Truex, driver of the No. 78 Toyota for Denver, Colo.-based Furniture Row Racing, was named on 96 percent of the votes cast by the NMPA membership. The award was presented Saturady as part of the NMPA’s annual convention and awards ceremony.
The 37-year-old, a native of Mayetta, N.J., won a career-best eight races this past season. His victory in the season-ending Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway clinched the series championship.
Seven of his eight victories came on 1.5-mile venues; Truex also scored one win at Watkins Glen Int’l, one of two annual road-course stops for the series.
World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series champion Donny Schatz was named on four percent of the ballots. Schatz won 20 races for the fifth consecutive year and captured his ninth series title.
The Richard Petty Driver of the Year award has been presented annually since 1969 to recognize the season’s most outstanding driver. It is named in honor of the seven-time NASCAR premier series champion.
“The year I was born he won it,” Truex said of Dale Earnhardt Sr., one of his early racing heroes. “For me, I still look at myself as an outsider, I always have. … I have a hard time seeing my name next to those names.
“Because I look up to all those guys so much. I’ve never really put myself in that category so to be in it is unbelievable.”
Truex is the 26th driver to receive the Driver of the Year honors. Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson is a seven-time recipient of the award.
Truex and his partner, Sherry Pollex, were also selected as the overall recipients of the NMPA’s Pocono Spirit Award. Truex and Pollex launched the second annual Drive for Teal & Gold campaign to raise funds and awareness for ovarian and childhood cancers.
Twenty-nine fellow competitors participated in the campaign, which included the use of customized teal and gold steering wheels produced by Max Papis Innovations as well as driving gloves. The autographed steering wheels and gloves were auctioned with proceeds going to support the Drive for Team and Gold program.
Truex and Pollex joined Sam Bass, The Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America and Brad Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation as quarterly recipients of the NMPA Pocono Spirit Award.
In other awards, Jessica Rohlik, former public relations representative for Joe Gibbs Racing driver Matt Kenseth, was named the recipient of the Ken Patterson Helping Others Award. The Ken Patterson Award is determined by a vote of the NMPA membership and is sponsored by Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.
The award has been presented annually since 2004 and is named in honor of Patterson, the former public relations director at Talladega. It recognizes public relations officials in the motorsports industry (team, track and sanctioning body) who have exhibited the kind, generous qualities always demonstrated by Patterson.
Deb Williams, a longtime journalist and officer of the NMPA, was named the recipient of the Joe Littlejohn Award. Williams is currently a senior writer for the website RacinToday.com and a regular contributor to espnW.com.
Her career in journalism has spanned almost four decades. In addition to a six-year stint with United Press Int’l, Williams is a former editor of NASCAR Winston Cup Scene, has worked as the director of public/media relations for Team Penske and is the author of five NASCAR-themed books, including “The Evolution of NASCAR” and “From Granite to Gold,” a history of Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The award is named after the former track owner from Spartanburg, S.C., and is presented annually by the NMPA in recognition for outstanding service to the NMPA.
Source :speedsport.com
Comments
