KNOXVILLE, IOWA (January 16, 2015) – Dave Darland of Kokomo, Indiana, today was named the 2014 “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 leading United States Auto Club (USAC) sprint car feature winner of all-time earned four (4) of the fourteen (14) first-place ballots cast in the year-end poll.
Those drivers ranked second through fifth, respectively, are United States Auto Club (USAC) champion Brady Bacon, USAC-California Racing Association (CRA) champion Damion Gardner of California, Kokomo Speedway champion Bryan Clauson and Jon Stanbrough of Indiana. Rounding out the ‘top ten’ drivers are Robert Ballou, Mike Spencer, USAC Western Classic Sprints champion Ryan Bernal, Bloomington Speedway champion Brady Short and Chase Stockon, respectively. In addition to Dave Darland, others capturing first-place votes were Brady Bacon (three), Damion Gardner (four), Bryan Clauson (two) and Robert Ballou (one).
Robert Ballou will receive the “Wild Card Award” for his exciting non-winged sprint car performances in 2014, while Damion Gardner’s sprint car owner, Mark Alexander, will receive the 2014 non-winged sprint car “Team 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 earned the “Promoter of the Year” title.
Cooper Clouse of Ohio will receive the 2014 North American Non-Winged Sprint Car Poll “Rookie of the Year” award from the voting panel. John Godfrey of Spike 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 2015 at tracks throughout North America. The awards were announced on the fourth day of the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Final 2014 North American Non-Winged Sprint Car Poll
rank, driver (first place votes), hometown, state/province, points
1., Dave Darland (4), Kokomo, IN, 740
2., Brady Bacon (3), Broken Arrow, OK, 635
3., Damion Gardner (4), Concord, CA, 624
4., Bryan Clauson (2), Carmichael, CA, 565
5., Jon Stanbrough, Jamestown, IN, 245
6., Robert Ballou (1), Rocklin, CA, 242
7., Mike Spencer, Temecula, CA, 175
8., Ryan Bernal, Hollister, CA, 140
9., Brady Short, Bedford, IN, 134
10., Chase Stockon, Elizabethtown, IN, 128
11., Tracy Hines, New Castle, IN, 88
12., R.J. Johnson, Phoenix, AZ, 79
13., Justin Grant, Ione, CA, 72
14., Matt Mitchell, Yorba Linda, CA, 69
15., C.J. Leary, Greenfield, IN, 62
16., Chad Boespflug, Hanford, CA, 27
tie, Kevin Thomas, Jr., Cullman, AL, 27
18., M. Shane Cottle, Kokomo, IN, 13
19., Kyle Cummins, Princeton, IN, 10
20., Nic Faas, Huntington Beach, CA, 8
21., Jeff Bland, Jr., Bloomington, IN, 6
tie, Charles Davis, Jr., Buckeye, AZ, 6
tie, Cody Williams, Yorba Linda, CA, 6
24., Hunter Schuerenberg, Sikeston, MO, 5
tie, Casey Shuman, Rattlesnake Bend, AZ, 5
tie, Austin Williams, Yorba Linda, CA, 5
tie, Chris Windom, Canton, IL, 5