HAZLE TOWNSHIP, Pa. – Kyle Larson was named the Eastern Motorsport Press Ass’n Driver of the Year on Saturday following the cancellation of the EMPA Convention and Hall of Fame dinner.
The EMPA Convention and Hall of Fame dinner were scheduled for the first weekend in January at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in King of Prussia, Pa., but were cancelled due to safety concerns because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its many restrictions.
However, the organization felt it was important to move forward with a number of its yearly awards, many of which have been presented since EMPA’s inception in 1969.
Larson, who toured the country and won 46 times across sprint cars, midgets, Silver Crown cars and dirt late model, took EMPA Al Holbert National Driver of the Year honors.
The EMPA Richie Evans Memorial Northeast Driver of the Year Award, which honors both an asphalt and dirt driver, went to pavement modified specialist Matt Hirschman and versatile dirt and NASCAR Truck Series star Stewart Friesen.
Despite a season that was shortened by the novel coronavirus, Hirschman still put together an amazing year of wins, championships and consistent finishes.
The Northampton, Pa., asphalt ace competed 32 times and won 17 features, while racking up 26 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes in the process.
With Hirschman’s top finishes also came multiple titles, including the Evergreen Raceway track title, Mahoning Valley Speedway Hall of Fame Series championship, Tri-Track Open Modified Series championship and the Race of Champions 250 victory.
Hirschman’s RoC 250 win was his record-extending eighth score in that event, putting him into what could be considered an unreachable realm.
Friesen once again competed full-time in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, driving the No. 52 Toyota Tundra for Halmar Friesen Racing.
But Friesen’s roots, racing in Northeast dirt modifieds, were a focal point last year.
From extra-distance races to regular shows, “Stewie” was always in contention for the wins. Running the authoritative No. 44 for HFR, Friesen authored a stellar season, as he collected a Northeast-leading 26 feature wins.
He was the champion of both the North and South Region of the Short Track Super Series and was listed as the point leader in the Super DIRTcar Series prior to the season’s cancellation due to the coronavirus.
This is Friesen’s record-tying fourth Driver of the Year award, equaling the record held by Fred Rahmer.
The John Blewett III Young Guns Award presented by New England Race Fuels was awarded to Alex Yankowski.
Yankowski continued to make inroads with the highly competitive 358-dirt Modifieds. This past season he shined weekly at Big Diamond Speedway in Pennsylvania, where he won back-to-back features just as he turned 16.
Yankowski remained among the championship points leaders before earning a solid fifth in the final standings.
He was also a hot ticket at tracks such as Pennsylvania’s Grandview Speedway, Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway and Bridgeport (N.J.) Speedway, where he recently scored a big victory in the Danny Serrano 100 against a stellar field.
Yankowski also notched three runner-ups throughout the year at Bridgeport as well.
The Jim Hunter Memorial EMPA Writer of the Year award was a tie between Jeremy Elliott and Carol Houssock. Top honors for the Ace Lane Sr. Memorial Photographer of the Year Award went to Rick Sweeten.
The Chris Economaki Memorial News Maker of the Year award went to SPEED SPORT TV affiliate Dirt Track Digest TV. Promotional Effort of the Year honors went to Port Royal Speedway.
A testimonial dinner held to honor and induct new members into the EMPA Hall of Fame, as well as to present awards to other recipients, was cancelled. Those elected to the Hall of Fame will be honored at the 2022 convention.
New EMPA Hall of Fame members include Bob Rossell, a pioneer race car driver and builder; Bob Frey, who served as an announcer for the National Hot Rod Association for 46 years (1966-2012); second-generation racer Don Kreitz Jr., who earned 200 sprint car wins as a driver/owner and is an inductee in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame; veteran race promoter Howie Commander, who steers the ship at New York tracks including Lebanon Valley and Albany-Saratoga; and Van May, whose skill behind the wheel of sprints and Midgets was highly regarded for years on the tough Central Pennsylvania circuit.