Stewart EMPA Driver of the Year and other honors – Chris Economaki and Brett Hearn: Tony Stewart will receive the Al Holbert Memorial Eastern Motorsport Press Association Driver of the Year honors at the 33rd Annual EMPA Convention taking place at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center, Trevose, PA, January 17-19, 2003. Stewart beat out 17-time World of Outlaws sprint car champion Steve Kinser by just a narrow margin to earn the honor for the second time in his career. Brett Hearn, who won dozens of DIRT Big Block Modified and 358 Modified events during the season plus track championships at Lebanon Valley Speedway and Albany-Saratoga Speedway, is the Richie Evans EMPA Northeast Driver of the Year. Both awards, as are all awards, are voted on by the more than 200 professional media members that make up the Eastern Motorsport Press Association. The man that many call the “Dean of Motorsports Journalism” Chris Economaki, well known for his Editor’s Notebook column in National Speed Sport News, has been voted into the EMPA Hall of Fame. Economaki earned his honors by what may have been the largest number of votes ever in the history of the EMPA. Former NASCAR Winston Cup star Harry Gant, winner of 18 Winston Cup races and 17 poles, will also be inducted as will the late Kenny Weld, winner of more than 250 sprint and modified features, and five time United Racing Club sprint car champion Dave Kelly. The three day Eastern Motor sport Press Association Convention, the only working convention for motorsports media, will include a series of press conferences, presentations, workshops and roundtable discussions.(12-11-2002)
