Readers of Racing Promotion Monthly this year selected three first-time and three repeat nominees as Regional Auto Racing Promoters of the Year.  They came from among 87 different short tracks in 33 states receiving votes.  The nominees’ experience ranges from six years to over 30 years. For the first time in the history of the award, all the regional nominees operate dirt tracks.  One is affiliated with UMP for weekly racing, one with ASA, one with IMCA, one with WISSOTA, and two operate independently.  All the nominated tracks are 1/3-mile or shorter.

The nominees are: Region One, the Eastern Region, Andrew Harpell, Five-Mile Point (NY) Speedway; Region Two, the Southeastern Region, James “Redd” Griffin, Screven (GA) Motor Speedway; Region Three, the Central Region, Bob Sargent, Macon (IL) and Paducah (KY) Speedways; Region Four, the Northern Region, Wayne Anderson, Don & Linus Mack, and Darren Evavold, River Cities (ND) Speedway; Region Five, the Great Plains Region, Roger Hadan, Eagle (NE) Raceway; and the Rocky Mountain West Region, Steve Beitler, Skagit (WA) Speedway.  Harpell received his third consecutive nomination, and Sargent his second, following a prior 2002 nomination, and Beitler his second nomination. The Griffin, Hadan, and the River Cities quartet are first time nominees.

The promoter selected by RPM readers as the Thirty-Sixth ARPY will be revealed during the Thirty-Ninth Annual RPM Speedweek National Workshop at the Plaza Resort & Spa, Daytona Beach, FL; February 20, 2012.

The Queensland family, Deer Creek (MN) Speedway, received the award last year.  Previous winners are: Hugh Deery, 1976/1984; J.C. Agajanian, 1977; D. Anthony Venditti, 1978; Jack Gunn, 1979; George Eisenhart, 1980; Dick O’Brien, 1981; Howard Tiedt, 1982; Don Martin, 1983; Glenn Donnelly, 1985; Cary Agajanian, 1986; Bud Lunsford, 1987; Bob Daniels, 1988; Howard Commander, 1989; Ray Wilkings, 1990; Paul Kuhl, 1991; Robert Lawton; 1992; Earl Baltes, 1993;  Jody Deery, 1994; Andy Vertrees, 1995; Charles Powell, 1996; C-Ray Hall, 1997; Larry Kemp, 1998; Charles Cathell, 1999; Charles Deery, 2000; Ralph Capitani, 2001; Lanny Edwards, 2002; Bob & Nadine Strauss, 2003; Tom Curley, 2004, Steve York, 2005; John Padjen, 2006; Lynn Phillips, 2007; Joe & Walt Doellefeld, 2008; and the Nuckles family, Columbus (OH) Motor Speedway, 2009.

Copyright 2010-2011, Racing Promotion Monthly, a service to promoters sponsored by K&K Insurance Group, Inc. and Hoosier Racing Tire Company.

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