Now that I've time to digest the entire season and look at it in detail, here are the year-end awards for the year.....
Driver of the Year: Normally, I'd give this award to whoever wins the Vanderbilt Cup(for 2005, that would've been Sebastien Bourdais), but this year, the award goes to his teammate, Oriol Servia, who had, in my humble opinion, a career year. Regarded by everyone in the Champ Car paddock as a "driver's driver", he had all but resigned himself to being a backmarker with Dale Coyne's team when Bruno Junquiera was injured at the Brickyard during the 89th Indy 500(an injury requiring him to have two 14" titantium rods placed alongside his spine for the remainder of his life
), and the Catalonian got the call. Expecting just a one-off ride at the Milwaukee Mile, he gave Newman-Haas their first podium(3rd) their in several years, and the team decided to keep him for the year, and their gamble paid off. In F1 terms, he was NHR's Barrichello to Bourdais's M. Schumacher(prior to 2005), and after one win(Montreal), along with several podiums later, he deservedly wins this award. Congrats, Oriol!!
Team of the Year:Again, this was a tough choice, but the award goes, not to Newman-Haas Racing, but those Colorado upstarts, RuSport Racing. Yeah, they had a few disappointments, but for a team that's only been in CC since 2004, they have risen to the top-tiers of AOWR, thanks to the combined efforts of team owner Carl Russo, and drivers A.J. Allmendinger and Justin Wilson. The team won the pole a couple of times, while former F1-driver Wilson notched RuSport's first two wins(Toronto and Mexico City); given a few bits of good-luck and SeaBass'd had a tougher road to the title.
Race of the Year: Like the name of the band, there is no doubt the race of the year was the inaugural race at Edmonton's Finning Intl. Raceway(Centre City Airport), a race described by many as the best race Champ Car's had in years. There was plenty of passing, the lead changed hands more often than usual on a temp. circuit and there were great races amongst the field throughout. Oh, and the Atlantics race that day was great, too!
Surprise of the Year: Seeing Derrick Walker return with his team at the 11th hour, and with a new sponsor/concept to go with it. It will be interesting to see how Team Australia continues to improve in 2006, especially with an Atlantic team to serve as a "feeder" for their CC team.
Feel-Good Award of the Year: Seeing Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerry Forsythe keep both Long Beach and Toronto firmly within the Champ Car orbit and away from the grip of Tony George, doing so for both races with smart decision-making and skillful negoitiation.
Pass of the Year, #1: This one goes to Justin Wilson when he passed Paul Tracy at the double-apex 11-12 turn in Edmonton. A very, very ballsy move, one that's going to be talked about for years.
Pass of the Year, #2: Same track, same corner. Using a slower backmarker as a "battering ram", Atlantics racer Katherine Legge must've been channeling Nigel Mansell's skill, for she bulled through the corner, getting the nose of her Swift just inside that of 2005 Atlantic champion Charles Zwolsman's and getting on the gas as they exited. It was very close, though; another few inches to the left and her, the Flying Dutchman and that backmarker are going on a three-way trip into the tirewalls.
Most Improved Driver of the Year: This one goes to MiJack-Conquest's Nelson Phillipe. Last year, he showed some promise, but was still wet behind the ears at times. This year, the kid grew up a lot, and showed why he will likely be a future challenger for the Vanderbilt Cup. Granted, he wasn't at the front a whole lot,
but he never put a wheel wrong and showed a lot of poise, helping bring his teammate, rookie Andrew Ranger, a wealth of info on the tracks in the series, info that Ranger can put to use next year.
