KNOXVILLE, Iowa — USAC National Sprint Car Series champion Levi Jones has been named the 2009 Driver of the Year by the North American Non-Winged Sprint Car Poll voting panel.
Jones, the 2005 Driver of the Year, earned 11 of the possible 18 first-place votes in the year-end poll. His car owner, NASCAR’s Tony Stewart, will receive the 2009 Team of the Year Award. It is the third time Stewart has been honored with the award, also winning it in 2003 and 2004.
“The words ‘prepared’ and ‘professional’ are both great adjectives to describe Levi Jones and the entire Tony Stewart Racing team,” said poll coordinator Bob Baker. “It is fitting that we are able to honor them together for their remarkable achievements in traditional sprint-car racing in 2009.”
Those drivers ranked second through fifth are Bryan Clauson, Cole Whitt, Dave Darland and 2006-2007 Driver of the Year Jon Stanbrough. Despite missing out on the Driver of the Year Award, Clauson did take home the Wild Card Award for his exciting performances throughout 2009.
Mike O’Leary, a veteran author and publicist for the King of Indiana Sprint Series, will receive the Media Member of the Year Award for the first time.
Indiana promoters Mike Miles of Bloomington Speedway and Dave Rudisell of Lawrenceburg Speedway will share the 2009 Promoter of the Year Award. It is the first time winning the award for both men.
USAC-CRA Sprint Car Series driver Ronnie Gardner was voted the non-winged sprint-car Rookie of the Year. Danny Drinan of Drinan Racing Products and its Dri-Bar cockpit-adjustable anti-roll system will receive the Builder/Manufacturer of the Year honors for the first time.
The top 25:
1. Levi Jones, 1,340;
2. Bryan Clauson, 910;
3. Cole Whitt, 586;
4. Dave Darland, 417;
5. Jon Stanbrough, 393;
6. Mike Spencer, 371;
7. Damion Gardner, 220;
8. Jerry Coons, Jr., 165;
9. David Cardey, 149;
10. Tracy Hines, 109;
11. Brady Short, 81;
12. Billy Puterbaugh, Jr., 70;
13. Chad Boat, 69;
14. Jesse Hockett, 65;
15. Garrett Hansen, 59;
16. Shane Cottle, 46;
17. Blake Miller, 44;
18. Darren Hagen, 38;
19. Tony Jones, 18;
20. Brady Bacon, 16;
21. Tanner Swanson, 12;
22. Bobby Santos III, 11;
22. David Steele, 11;
24. Robert Ballou, 10;
25. Cory Kruseman, 8.