Jimmie Johnson was voted the 2013 Driver of the Year by an elite panel of broadcasters and journalists. As a result of the vote the six-time Sprint Cup Champion eclipsed his teammate Jeff Gordon who was the only other four-time winner of the Driver of the Year award .Mario Andretti, who was the first annual winner, and Darrell Waltrip are tied with three awards apiece. The DOTY is America’s original race driver’s award. Johnson, the 38-year old California native, continued to make NASCAR history with his 2013 championship Only Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt have more with seven Cup titles. Johnson’s previous Driver of the Year awards were in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010. Journalist and broadcasters, who voted in a secret ballot for a single driver, gave Johnson 12 votes, John Force – the 1996 DOTY winner – received six votes, and World of Outlaws driver, Daryn Pittman, received one vote. In a related development the NHRA’s John Force won the fourth quarter voting.(Driver of the Year Foundation)(1-21-2014)
