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11/27/2012 |
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RECORD
BALLOTING DECIDES MOST POPULAR DRIVERS
FOR NASCAR'S TOURING SERIES
Rookies Score Four Of
The Seven Slots |
There
was a record turnout this year on
NASCARHomeTracks.com as fans made their selection
for the Most Popular Driver Awards in each of the
NASCAR touring series with four of the seven winners
racing with rookie designation this season.
The Most Popular Driver
Award winners for 2012 are:
· Chase Elliott, NASCAR K&N Pro Series
East
· Cassie Gannis, NASCAR K&N Pro Series
West
· Ray Courtemanche Jr., NASCAR Canadian
Tire Series presented by Mobil 1
· Pepe Montaño, NASCAR Toyota Series
· Freddy Nordstrom, Euro-Racecar NASCAR
Touring Series
· Ryan Preece, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
· Danny Bohn, NASCAR Whelen Southern
Modified Tour
Nearly 210,000 votes were cast in the balloting,
which opened in mid-August and ended on Sunday, Nov.
18. The total surpassed last year’s record of over
136,000 votes cast by 54 percent. This season’s
record number is more than four times the 50,743
votes in 2008, the first year the Most Popular
Driver voting was conducted online. For the second
straight year voters were able to see the results as
they voted.
“These numbers demonstrate how the fan base of
NASCAR’s touring series continues to grow,” said
George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president, regional
and touring series. “Several drivers across the
board engaged fans through various forms of social
media which has taken this award to a new level.”
Elliott, son of 16-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Most Popular Driver Bill Elliott, was the only
repeat winner from a year ago. The 16-year-old,
second-generation driver from Dawsonville, Ga.,
collected 56 percent of the votes in the NASCAR K&N
Pro Series East while finishing fourth in the final
driver standings.
Gannis, 21, of Phoenix, Ariz., garnered 42 percent
of the vote while competing as a rookie in the
NASCAR K&N Pro Series West.
The newest member of NASCAR’s touring series –
Euro-Racecar NASCAR Touring Series – led the way in
total votes while London’s Freddy Nordstrom
established a new record for votes cast for a single
driver with nearly 58,000. He finished ninth in the
standings for the European circuit.
Balloting in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series
presented by Mobil 1 was close throughout the voting
period with rookie Ray Courtemanche Jr., from
Montreal, Quebec, getting the nod.
Pepe Montaño led the way in Mexico’s NASCAR Toyota
Series with 48 percent of the vote. The Hidalgo,
Mexico driver picked up where three-time Most
Popular Driver Jorge Arteaga left off after leaving
the series to concentrate on racing in the United
States.
Sunoco Rookie of the Year Danny Bohn of the NASCAR
Whelen Southern Modified Tour added another award to
his list. The Freehold, N.J., driver collected over
10,000 votes as the tour’s runner-up in the final
point standings.
The second-place driver also collected the honors in
the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour as Ryan Preece from
Berlin, Conn., won the tightest race over veteran
Mike Stefanik.
The Most Popular Driver Award winners will be
recognized at the NASCAR Night of Champions Touring
Awards on Saturday, Dec. 8 at the Charlotte (N.C.)
Convention Center's Crown Ballroom in the NASCAR
Hall of Fame. |
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Source: Jason Christley / NASCAR
Posted: November
27, 2012 |
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