Racing legend Mario Andretti poses with the Mario Andretti Trophy, a 100-pound bronze sculpture created by artist Elie Hazak. (Photo: SPEED)
The coolest thing about the SPEED Performer of the Year Award is probably the annual, hour-long, BS session among the panelists as they go over the nominees because listening to Dan Gurney and Mario Andretti discuss the merits of others is about as good as it gets.
Throw Tommy Kendall, Dorsey Schroeder, Dave Despain, Bob Varsha, Leigh Diffey, Ralph Sheheen, Tom Jensen and some SPEED producers into the conversation and it’s an eclectic, educated forum with the single-minded goal of choosing the best racer of 2011.
And picking who receives the Mario Andretti Trophy figures to be the closest call in the six years since SPEED started this award.
“It’s been tough before but I honestly believe this is the toughest choice yet,” said Andretti, whose combined success in Indy cars and Formula One may never be challenged.
“Right now I’ve got four No. 1s,” said Gurney, whose versatility behind the wheel and the drawing board endeared him to the American public for 40-plus years.
Neither of these icons is kidding because the seven nominees are as accomplished as they are diverse.
In two-wheel mastery, Casey Stoner crushed the MOTOGP field while Ryan Villopoto vanquished his competition in Supercross and Motocross.
Tony Stewart’s brilliance in the Chase earned him a third NASCAR title, Dario Franchitti led almost half the laps in scoring his fourth IndyCar crown and Sebastien Vettel made it back-to-back Formula One championships with total domination.
Old man Scott Pruett upstaged the kids again for his fourth GRAND-AM title and teenager Kyle Larson put himself on the American motorsports map with an amazing summer in USAC midgets and sprints.
Aside from the fact Stirling Moss is also a voting member, another thing that gives this award its character is the criteria. Winning carries more clout than consistency or championships. Sure, six of the seven nominated were champions but winning got them No. 1 and Larson pled his case repeatedly in victory lane.
And, even if Carl Edwards would have taken the NASCAR crown, he couldn’t have qualified for this award with only one victory (a driver must have at least two).
The past three winners (Vettel, Tony Schumacher and Jimmie Johnson) have all been from different disciplines and this year we’ve got more two-wheelers eligible than stock car drivers.
Here’s a sampling of what the judges had to say. In the interest of free speech, we won’t attribute the quotes because the panelists didn’t know they were being quoted for SPEED.com but this doesn’t lessen their impact.
Winless prior to The Chase, Stewart captured the first two races that counted and won 5 out of 10 to become the first driver/owner to wear the crown since the late Alan Kulwicki in 1992.
“Stewart was the essence of delivering under pressure. He had to win that last race and he did it.
“Tony didn’t cave. He got aggressive and reached down to find something that the great ones always can.
“For somebody who said he didn’t belong in the Chase, he did pretty well but we might have to consider he was nowhere for much of the season.”
Teaming with Memo Rojas, the 51-year-old Pruett won five DP races on his way to a fourth Rolex Series title.
“Scott still has that drive and desire of somebody half his age.
“It was more a case of being handed the championship by others but it doesn’t diminish Pruett’s achievement.
“He’s got almost as many wins (46) as candles on his cake.”
