Ted Johnson rated 'Most Influential'

Ted Johnson rated 'Most Influential' in Sprint Car Poll... again,

KNOXVILLE, IOWA (February 28, 2003) - World of Outlaws (WoO) founder and president Ted Johnson continues to be rated the most influential leader in sprint car racing, according to the 2003 special edition of the National Sprint Car Poll. Johnson, who has been in that position since the start of the annual leadership poll in 1991, received 27 of the 52 first-place ballots cast by the industry voting panel of manufacturers, media members, sanctioning officials and promoters. Those ranked second through fourth, respectively, among "Sprint Car Racing's 30 Most Influential Leaders" remain the same as last year: Knoxville Raceway promoter Ralph Capitani (six first-place votes), Eldora Speedway and "Mopar Million" promoter Earl Baltes (nine votes), and American Sprint Car Series (ASCS) president Emmett Hahn (five votes).

The biggest change in the poll from last season is the fact that former All Star Circuit of Champions (ASCoC) president Bert Emick, never ranked below the 'top five' since it's inception, dropped completely out of the 'top thirty' following retirement. Ron Shuman, former driver turned president of the Sprint Car Racing Association (SCRA), moved from being ranked sixth in 2002 to fifth this year. The 2003 National Sprint Car Hall of Famer also garnered one first-place vote. Moving to sixth in the 'power poll' is defending WoO titlist and Knoxville Nationals champion Steve Kinser, who picked up two first-place ballots. Rounding out the 'top ten' are United States Auto Club (USAC) president Rollie Helmling, veteran sprint car owner/mechanic Karl Kinser, Sprint Car & Midget founder and editor Doug Auld, and new ASCoC president Guy Webb, respectively. Others receiving one first-place nod each are Devil's Bowl Speedway promoter Lanny Edwards, who was named RPM Auto Racing Promoter of the Year this month in Daytona Beach, Florida, and award-winning media member Dave Argabright.

Besides the sudden appearance of Guy Webb in the 'top ten' of the rankings, the only other new-comers to the poll are Bob Newton of Hoosier Racing Tire in 27th and Fred Brownfield of the Northern Sprint Tour (NST) and Gray's Harbor Raceway Park in 28th, respectively. And besides Bert Emick's departure, only former Williams Grove Speedway co-promoter Bob Jones (28th) and United Sprint Car Series (USCS) president Pete Walton (30th) slipped out of the ratings in the past year. It appears that the leadership within the overall sport of sprint car racing is pretty stable heading into the 2003 racing season.

The National Sprint Car Poll is an official awards program of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum Foundation of Knoxville, Iowa. The special edition poll results have been certified by the non-profit museum foundation's immediate past president, Larry Ball, Jr., of Altoona, Iowa. <pre> Special Edition 2003 National Sprint Car Poll:

"Sprint Car Racing's 30 Most Influential Leaders"

2003    2002    Leader                  Affiliation                             Occupation, Points.
Rank    Rank     (First Place Votes)
1.      1.      Ted Johnson (27)        World of Outlaws, 410                   sanction        3,567.
2.      2.      Ralph Capitani (6)      Knoxville Raceway, 360/410              promoter        2,319.
3.      3.      Earl Baltes (9)         Eldora Speedway, non-w/360/410          promoter        2,284.
4.      4.      Emmett Hahn (5)         American Sprint Car Series, 360         sanction        1,365.
5.      6.      Ron Shuman (1)          Sprint Car Racing Association, non-w    sanction        1,099.
6.      8.      Steve Kinser (2)        Quaker State #11, 410                   driver/owner      821.
7.      14.     Rollie Helmling         United States Auto Club, non-w          sanction          435.
8.      7.      Karl Kinser             #5m 410                                 owner             332.
9.      11.     Doug Auld               Sprint Car & Midget, non-w/360/410      media             314.
10. not ranked  Guy Webb                All Star Circuit of Champions, 410      sanction/owner    305.
11.     10.     Chuck Merrill           Maxim Chassis, non-w/360/410            builder           258.
12.     25.     Tony Stewart            J.D. Byrider #20, non-w/410             owner             237.
13.     13.     Tom Schmeh              National Sprint Car Hall of Fame &
                                           Museum, non-w/360/410                media             222.
14.     18.     Lanny Edwards (1)       Devil's Bowl Speedway, 360/410          promoter          207.
15.     27.     Alan Kreitzer           Williams Grove/Lincoln Speedway 360/410 promoter          187.
16.     9.      Dave Argabright (1)     Sprint Car & Midget, non-w/360/410      media             180.
17.     29.     Steve Sinclair          Interstate Racing Association, 410      sanction          179.
18.     17.     Allan Holland           www.hoseheads.com, non-w/360/410        media             178.
19.     15.     Danny Lasoski           J.D. Byrider #20, 410                   driver            177.
20.     22.     Earl Gaerte             Gaerte Engines, non-w/360/410           builder           169.
21.     16.     John Padjen             Silver Dollar/Golden State/Civil War
Series, a                                  360/410                              promoter/sanction 136.
22.     23.     Jack Elam               J&J Chassis, non-w/360/410              builder           118.
23.     19.     Jerry Russell           Eagle Chassis, non-w/360/410            builder           112.
24.     20.     Jason Smith             United States Auto Club non-w           sanction          102.
25.     21.     Chris Economaki         National Speed Sport News/Elbows Up!,
                                           non-w/360/410                        media              94.
26.     24.     Bob East                Beast Chassis. non-w                    builder            66.
27. not ranked  Bob Newton              Hoosier Racing Tire, non-w/360/410      builder            65.
28. not ranked  Fred Brownfield         Northern Sprint Tour/Gray's Harbor.
                                           360/410                              promoter/sanction  64.
29.     12.     Brad Doty               Sprint Car Network, non-w/360/410       media              63.
30.     26.     J.V. Brotherton         Brodix Cylinder Heads, non-w/360/410    builder            50.

</pre> Also receiving multiple votes: Steve Beitler, Larry Brown, Johnny Capels, Dick Carbery, Craig Cormack, Dave Darland, Joe Darmofal, Mike Devin, Jay Drake, Kevin Eckert, Bert Emick, Joe Gaerte, Bobby Gerould, Richard Griffin, Keith Hall, C. Ray Hall, Al Hamilton, Jack Hewitt, Tracy Hines, Janet Holbrook, Tommy Hunt, Bobby Jackson, Bob Jones, Brent Kaeding, Don Kazarian, Mike Kerchner, Paul Kistler, Cory Kruseman, Keith Kunz, Bob Lawton, Jim Liberatore, Terry McCarl, Bill McCroskey, Mike Martin, Bob Miller, Kevin Miller, Stu Murray, Jim Naylor, Bruce Neimeth, Don Ott, Jerry Reigle, Carlton Reimers, Larry Rice, Glen Sander, Ralph Sheheen, Roger Slack, Jerry Slade, Bruton Smith, Gary Stanton, Greg Stephens, Sammy Swindell, Pete Walton, Bob Westphal, Humpy Wheeler, Patti Wheeler, Morrie Williams, J.J. Yeley, John Zimmerman, Justin Zoch.

Note: non-w non-winged sprint car; 360 360-cubic-inch sprint car; 410 410-cubic-inch sprint car.

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