Rally racers Antoine L’Estage and Nathalie Richard of Ste-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., have been named to the 2010 All-America Auto Racing Team by the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association.
Indy Lights driver James Hinchcliffe of Oakville received an Honourable Mention.
Each year the AARWBA members select a seven-driver All America Team from Open Wheel, Stock Car, Sports Car, Drag Racing, Short Track, Touring Series and At Large championship categories.
L’Estage and Richard had an amazing 2010. They won the Rally America series in July, a bronze medal at the ESPN X Games in August, the North American Rally Championship in September and the Canadian Rally Championship in November.
“It’s an honour to be voted onto the First Team along with great racing names," said L’Estage.
They are the first Canadians voted onto the First Team since Ron Fellows in 2004.
Each year, the driver with the most votes wins the Jerry Titus Memorial Award as the Driver of the Year, which will be awarded at a banquet in Indianapolis early in January.
An AARWBA news release said Firestone Indy Lights champion J.K. Vernay, 23, of France, was voted the sport’s Rising Star. Hinchcliffe, 23, of Oakville, was fourth in the voting.
John Force won his unprecedented 15th NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car championship this year. With his six-win season he won his 16th selection as an All-America in the Drag Racing category, all but one of them First Team.
Dario Franchitti won his second Indianapolis 500 and his third Indy Car championship in 2010, continuing as the most dominant driver in American open wheel racing three of the past four years and leading the Open Wheel category. The Scot has been a First Team All-America each of those years, six times total.
Jimmie Johnson is no surprise as a Titus contender from the Stock Car category after his landmark fifth straight NASCAR Sprint Cup championship.
The team of Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas, who won the Grand-Am Championship, were selected for sports car racing.
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