I often get asked what goes into selecting the MIDWEST SPEED Driver of the Year. There is really no fancy scientific formula that allows it to be an easy task to pick the winner.
When I started this award, I wanted to do it to remember each year my Mother who I lost to a battle with cancer. I don’t know if my Mom ever attended a race in her life, but most importantly to me and my upbringing was the fact that my Mom was a winner in the race of life!
Many times we tend to think of the premier classes and premier drivers as the obvious choices because they are of course front and foremost in the coverage etc.
Someone suggested this years winner and I will be honest I do not know him real well. I have seen him race, but not a lot. OK, now you all think, Billy Moyer….. while Billy certainly has had a year worthy of a Driver of the Year honor in any measure, he is not this years winner.
When I started looking into the achievments and accomplishments of this years winner I began to nonchalantly ask around about him, what I heard over and over is what a great person he is off of the track in addition to being a true competitor on the track. At the end of the day, that says a lot about a person and is more important than winning a race.
There are so many worthy drivers that deserve this award, obviously all of the UMP Champions, the local track champions, the UMP Summer National HELL TOUR Champion, Billy Moyer who I mentioned previously, the Monster Midwest Champion, the Northern All Stars Champion, the list goes on and on.
This gentleman joins previous 2008 winner Dennis Erb, 2009 Co-Award winners Jeff Leka and Justin Allgaier and last years winner Jason Feger.
This years driver of the year has only been racing a short 4 years, has claimed a track championship EACH and EVERY year of his young career, in 2010 he won yet another track championship, a UMP Regional Championship and claimed the UMP National Championship, I ask you all to join me in congratulating and sending your best wishes to the 4th Annual Midwest Speed Driver of the Year from Herculaneum, Missouri… JEFF HERZOG, 2010 UMP National Sportsman Champion.
Thank you to
Midwest Speed Promoter Terry Young, SPEED CHICK Jenna Fowler, Driver of the Year Jeff Herzog and Ms. Eldora Speedway Lauren Stewart
sponsors Dave Poske Performance Parts and WICK Oil who take part each year in helping Midwest Speed present this award.
