Content by: Langley Austin ~ [email protected] (@langleyaustin on twitter)
List Compiled by RACE22.com Staff and Industry Experts
Copper Hill, VA(December 30, 2011) — We’re still working away here at the RACE22.com Headquarters as the New Year is upon us, we’re trying to clear out all of the 2011 stuff including our “Best of”.
With the Top Drivers, Top Rookies and Top Moments done, it’s time to focus on the seasons “Breakout Drivers”. While this category is similar to a Most Improved list, it also gives guys who went from being able to win a couple of races in the previous season to all out dominating a chance to be recognized for the improvement. With that, lets get to it ….
11 – Brandon Brown
Brandon Brown showed during the 2010 season that he could get the job done behind the wheel at Old Dominion Speedway, picking up one feature win, but in 2011 he broke out and won three times the races enroute to a sixth place finish in the points standings despite missing two races. Brown, also on a regional level has started to come out of his shell, racing respectively this season at Motor Mile and Martinsville and beginning the road to gaining his peers respect.
10 – David Polenz
When the 2011 season started, I’ll admit, I had either never heard the name David Polenz or I hadn’t paid very good attention, but by the time the 2011 season was over and he was crowned the Old Dominion Speedway track champion, it was time to take notice. Four feature race wins helped us recognize this name a little more when he started competing on a regional level for FDJ Motorsports and looking back at his season it’s safe to say he had a break out season.
9 – Jeremy Burns
If in 2010, his win in the SH Carter 125 wasn’t enough to break him out, then his performances in 2011 certainly did that for the young South Carolina native. Burns won two more races this season at Greenville Pickens, but also picked up a win in the UARA-STARS Series while running competitively for much of the early season in the series. The UARA is certainly known for it’s competitiveness and Burns has shown that he can be competitive there and get to victory lane.
8 – Daniel Pope II
Daniel Pope’s three wins at Kingsport Speedway against the likes of Nate Monteith and Lee Tissot was enough to put him on the list of the “break out” drivers. Pope, who in recent seasons has struggled mightily, had a great season in 2011 as he not only picked up the three wins, but also competed for the championship with Monteith and Tissot right down to the last race.
7 – Josh Berry
Josh Berry might not have won, but one race all season, but at Motor Mile Speedway, getting a win there was tough. Only Berry, Michael McGuire, Frank Deiny Jr. and Philip Morris were able to squeeze out wins against Lee Pulliam. It was a tough season for many, but Berry seemed to excel, running in the top five every week against the best competition any track has to offer in the Late Model Stock Car division. With one “W” in the win column and a great performance at Martinsville in the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300, Berry has solidified himself as one of the top talents in Late Model Stock Cars right now.
6 – Kyle Moon
It’s easy to look at what Kyle Moon accomplished this season and say that he was one of the many drivers to have a breakout season. He isn’t like one of these young drivers who buys their way to victory lane in their rookie season, but rather the young New York native worked hard to get his equipment up to par with the competition and then after suffering through several missed opportunities last season, he broke through this year. Moon won the second week out at Hickory, in his own family owned car and won one more time before seasons end and led the points standings for much of the season before a disqualification ruined his chances at the championship late.
5 – Jeb Burton
Some might not look at Jeb Burton as one of the break out guys of the 2011 season, but for him to leave his home track of South Boston and go to the always tough, Ace Speedway and win right off the bat was impressive. But, for him to win five races at the track, tying track and ASA National Champion, Barry Beggarly for the most wins was more than impressive, it was spectacular. Burton had a great season at Ace and proved he could run with anyone there as he competed in the top three on any given weekend.
4 – Garrett Campbell
Yeah, we knew that Garrett Campbell could win races. We knew that he was good at Caraway Speedway, where this season he won three times and we knew that he had the potential to really start reeling off wins. But, what we didn’t know was how good he would be after a mid-season chassis switch. Campbell made the move to Marlowe Racing Chassis’ and from there, he won nearly every race he entered. The above mentioned three at Caraway, two UARA wins(one at Newport and one at Greenville), a win at Ace(that was wrongfully taken from him in tech) and a win in the third biggest race of the 2011 season at Myrtle Beach Speedway, the $10,000 to win Myrtle Beach 400. All this after he had to sit out at the opening part of the season due to a head injury he got during the off-season in a non-racing related incident.
3 – Ronnie Bassett, Jr.
Jamie Yelton probably said it best when he was quoted by Late Model Digest in saying of Ronnie Bassett, Jr., “The boy done a good job. I don’t wanna take all the credit with him, but we took a 10th-place driver from last year, and this year he was the only one week in and week out who could beat Poole.” And, he’s exactly right, Bassett went from being just another driver on the track to a threat to win week in and week out in the UARA and even won the prestigous, Dwight Huffman Memorial race at Hickory in the fall. It was that kind of breakout that has him near the top of this list.
2 – Anthony Anders
At this point, some of you may be scratching your heads about Anthony Anders being on here as a breakout driver and I can’t disagree, he’s been winning for years, but has he ever won like he did this season? Two wins and the track championship at Anderson and 13 …. count them, 13 wins at Greenville Pickens. The Greenville number could have easily been 15 without a couple of disqualifications this season that cost him the championship. Anders may well have been a known winner coming into the season, but after this season, he can be known as a “dominator”.
1 – Lee Pulliam
Don’t get upset … yes, Lee Pulliam won five races in 2010 and yes, he sat on the pole for the Martinsville race and finished second in the finale at South Boston, but did anyone expect him to finish the 2011 season with 16 wins at Motor Mile? Or single wins at two of the regions other tough tracks, South Boston and Caraway? Oh, did I forget to mention that he won a little race over at Martinsville Speedway that paid $25k to the winner. Yeah, that’s exactly what I’d call a breakout season …. how about you?
