BURBANK, Calif. (Nov. 23, 2010) Three SCCA Pro Racing Drivers Champions have been nominated for the 2010 Auto Racing All-America team, voted on by more than 250 members of the motorsports press. SCCA Pro Racing Trans-Am Series Champion Tony Ave has been nominated in the Road Racing category, while World Challenge GTS Champion Peter Cunningham and World Challenge GT Champion Randy Pobst are on the ballot in the At Large category. The annual vote is conducted among the membership of the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association. The top two drivers from each of eight categories will be named to the first team, to be honored at the 41st annual AARWBA banquet Jan. 9 in Indianapolis, Ind. The winner of the Jerry Titus Award will also be announced at the banquet. The Titus Award honors the team's top driver the one earning the most votes in the balloting regardless of category. Pobst has twice previously been selected to the team (once to the 2nd team, and once honorable mention), while Cunningham and Ave appear on the ballot for the first time. Among those joining the SCCA Pro racers on the ballot are four former Jerry Titus Award winners, two from Indy Cars and two from NHRA drag racing - Dario Franchitti (2007, 2009), Tony Kanaan (2004), John Force (1996, 1999, 2000, 2002) and Tony Schumacher (2006, 2008). The ballot also includes three drivers among those with the most All-America first-team honors - Force (14 times), Scott Pruett from Grand-Am (10), and Schumacher (seven); two among those with the most total All-America honors - Force (15) and Pruett (12); and a driver among those who have received the most All-America selections while never bring voted first team - NHRAs Greg Anderson (five). Also on the ballot seeking selection in one of the eight categories - Open Wheel, Stock Car, Road Racing, Drag Racing, Short Track, Touring Series, Off-Road & Rally, and At Large - are 19 drivers who could be making their first-ever All-American appearance, including Ave and Cunningham. The balloting will also determine a second team of the drivers placing third and fourth in each category, and honorable mentions to all other drivers receiving at least 5 percent of the vote. AARWBA members have annually chosen an All-America Auto Racing Team since 1970. Additionally this year, for the first time the All-America voters will also select the first recipient of the AARWBA Rising Star award, also to be presented at the Jan. 9 banquet. The banquet is open to the public. Ticket information is available from AARWBA, 922 N. Pass Ave., Burbank, Calif. 91505, or call (818) 842-7005. The drivers listed below are on the 2010 All-America ballot. In endurance road racing and rallying, teammates sharing the same car are nominated as a single entity. Numbers in parentheses indicate previous times elected to first team/second team/honorable mention; *** indicates first time on ballot. OPEN WHEEL Ryan Briscoe (1/1/0) Fifth in Indy Car, one win Helio Castroneves (1/3/1) Fourth in Indy Car, three wins Scott Dixon (3/1/0) Third in Indy Car, three wins Dario Franchitti (2/1/2) IRL Indy Car Champion, three wins including his second Indianapolis 500 Tony Kanaan (1/3/0) Sixth in Indy Car, one win Will Power (***) Second in Indy Car, five wins
STOCK CAR Kyle Busch (0/2/1) Record 24 victories in NASCARs top three series (three Cup, record 13 Nationwide, eight Truck) Denny Hamlin (0/1/0) Second in NASCAR Sprint Cup, season-high eight victories; one Nationwide Series win Kevin Harvick (1/1/1) Third in NASCAR Sprint Cup, three wins; three Nationwide wins, three Truck wins Jimmie Johnson (5/2/1) Nextel Cup Champion for fifth consecutive year, six wins Brad Keselowski (***) Nationwide Series champion, six wins Jamie McMurray (***) Won NASCARs two premier races, Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400, plus a Chase race at Charlotte ROAD RACING Max Angelelli/Ricky Taylor (1/1/1 - ***) Grand-Am Daytona Prototype runners-up, one win Tony Ave (***) SCCA Trans-Am Champion, six wins David Brabham/ Simon Pagenaud (1/2/1 - 0/0/1) ALMS LMP champions, four wins including Petit LeMans Jon Fogarty/Alex Gurney (2/1/1 - 2/1/0) Third/fourth in Grand-Am Rolex Daytona Prototypes, one win Klaus Graf (0/0/1) ALMS LMP runner-up, three wins Scott Pruett/Memo Rojas (10/1/1 - 1/0/0) Grand-Am Daytona Prototype champions, nine wins DRAG RACING Greg Anderson (0/4/1) NHRA Full Throttle Series Pro Stock champion, five wins Larry Dixon (2/1/1) NHRA Top Fuel champion, 12 wins Mike Edwards (0/0/1) Third place in NHRA Pro Stock, eight wins John Force (14/1/0) NHRA Funny Car champion, 15th championship, six wins Matt Hagan (***) NHRA Funny Car runner-up, three wins Tony Schumacher (7/0/0) NHRA Top Fuel runner-up, six wins
SHORT TRACK Bryan Clauson (***) Leading USAC Drivers Championship, National Midgets, third in Sprints, fourth Silver Crown, nine wins Levi Jones (0/2/1) USAC Silver Crown champion, Sprint champion, second in Drivers Championship, 10 wins Darrell Lanigan (0/0/1) World of Outlaws Late Models runner-up, seven wins Jason Meyers (0/1/0) World of Outlaws Sprint Cars champion, 12 wins Josh Richards (***) World of Outlaws late Model champion, second straight championship, eight wins Tim Shaffer (***) All-Star Circuit of Champions champion, 16 wins; won Knoxville Nationals, 21 total wins in season
TOURING SERIES Todd Bodine (1/0/0) NASCAR Craftsman Trucks champion, four wins Eric Holmes (0/0/2) NASCAR K&N West Series champion, five wins Clay Rogers (0/1/0) USAR ProCup Champions Series champion and regular season champion, seven wins Bobby Santos (***) NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion, four wins Patrick Sheltra (***) ARCA Racing Series champion, two wins Ryan Truex (***) NASCAR K&N East Series champion, two wins OFF-ROAD & RALLY B.J. Baldwin (***) Leading Best in the Desert Trick Truck class, one win, one first overall Ricky Johnson (***) Traxxas TORC Series Pro 2wd Champion, six wins; two wins (Pro 2) in Lucas Off-Road Racing series Jesse Jones (***) SCORE Desert Series overall champion, Trophy Truck champion, two wins, one overall victory Tom Lawless (***) U.S. Rally Championship AWD Class champion, three wins, different co-driver each event Antoine LEstage/Nathalie Richard (*** - ***) RallyCar Rally America Series champions, two wins, leading Canadian Rally Series Rob MacCachren (2/1/1) Lucas Off-Road Series Pro 2 Champion, eight wins; also won in TORC (2), SCORE and SNORE races AT LARGE Jorg Bergmeister/Patrick Long (3/0/0 - 1/0/0) American Le Mans GT class champions, 4 wins Peter Cunningham (***) SCCA World Challenge GTS champion, eight wins Frank Manzo (1/5/1) NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car champion (his 14th), six wins; NHRA Div. 1 TAFC champion (20th), six wins Randy Pobst (0/1/1) SCCA World Challenge GT Champion, four wins Von Smith (0/0/2) NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Champion, three wins J.K. Vernay (***) IRL Firestone Indy Lights Champion, five wins
