INDIANAPOLIS — Cameron Dodson of Greenfield, Ind. and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. of Olive Branch, Miss. have been named 2007 USAC National “Rookies of the Year” and will be honored Jan. 19 at USAC’s “Night of Champions” National Awards Dinner at the Westin Hotel in downtown Indianapolis, Ind.
Dodson earned the K & N Silver Crown Series “rookie” accolades piloting a car entered by NASCAR star and USAC vet Carl Edwards and RE Technologies of Bartlett, Tenn. Stenhouse earned dual honors in USAC’s Lucas Oil National Sprint Car and National Midget Car Series, driving team cars fielded by two-time NASCAR Champion and former USAC Triple Crown Champion Tony Stewart.

Cameron Dodson

Dodson finished sixth in the final K & N Silver Crown standings after winning the “Copper World Classic” finale at Phoenix International Raceway. He also Stenhouse ranked sixth in the Lucas Oil National Sprint Car points, winning at Big Diamond Raceway in Minersville, Pa. and adding two other “podium” finishes. He finished third in the final National Midget points on the strength of five feature victories, a second and three thirds. He won the Knoxville Midget Nationals in Iowa and the Four-Crown Nationals at Stewart’s Eldora Speedway in Ohio and was leading the series standings as late as late-July.
Stenhouse becomes only the second driver in history to claim both the Sprint and Midget “Rookie” honors in a single season, duplicating Darren Hagen’s 2005 feat. Michael Lewis also won Sprint (2003) and Midget (1998) honors, while Ryan Newman remains the only driver ever to win all three USAC National “rookie” honors, Midget in 1995, Silver Crown in 1996 and Sprint in 1999.
“Rookies of the Year” have also been named in USAC’s 2007 Ford Focus racing series and include Jordan Pennington of Mishawaka, Ind. (Midwest), Robby Josett of Santa Clarita, Calif. (California), Tanner Swanson of Kingsburg, Calif. (Carolina) and Steven Intravaia of Saylorsburg, Pa. (Northeast). James Robertson of Indianapolis, Ind. is USAC’s 2007 Regional Midget “Rookie of the Year.”
USAC’s Western “Rookies of the Year,” honored at the Western Awards Banquet Nov. 24 in Arcadia, Calif., included Ryan Kaplan of Chico, Calif. (Sprints), C.J. Sarna of Palm Desert, Calif. and Quintin Crye of Gridley, Calif. (Midget) and Scotty Weir of Marion, Ind. (USAC/CRA Sprint).