INDIANAPOLIS — Bud Kaeding and the BK Racing Team, champions of USAC’s K & N Silver Crown Championship Series, headlined Saturday night’s 52nd USAC Night of Champions at the Westin Hotel here.
National driving champions Kaeding, Levi Jones (Lucas Oil National Sprint Car Series), Jerry Coons, Jr. (USAC National Midget Series) and James Robertson (Ford Focus), topped the list of recipients of year-end cash and commemorative awards. Each also received a “Key to the City” of Indianapolis, while Coons was honored as USAC’s Super License Champion, earning more national feature points than any other driver.
National car entrant champions were BK Racing (Silver Crown), Tony Stewart Racing (sprint car), Wilke/Pak Motorsports (midget) and Gregg Steele (Ford Focus).
Other driving champions honored were Ryan Kaplan (Lucas Oil Western Sprint Car); Johnny Rodriguez (Western Midget); Tony Jones (Lucas Oil USAC-CRA Sprint Car); Ryan Burdett (Young Automotive Rocky Mountain Sprint); Robertson (Regional Midget and Midwest Ford Focus); Tanner Swanson (Carolina Ford Focus); Tim Skoglund (California Paved Ford Focus); Nic Faas (California Dirt Ford Focus); Jeff Abold (Northeast Ford Focus); Kyle Hamilton (Kenyon Midget); Tim Savage (Utah Developmental Ford Focus); Mario Clouser (USAC-UMARA Ford Focus); and Chett Gehrke (Indiana Ford Focus).
Car entrant champions included Michael Swanson (Lucas Oil Western Sprint Car); J.W. Mitchell Motorsports (Western Midget); Alexander Racing (Lucas Oil USAC/CRA Sprint Car); Gregg Steele (Midwest Ford Focus); Tracy Trotter (Carolina Ford Focus); Western Speed Racing (California Paved Ford Focus); Faas (California Dirt Ford Focus); Pat Abold Motorsports (Northeast Ford Focus); Michael Robertson (Regional Midget); Mike Hamilton (Kenyon Midget); Savage (Utah Developmental Ford Focus), Clouser (USAC/UMARA Ford Focus) and Gehrke (Indiana Ford Focus).
Holley Performance Products, Inc. received USAC’s Corporate Special Recognition Award from USAC President Jason Penix.
Irish Saunders and Dennis Sherman of Hoosier Tire Company presented distinctive Hoosier jackets to each USAC driving champion.
Miller also presented the USAC Special Individual Recognition Award to Randy Steenbergen of Print Communications for his company’s long service to the racing community.
USAC’s prestigious Eddie Edenburn Award was posthumously presented to Bill France, Jr., whose leadership of NASCAR is well documented.
Miller presented the prestigious USAC President’s Award to Bob and Pat Pierson for their exemplary work on the United States Grand Prix, for which USAC served as the host nation organizing club.
Roger Penske was named as the recipient of USAC’s prestigious Roger McCluskey Award of Excellence.
Toyota Racing Development received the Jim Blunk Award for its significant contributions to the sport of midget racing.
USAC’s Race Organizer of the Year award was presented to Don Kenyon of DK Promotions recognizing his Wednesday Night Thunder involvement as well as his presentation of the 2007 Ford Focus Nationals. USAC’s Western Race Organizer of the Year award was presented Nov. 24 to Jim Naylor of Ventura (Calif.) Raceway.
Cameron Dodson (K & N Silver Crown) and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. (Lucas Oil Sprint and Midget) were presented National Rookie of the Year awards. Robertson was honored as the Regional Midget R.O.Y. Ford Focus Rookies of the Year included Jordan Pennington (Midwest), Robby Josett (California), Tanner Swanson (Carolina) and Steven Intravaia (Northeast).
Most Improved Driver awards were distributed to Kevin Swindell (National Midget), Jesse Hockett (Lucas Oil National Sprint Car) and Mat Neely (K & N Silver Crown), plus Ford Focus Most Improved Drivers Mike Mohelski (Carolina), P.J. Stergios (Northeast), Dennis Howell (California) and Craig Haack (Midwest).
The Lincoln Electric Mechanical Achievement Awards went to George Snider (National), Steve Alexander (Western), Gregg Steele (Ford Focus) and Mike Devin (Lifetime).
Ford Focus Midget Car Chief Mechanics of the Year were Tyler Irwin (Midwest); Josh MacMillan (Carolina); Jerry Faas (California)  and Pat Abold (Northeast). Jim Rieder was honored as the Regional Midget Chief Mechanic of the Year.
Longtime USAC official Barbara Hellyer of Indianapolis was named recipient of the USAC Winners Circle’s Ross Hadley Memorial Achievement Award.