Richard Childress, who oversaw a resurgence of Richard Childress Motorsports, is the Sporting News owner of the year, the magazine announced Wednesday.
Denny Hamlin is the 2010 Dale Earnhardt Tough Driver. The top driver and crew chief will be announced Thursday. All four awards were voted on by Sprint Cup drivers, crew chiefs and owners.
RCR made a remarkable turnaround in 2010. After all four of Childress’ drivers missed the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in 2009, the organization consolidated to three teams this year with drivers Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer. All three qualified for the Chase, and Harvick was in contention for the Cup championship until the final lap at Homestead. Bowyer won two of the 10 Chase races, at New Hampshire and California.
Hamlin’s peers pointed to his come back from knee surgery. A day after winning at Martinsville in March, Hamlin had surgery to repair the ACL in his left knee, which he had injured playing basketball in the offseason. Hamlin didn’t miss a race after the operation. Instead, he drove through the pain and completed the next race on the schedule at Phoenix. The following week, he won at Texas and launched a title drive that fell just short. He won a season-high eight races and finished second to Jimmie Johnson in the standings.(Sporting News)
AND Denny Hamlin, who won a season-high eight races and fell just short of winning his first NASCAR Sprint Cup championship, is the Sporting News driver of the year, the magazine announced Thursday.
Mike Ford, Hamlin’s crew chief, was voted the top crew chief. The voting was done by Sprint Cup drivers, crew chiefs and owners. Hamlin led Jimmie Johnson by 15 points going into the final race of the season but was unable to overcome a spin early in the Ford 400 and finished 14th in the race to Johnson’s second. Hamlin finished second in the standings, his best finish in five full seasons. His eight wins doubled his career total. Hamlin’s remarkable season was enhanced by his response to knee surgery after the sixth race of the season, which he won at Martinsville. He had surgery the next day to repair the ACL in his left knee, was back on the track for the next race and won the following week at Texas. Ford is the only crew chief Hamlin has known in the Cup series.(Sporting News)(12-2-2010)
