American motorsport legend, Scott Pruett was awarded All-America First Team honours for the eleventh time on Friday. The honours, chosen by members of the nation’s motorsports press for the 2010 American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association, represent a significant achievement in that season's racing.
Following a successful season paired with Memo Rojas for TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing, Pruett led the Road Racing category for the second time in three years. Pruett and Rojas also shared the Daytona Prototype champions in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series with a series-record nine victories in 12 races, no mean feat.
Pruett is third on the list of first team selections behind sprint car legend Steve Kinser, who leads with 18 first team selections, and drag racing champion John Force, who earned first team honors for the 15th time. Elsewhere, Pruett and Rojas are also among the finalists for the prestigious Jerry Title Award, the team’s driver of the year, which is presented to the driver scoring highest in the balloting regardless of category. Amazingly, only nine votes separated the four in the balloting.
Further winners include Jorg Bergmeister and Patrick long, who tested with Flying Lizard Motorsports this week in preparation for the Rolex 24, made first team in the At Large category. Other team members anticipated for the Rolex 24 include Ryan Briscoe, second team in Open Wheel, and Randy Pobst, honorable mention in At Large.
New for this year is the Rising Star award, and its worthy winner was IRL Firestone Indy Lights champion J.K. Vernay. Other contenders for the Rising Star award were Rolex 24 GT winner Jonathan Bomarito of the SpeedSource Mazda team placed eighth, one position behind Scott Tucker, who will race in the Rolex 24 for Level 5 Motorsports.
Please find below a list of all winners:
FIRST TEAM
OPEN WHEEL: Dario Franchitti, Will Power
STOCK CAR: Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch
ROAD RACING: Scott Pruett/Memo Rojas, David Brabham/Simon Pagenaud
DRAG RACING: John Force, Larry Dixon
SHORT TRACK: Bryan Clauson, Levi Jones
TOURING SERIES: Todd Bodine, Bobby Santos
OFF-ROAD & RALLY: Rob MacCachren, Ricky Johnson & Antoine L’Estage/Nathalie Richard (tie)
AT LARGE: Jörg Bergmeister/Patrick Long, Frank Manzo
SECOND TEAM
OPEN WHEEL: Helio Castroneves, Ryan Briscoe
STOCK CAR: Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski
ROAD RACING: Tony Ave, Jon Fogarty/Alex Gurney
DRAG RACING: Tony Schumacher, Matt Hagan
SHORT TRACK: Jason Myers, Tim Shaffer
TOURING SERIES: Ryan Truex, Patrick Sheltra
OFF-ROAD & RALLY: B.J. Baldwin
AT LARGE: J.K. Vernay, Peter Cunningham
HONORABLE MENTION
(At least 5% of the vote, five votes minimum)
OPEN WHEEL: Tony Kanaan
STOCK CAR: Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray
ROAD RACING: Max Angelelli/Ricky Taylor
DRAG RACING: none
SHORT TRACK: none
TOURING SERIES: Clay Rogers, Eric Holmes
OFF-ROAD & RALLY: Jesse Jones, Tom Lawless
AT LARGE: Randy Pobst, Von Smith
RISING STAR
(All who received at least five votes)
J.K. Vernay (IRL Indy Lights)
Austin Dillon (NASCAR Trucks)
Kody Swanson (USAC)
James Hinchcliffe (IRL Indy Lights)
Ricky Taylor (GRAND-AM Daytona Prototype)
LE Tonglet (NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle) [write-in]
Scott Tucker (ALMS LMP Challenge)
Jonathan Bomarito (GRAND-AM GT)
Robert Stout (SCCA World Challenge)
Tanner Swanson (USAC)
Lucas Wolfe (WoO Sprint Cars)
