By Patrick Reynolds

Mooresville, NC – The American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association announced its first All-America Team following the 1970 season. That annual tradition continued with the team being announced for 2015’s top performers.

A group of special drivers representing multiple forms of professional motorsports is elected each year by AARWBA. The association’s members vote on drivers within their participating categories of racing. The driver receiving the most votes from each discipline is elected to the All-America Team.

The 2015 All-America Team:

Scott Dixon was the top vote getter in the Open Wheel division. Dixon claimed the Verizon Indycar Series Championship driving for Target Chip Ganassi Racing. He clinched the crown with a victory at the season finale in Sonoma.

Road Racing saw the driving team of Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi, earn the most votes on the strength of their United SportsCar Championship with Action Express Racing. The team scored a pair of wins at Sebring and Road Atlanta during the 2015 campaign.

World of Outlaws Sprint Car kingpin Donny Schatz led the vote tally in the Short Track Division. Schatz’s 31 wins, 60 top-fives and 70 top-tens highlighted his championship year. Schatz’s title was his seventh crown in the last ten seasons.

Schatz is also recognized as the Jerry Titus Memorial Trophy winner for the driver having the most overall votes.

Kyle Busch led the way in the Stock Car category. Busch claimed his first-career NASCAR Sprint Cup championship after missing the season’s first 11 events due to an injury suffered in the Daytona Xfinity Series event. He capped off the year by winning the title and the final race in Miami.

The Drag Racing category was led by Erica Enders who won her second straight NHRA Pro Stock championship. Enders scored the Las Vegas Toyota Nationals win in November and clinched her title with one event remaining in the season.

In the Touring Series, NASCAR Truck Series Champion Erik Jones earned the most votes. He won three races at Iowa, Bowmanville Canada, and Ft. Worth, TX.

Indy Lights champ Spencer Pigot was the At Large category’s top vote earner. He swept the series’ final two races at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and won a scholarship to compete in the 100th Indianapolis 500 for 2016.

Rico Abreu was voted the Rising Star award on the strength of multiple open wheel dirt short track victories including back-to-back Chili Bowl wins. Abreu will compete full-time in the 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for Thorsport Racing.

The country’s top forms of professional motorsports are represented in this championship group voted on by AARWBA as the 2015 All-America Team.

Founded in 1955 AARWBA is a motorsports organization comprised of writers, broadcasters, photographers, and other media-related professionals. The organization’s charter is aimed at providing not only proper recognition for members of the motorsports media, but to recognize their work as well as the work of the competitors that they follow in print, on the air, and on film.

Patrick Reynolds is a former professional NASCAR mechanic who hosts Motor Week LIVE! Mondays 7pm ET/ 4pm PT on www.racersreunionradio.com