From Bill Wright
Knoxville, IA, January 12, 2022 – Brady Bacon of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma today was named the 2021 “Driver of the Year” by the North American Non-Wing Sprint Car Poll voting panel of media members, promoters, sanctioning officials and manufacturers for the second consecutive year and for the third time overall. The 2021 USAC National Sprint Car champion counted the won four times with the series and led it in top five and top ten finishes. Bacon earned seven of the eleven first-place ballots cast in the year-end poll. 2017 Non-wing “Driver of the Year,” Kevin Thomas Jr. of Cullman, Alabama, received three first place ballots, and Justin Grant of Ione, California one.
Those drivers ranked second through fifth, respectively, were Perris Oval Nationals winner Thomas, USAC leading feature winner (seven) Grant, 2019 Non-wing “Driver of the Year,” CJ Leary, and Western World Winner Logan Seavey. Rounding out the ‘top ten’ drivers are Tanner Thorson, Chris Windom, Jake Swanson, Damion Gardner and Kyle Cummins.
The Dynamics, Inc./Hoffman Racing #69 team with Brady Bacon at the wheel, earned the 2021 Non-Wing “Team of the Year” Award for the fourth time (2008, 2016, 2020).
Seavey was bestowed the “Wild Card Award” for his exciting non-Wing sprint car performances in 2021, while Allentown Pennsylvania’s Briggs Danner will receive the 2021 non-Wing sprint car “Rookie of the Year” Award.
Patrick Sullivan of USAC and Sprint Car & Midget will receive the North American Non-Wing Sprint Car Poll “Media Member of the Year” honors for the sixth time.
Don Kazarian of Perris Auto Speedway, and Matt Wood, promoter of USAC events at Huset’s Speedway in South Dakota and Placerville in California will share 2021’s “Promoter of the Year” Awards. Kazarian’s award will be his third.
Matt Hummel of FK Shocks will receive the “Builder/Manufacturer of the Year” honors.
The North American Non-Wing Sprint Car Poll is an annual awards program of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum Foundation, Inc., of Knoxville, Iowa. Awards will be distributed in 2022 at tracks and other locations throughout North America. The awards are annually announced at the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals held in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Wednesday.
2021 Non-Wing Sprint Car Poll Top 20
Position. Name, Hometown, Points (First Place Votes)
Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, OK, 880 (7)
Kevin Thomas Jr., Cullman, AL, 720 (3)
Justin Grant, Ione, CA, 560 (1)
CJ Leary, Greenfield, IN, 257
Logan Seavey, Sutter, CA, 253
Tanner Thorson, Minden, NV, 220
Chris Windom, Canton, IL, 187
Jake Swanson, Hollister, CA, 175
Damion Gardner, Concord, CA, 161
Kyle Cummins, Princeton, IN, 106
Robert Ballou, Rocklin, CA, 56
Chase Stockon, Fort Branch, IN, 52
Brody Roa, Buena Park, CA, 43
Thomas Meseraull, San Jose, CA, 40
AJ Hopkins, Brownsburg, IN, 35
Alex Bright, Collegeville, PA, 28
Tyler Courtney, Indianapolis, IN, 23
(tie) Charles Davis Jr., Buckeye, AZ, 23
(tie) Jadon Rogers, Worthington, IN, 23
(tie) Austin Williams, Yorba Linda, CA, 23
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