Sat, 17 May 2008, 10:32 AM First Quarter DOY, But First, Your Guess

By Norm Froscher

My, how things change.

We're talking now about specifically, the Driver of the Year honor and the just completed first-quarter vote by the 18-member national media panel.

You've been reading my reports of this honor for so long now, that you probably can guess the winner of the vote and maybe even most of the top six who are listed even before you hear or read the result.

Now, remember, we're talking about merely a quarterly vote here, not the finale honor, which drag racers John Force and Greg Anderson have won after totally outstanding seasons.

As we said in the opening, things change and bear that in mind as you try and anticipate with this little multiple choice quiz.

Answers later.

First, the points winner for the first quarter driver of the year is:
A. Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman ( ).
B. NASCAR's Kyle Busch, with two wins ( ).
C. IRL open wheel winner Danica Patrick ( ).
D. NHRA Funny Car winner Ashley Force ( ).

Before making your choice, remember that it always USED TO Be that the Daytona 500 winner was almost a lock with the panel for the first quarter nod, and the Indy 500 winner was also equally sure to gain the second quarter decision. Drag racers never had such a bonus after they were brought into the campaign.

The quarterly vote, however, doesn't mean that much toward the final decision, which is one of the reasons Rick Mears never won Driver of the Year. And, unlike when I joined the 10-member panel in 1976, a Daytona win is no free ticket. Case in point, Ward Burton.

So that eliminates Ryan Newman. Yes, he did win the Daytona 500.

Answers C and D present two very interesting cases in point for another type competitor, a lady, if you will. Patrick finally won an IRL race, while Force, you know, became the first female to win an NHRA Funny Car event, by beating her father John.

Females have contended in quarterly competition previously, going back to Shirley Muldowney and Janet Guthrie, who was Rookie of the Race in the Indy 500. But as yet, they haven't captured the year-end award.

So that pretty well leaves us with one choice, with two wins, a second and a third in Sprint Cup. If you earlier marked down B, you have the cigar for Kyle Busch.

Busch had 14 first place votes and 140 points on a scale of 9,6,4,3,2,1.

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As we said before, the quarterly votes are to pretty much let the competitors and the fans have an idea how the race for the final honor is going. No point totals are kept from quarter to quarter as the final vote is a whole new, secret, if you will, ballot.

Just for fun, however, what about that first-quarter half dozen? Which one of those competitors DID NOT make the six?

That's right, Daytona 500 winner Newman. He finally ended a drought for owner Roger Penske, but did not score (except a ninth place) with the panel.

So who do you think joined those other three in top six?

NASCAR's Carl Edwards, World of Outlaws Donny Schatz, NHRA's Antron Brown or Tony Schumacher or IRL's Helio Castroneves?

Edwards, WoO's Jason Meyers and Castroneves lined up behind those others. So your six read: Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Danica Patrick, Ashley Force, Jason Meyers and Helio Castroneves. Perhaps in the second quarter, John Force will be saluted for just having won his 1,000th competitive Funny Car round. Don't bet on it, but it's a start.

Edwards won thrice in Sprint Cup, had one first place vote and 72 points and Meyers thrice in WoO, while Castroneves is the points leader in IRL.

Brown, the first to combine Pro Stock Bike and Top Fuel wins, finished eighth, while Tony Schumacher was 12th and Pro Stocker Jeg Coghlin 15th.

In all, 17 competitors received at least one vote.

*** Driver of the Year Foundation is backed by Sarasota, FL, sportsman and businessman Barry Schmoyer with his Legends Marketing. Any questions are queries as to sponsorship may be directed to him at 1-800-797-3647

***

It was a tragedy that took place in another form of racing we were watching while qualifying was underway at Gateway, but I had to mention it. That was the second place finish of Eight Belles and then injury in the Kentucky Derby which required her to be put down right there on the Churchill Downs track.

It's such with horse racing, that females get a five-pound weight allowance in a race like the Derby, but she was no match for Big Brown.

Just had to mention that form of horsepower while on the subject. Semper Fi.

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(Editor's Note: Froscher's Forum's opinions are his own and not necessarily those of Summit Drag Race Central, its staff, The Driver of the Year or Ryan Newman.