Fri, 22 Oct 2004, 03:57 PM DOY Third Quarter Vote

By Norm Froscher

Okay, NASCAR claims 75 million fans.

You might want to argue with that number, but by looking at the quarterly Driver of the Year votes, it sounds almost like a ball-park figure.

And argue with that number if you will, the popularity of the sanctioning body is unmistakeable, especially when related to quarterly Driver of the Year selections.

For NASCAR Nextel Cup's Jeff Gordon threatened to make a runaway for the sanctioning body of those quarterly ballots when he claimed third-quarter honors.

Cupper Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the first quarter ballot, while fellow NASCAR competitor Jimmie Johnson took second quarter honors.

And now Gordon, four-time Driver of the year and chauffeur of the Nextel Cup No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet from the Rick Hendrick stable, rolled up 15 first place votes and 151 points to easily defeat CART's Sebastien Bourdais in voting by a 18-member panel and viewers of Speed TV network in the third quarter. Bourdais had two first-place votes and 71 points for the third quarter.

"It's an honor, "Gordon said. "This DuPont team had a great run during the quarter, and I'm glad it was recognized.

"Hopefully we can accomplish something worthy of being voted Driver of the Year for the entire season."

So where did drag racers, such as five-time NHRA Pro Stock race winner Greg Anderson finish?

Third place in the quarter went to Anderson, who won five of seven races on that circuit. He had 46 points.

IRL's Dan Weldon was fourth with 31 points, while NASCAR's Mark Martin was fifth with 24 points and the other first-place nod. IRL's Buddy Rice was sixth with 21 points.

Panelists vote for six drivers from all forms of American motorsports and they receive points on a 9-6-4-3-2-1 basis.

Two other quarter pounders received support in addition to Anderson.

NHRA Three-time Top Fuel winner and Mac Tools U.S. Nationals champion Tony Schumacher received one second-place vote and 14 points, while U.S. Nationals Funny Car victor Gary Densham from the Force Funny Car stable, got one second-place vote and the accompanying six points.

A fourth quarter vote will be taken in late November and then a final, secret ballot will determine the 2004 Driver of the Year. Ryan Newman is defending Driver of the Year.

Driver of the Year Patron is Sarasota, Fl. sportsman and businessman Barry Schmoyer. Further information on the Driver of the Year is at (941) 953-6209.

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