DRIVER OF THE YEAR    2009

Let’s go back to  1906, in rural Ohio….. A young boy sees his first car, a curved dash REO, named after Ransom Olds. As he watched it go by, he marveled at the speed and his imagination goes to the Vanderbilt Cup Race in New York, now in its second year. 

He sees himself  driving this beauty around the track – and in a flash the daydream is over.

This scene would be repeated across America for years to come.  Some of these youngsters would get to live the dream, some by talent, some by hard work.  One of these is here tonite. 

As you know, each year the Board must look  at the season past and  look for the one driver  whose success this season past  reflected all those years of effort.

Our driver cut his teeth with a Mazda RX 2, learning at a Midwest Council Drivers School in 1986.  He must have learned well for in 1987 he won his  class – ITA - each of the 10 races he entered.

1988 found our driver in a Club Ford and the RX-2, with the first SCCA event in the Titan Ford.  It was also the year our driver joined BVR, ending the season with class championships in both cars.

1989 dawned, our driver NOW in a Reynard FC – for both SCCA and MWC, clinching the title in this strange new car.  For the next ten years – that is a long time- this driver raced SCCA nationals, honing  skills, and seeing many heartbreakers.

Fast forward to 2003- our driver  could be found in the new Formula Enterprise and was the National Office Customer Service  Manager for this new class. 

He won the Division in 2006 and in 2007 a crew chief joined the team, and best of all, FE was now a National class.. He won the first race out, here at Blackhawk and went on to claim the Division title again. 

Now 2008 was really a tune up for this year, with several wins and a trip to the Runoffs and some disappointments too.

This year he ran (6) Nationals, the first in the melting snow in St. Louis, somehow getting a 2^nd Place, and the last race, came in 1st.  He again clinched the FE Division title, went to the Runoffs and garnered a 5^th place – almost nosing out 4^th.

Racing has been a part of our driver’s life since his youth and this year is the culmination of the the last 23 years of hard work.  You surely have seen this person – in the paddock – riding everything from a golf cart  to a scooter to an ATV, or watching races on satellite from his trailer.

Please give a  hand to Steve Stadel, Driver of 2009…….