SCRAFAN.COM - Press Release

KNOXVILLE, IOWA (OCT. 9, 2002) - Sprint car racers Damion Gardner, Erin Crocker and Kasey Kahne will be honored, amongst others, at the open-to-the-industry 2002 National Sprint Car Poll Awards Reception which will be held on Thursday, December 5, at 6 p.m. at the Westin Hotel in conjunction with the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Trade Show in Indianapolis, Indiana. The casual social event will feature the announcement and presentation of the National Sprint Car Poll post-season awards as voted on by the non-winged, 360- and 410-cubic-inch sprint car racing voting panels of manufacturers, promoters, sanctioning officials and media members. Gardner (non-winged), Crocker (360) and Kahne (410) will each receive the "Wild Card Award" for their exciting sprint car performances in 2002.

According to National Sprint Car Poll coordinator Tom Schmeh, "We are thrilled about going back to Indy to present the poll awards in conjunction with Steve Lewis' PRI Trade Show! And who better to announce as our first three honorees than Damion Garner, Erin Crocker and Kasey Kahne? Damion came on like gang-busters this year in non-winged dirt-track racing after starting his sprint car career with the winged machines in his native northern California. RPI student Erin proved repeatedly this year that she is the 'real deal', especially after winning a preliminary night feature at the Bully Hill Vineyards Fall 360 Sprint Nationals in Dundee, New York. And Kasey continued to show what a versatile 'young gun' he is by being equally exciting in 410 sprint car and NASCAR stock car racing. In fact, the Enumclaw, Washington, native had previously captured the poll's Wild Card Award in 1999, and again in 2000 in both the non-winged and 410 divisions."

Dave Argabright and Pat Sullivan will again emcee the post-season awards reception, which will be held in a casual and fun atmosphere after the first day of the motorsports industry trade show. Other poll awards will be presented in the driver, team, rookie, promoter, media member and builder/manufacturer categories in each of the three sprint car divisions for 2002. In addition, the Outstanding Contribution to the Sport Award recipient will be honored. Those in the sprint car racing industry (drivers, owners, mechanics, media members, builders/manufacturers, promoters, sanctioning officials) who wish to attend the free reception are urged to e-mail Tom Schmeh at the National Sprint Car Museum at tschmeh@sprintcarhof.com.