivers are King of Indiana Sprint Series (KISS) and Midwest Sprint Car Series (MSCS) champion Brady Short, Kevin Thomas, Jr., two-time “Driver of the Year” Bryan Clauson (2012, ’13), three-time “Driver of the Year” Jon Stanbrough (2006, ’07, ’10), and Richard Vander Weerd, respectively.
Thomas Meseraull will receive the “Wild Card Award” for his exciting non-winged sprint car performances in 2015, while Colten Cottle of Illinois will receive the 2015 non-winged sprint car “Rookie of the Year” award. Mike & Tim Truex of Loudpedal Productions will receive the North American Non-Winged Sprint Car Poll “Media Members of the Year” honor. Don Kazarian of the Perris Auto Speedway, annual host of the Oval Nationals, earned the “Promoter of the Year” title. Joe Devin of DRC Chassis will receive the “Builder/Manufacturer of the Year” honors.
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 2016 at tracks throughout North America. The awards were announced on the second day of the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Final 2015 North American Non-Winged Sprint Car Poll
rank, driver (first place votes), hometown, state/province, points
1., Robert Ballou (16), Rocklin, CA, 1500
2., Dave Darland, Kokomo, IN, 700
3., Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, OK, 440
4., Damion Gardner, Concord, CA, 409
5., Chase Stockon, Elizabethtown, IN, 398
6., Brady Short, Bedford, IN, 210
7., Kevin Thomas, Jr., Cullman, AL, 170
8., Bryan Clauson, Carmichael, CA, 160
9., Jon Stanbrough, Jamestown, IN, 139
10., Richard Vander Weerd, Visalia, CA, 131
11., C.J. Leary, Greenfield, IN, 123
12., Mike Spencer, Temecula, CA, 118
13., Chris Windom, Canton, IL, 93
14., Ryan Bernal, Hollister, CA, 76
15., Thomas Meseraull, San Jose, CA, 65
16., R.J. Johnson, Phoenix, AZ, 56
17., Justin Grant, Ione, CA, 52
18., Tracy Hines, New Castle, IN, 24
19., Danny Faria, Jr., Tipton, CA, 22
20., Jake Swanson, Orange, CA, 14
21., M. Shane Cottle, Kokomo, IN, 12
tie, Shawn Westerfield, Guilford, IN, 12
23., Casey Shuman, Rattlesnake Bend, AZ, 11
24., Chad Boespflug, Hanford, CA, 5
tie, Charles Davis, Jr., Buckeye, AZ, 5
tie, Aaron Farney, Brookston, IN, 5