1/14/2022
ASCS
Blake Hahn Named North American 360 Sprint Car Poll Driver of the Year!
Knoxville, IA, January 13, 2022 – Blake Hahn, of Sapulpa, Oklahoma was voted the 2021 “Driver of the Year” by the North American 360 Sprint Car Poll voting panel of media members, promoters, sanctioning officials and manufacturers assembled by the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum.
It is a first-time honor for Hahn, who was champion of the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) in 2021. Among Hahn’s seven wins with the series was the Short Track Nationals at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock in October. Hahn received eight of the fifteen first place votes cast. Others receiving first place votes included five-time 360 “Driver of the Year” Sam Hafertepe Jr. (2) of Sunnyvale, Texas, Skagit Dirt Cup winner Dominic Scelzi of Fresno, California, Selinsgrove champ Mark Smith of Sunbury, Pennsylvania, California’s Justin Sanders of Aromas, California, USCS titlist Danny Smith of Chillicothe, Ohio and Chase Randall of Waco, Texas. In addition, the Blake Hahn Racing #52 team earned “Team of the Year” honors in the poll.
Those drivers ranked second through fifth in the poll, respectively, are 13-time 2021 feature winner Scelzi, Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial and Devil’s Bowl Winternationals winner JJ Hickle, 11-time winner, Mark Smith and Sanders, who picked up 14 wins in 2021.
Rounding out the ‘top ten’ for the season are six-time winner Dylan Westbrook, ASCS Speedweek champ Ryan Timms, 360 National Prelim winner Sam Hafertepe Jr., USCS champ Danny Smith and four-time ASCS winner Matt Covington.
Ryan Timms of Oklahoma City was a unanimous choice for the North American 360 Sprint Car Poll “Rookie of the Year” title in his first full season of winged 360-cubic-inch sprint car competition.
Jack and Bonnie Elam of J&J Auto Racing (their 17th poll award) earned “Builder/Manufacturer of the Year” honors. In addition, ASCS’s Bryan Hulbert will receive the “Media Member of the Year” Award for the first time.
Terry Mattox (ASCS-Sooner) and Scott Russell (Sprint Car Challenge Tour/Placerville Speedway) will both receive “Promoter of the Year” honors. It will be Russell’s second award in that category.
Timms will also receive the “Wild Card Award” for 2021 for his exciting performances on the way to 20 wins in 360 sprint car racing.
The North American 360 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 2021 at tracks throughout North America. The awards were announced at the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
360 Sprint Car Poll Top 20
Position. Name, Hometown, Points (First Place Votes)
Blake Hahn, Sapulpa, OK, 1136 (8)
Dominic Scelzi, Fresno, CA, 558 (1)
JJ Hickle, Quilcene, WA, 548
Mark Smith, Sunbury, PA, 402 (1)
Justin Sanders, Aromas, CA, 329 (1)
Dylan Westbrook, Scotland, ONT, Can., 321
Ryan Timms, Oklahoma City, OK, 246
Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale, TX, 235 (2)
Danny Smith, Chillicothe, OH, 217 (1)
Matt Covington, Glenpool, OK, 198
Shane Golobic, Fremont, CA, 112
Chase Randall, Waco, TX, 100 (1)
Clint Garner, Sioux Falls, SD, 97
Jason Barney, Brewerton, NY, 90
Andy Forsberg, Auburn, CA, 67
Paulie Colagiovanni, Cicero, NY, 64
Scott Bogucki, McLaren Vale, SA, Aust., 63
Troy DeCaire, Wesley, Chapel, FL, 60
(tie) Channin Tankersley, Arlington, TX, 60
(tie) Jordan Thomas, Harding, PA, 60
Submitted By: Bryan Hulbert
