Racing icon Mario Andretti has agreed to join the nominating/voting panel for the annual SPEED Performer of the Year, an award honoring the top performer in all of motor sports each racing season. The winner earns the Mario Andretti Trophy, created by bronze artist Elie Hazak.
“As long as I can be the walking talking personification of this award, I’ll do it proudly,” Andretti said. “I love watching young stars rise and achieve success. I am honored SPEED would institutionalize those things that were unique about my contribution to the sport and create a trophy bearing my name. I am full of pride just looking at that trophy. It will be an absolute pleasure for me to help them select a winner and I'll do it with sincerity and enthusiasm.”
“The Andretti name is synonymous with racing excellence across multiple disciplines, and we truly appreciate Mario’s desire to share his experience and passion in building this award into one of the premier honors in all of motor sports,” said SPEED President Hunter Nickell.”
Andretti joins a panel that includes "Wind Tunnel" host Dave Despain, veteran broadcasters Bob Varsha and Ralph Sheheen, SPEEDtv.com writers Robin Miller and Tom Jensen and versatile racers Tommy Kendall and Dorsey Schroeder.
Two-time NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson was the inaugural winner of the award last year and leads a diverse group of nominees for this year’s trophy, including back-to-back World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion Donny Schatz, AMA Supercross champ James Stewart, IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti, four-time Champ Car World Series titlist Sebastien Bourdais, MotoGP champ Casey Stoner, Formula One rookie sensation Lewis Hamilton, Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series champions Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty, USAC National Midget Series champion Jerry Coons Jr., USAC sprint car driver Jon Stanbrough, F1 champion Kimi Raikkonen and NASCAR Nextel Cup Series runner-up Jeff Gordon. The winner will be announced on the one-hour SPEED Performance Awards special on SPEED in February along with the winners of the fan-voted SPEED Performance Awards.
SPEED is the nation's first and foremost cable television network dedicated to motor sports and the passion for everything automotive. From racing to restoration, motorcycles to movies, SPEED delivers quality programming from the track to the garage. Now available in more than 78 million homes in North America, SPEED is among the fastest-growing sports cable networks in the country and, the home to NASCAR on SPEED and an industry leader in interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services. For more information, please visit SPEEDtv.com, the online motor sports authority.