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| February 17, 2009 News |
| EKN Awards 2008: Road Racer of the Year - Jim Fry |
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 | Road Racer of the Year - Jim Fry
(Photo: WKA - Curt Davis) |
The eKartingNews.com Awards Week continues today with the next award on the schedule, as we are proud to announce this year’s Road Racer of the Year. Introduced in 2001 when the program was under the Shifter Kart Illustrated Magazine banner, the award went to the top shifter kart driver of the season on the road racing circuit. When the magazine opened up its coverage in 2005, all the divisions that make up the unique branch of the sport were up for nomination. That year, the award went to karting legend Randy Fulks. This year, another veteran of the ‘enduro’ style of karting adds his name to the list as Jim Fry has earned the honor of Road Racer of the Year following his successful 2008 season.
When you are reaching the age of 60, most people are looking to begin settling down for retirement, enjoying the grandchildren and looking for the perfect RV to see the countryside. That’s all in Fry’s future, but the one thing that he has not done is slow down his love of racing. Competing against other drivers half or even a third his age, not to mention his own sons, Fry is considered one of the most respected racers in the road racing community.
Competing against the likes of Rick Fulks, Scott Grenier, Craig Keller, Donald Chrzan, and his son Lance Fry, along with many others, Jim has never let up and continues to run nose-to-tail with his competition 45 minutes each race. The ‘Ice Man’ - as he is referred to by his family and friends at the race track - earned the 100cc Controlled class championship in only his second year racing the ever-growing and possibly the most-competitive laydown class on the WKA Dunlop Tire National Road Racing Series. Add to that a runner-up in the 100cc Controlled Spec and a third in Formula 100 and it was certainly a consistent year at the front for Fry.
Fry’s biggest weekend of the season came in June at the Elite Karting Grand Nationals at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Mansfield, OH. After finishing fifth in the 100cc Controlled class on Saturday to better his championship chase, Fry earned the WKA Eagle in the 100cc Controlled Spec class. A win later on in the season at Roebling Road as the championship wound down, in addition to the many top-three runs on the season, helped secure his title heading into the season finale at Road Atlanta.
The 2009 season has started off well for Jim and the entire Fry Racing clan following their performance at the 2009 WKA Daytona Kartweek at the end of December. Jim earned finishes of fourth and third, including an all-Fry podium in the Formula 100cc class with son’s Lance and Brandon finishing first and second. The all-Fry podium was the first time in recent history that a family held all the podium steps in the Dunlop Tire Road Racing Series. Later that night at the ’08 series banquet, they were honored by WKA as the ‘Family of the Year’. eKartingNews.com also recognized their achievements by naming them as Drivers of the Month for December 2008.
EKN would like to congratulate Jim Fry for a great 2008 season and the Road Racer of the Year award. We would also like to wish him a belated Happy Birthday as Jim turned 59 years-old on Sunday. To discuss the EKN Awards 2008, please visit the Official Discussion Thread and also visit the Official Awards Page.
Former Road Racer of the Year Winners
2007 - Jim Russell Jr.
2006 - Nate Grindell
2005 - Randy Fulks
2004 - Chris Hegar
2003 - Chad Dokken
2002 - Dave Clift
2001 - Ted Tackett |
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