Each year, since 1999, CompetitionPlus.com has conducted its annual Dot Com Awards as a means of allowing race fans and readers of the Internet magazine to select the best [and worst] of the recently completed season.

The winners we are about to announce are 100-percent reader VOTED achievements. This year produced an incredible year of votes from our respective ballots with over 10,000 votes cast in a four week period of time. 

 Each year, since 1999, CompetitionPlus.com has conducted its annual Dot Com Awards as a means of allowing race fans and readers of the Internet magazine to select the best [and worst] of the recently completed season.

The winners we are about to announce are 100-percent reader VOTED achievements. This year produced an incredible year of votes from our respective ballots with over 90,000 votes cast in a four week period of time. 

And, in another tradition, we'll also provide the POLITICALLY INCORRECT Dot Coms by clicking on the provided link.

And, without further delay, here are the winners ...

MIKE AIELLO PERSON OF THE YEAR ... - BOB FREY

We really don’t believe Bob Frey truthfully understands what he meant to the drag racing community, the NHRA in particular. The golden voiced, self-proclaimed skinny, geeky bald-headed announcer was the VOICE of drag racing.

Frey, during his time as an announcer, has served as one of the greatest announcers the sport has ever seen. Even more so, he’s proudly served the straight-line sport as an ambassador.

Drag racing is a sport of numbers and Frey made a life of keeping the history of the sport alive. Ask him who won in Super Stock at the 1972 Gatornationals, he’ll rapidly respond with the answer and in one of those rare instances he doesn’t, a couple of clicks on his laptop and he’ll produce the answer in record time.

Just like Mike Aiello, the person this award is named after, Frey epitomizes the spirit of drag racing. Frey generated the kind of respect from his peers which inspired many journalists to clamor for a photo with the retiring announcer.

Frey loves drag racing and his actions spoke louder than his eloquent words ever could.

When Frey’s last words as the NHRA’s official announcer emitted over the public address system last November in Pomona, Ca, truer words have never been spoken by the iconic emcee - “It’s good to be Bob Frey,” he said, and then the speakers went silent.

PROFESSIONAL RACER OF THE YEAR … ALLEN JOHNSON

A popular quote suggests “success is when preparation meets opportunity”.

Truer words were never spoken when finding the proper way to categorize Pro Stock racer Allen Johnson and his first NHRA series championship.

The popular driver from Greeneville, TN., began his run for the crown at mid-season and by the time the Countdown reseeded the field, Johnson had garnered so much momentum the reseeding of the field was a mere act of saving face for the rest of the competitors. ***

Johnson captured seven wins in 2012 while upping his career victory total to 17. In doing so, he brought Dodge its first NHRA Pro Stock title since the Darrell Alderman did it in 1994.

SPORTSMAN RACER OF THE YEAR ... FRANK MANZO

Frank Manzo, for the 5th time, is the Dot Com Awards Sportsman Racer of the Year.

Manzo, who now holds an incredible 16 NHRA Lucas Oil titles, said his career began so simple.

"I was a young kid who only wanted to win one race. Look what happened."

In clinching his 16th title this year, it was only fitting Manzo also claimed national event victory No. 100.

NEWS STORY OF THE YEAR ... SPENCER MASSEY’S DISMISSAL FROM DSR

The rumors ran roughshod throughout the community, alleging improper conduct at the NHRA Awards Banquet from one of NHRA’s brightest and upcoming drag racers, past IHRA series champion and noted NHRA title contender Spencer Massey. He was released from DSR on the Friday following Thanksgiving Day.

Massey has declined to speak with the media following the dismissal save for a prepared statement to CompetitionPlus.com which read, “I am grateful to have driven for such a great organization. Don Schumacher has the best of the best and it showed with our team the past few years. Todd, Phil and my entire crew gave me such a great racecar. It was the best. I hope to find sponsorship so I can get back to racing in the 2013 Mello Yello Drag Racing circuit.”

We’ll not speculate on the reasons for the termination other than to say Massey's detrimental conduct comes with great disappointment from someone who provided the team and sanctioning body with a great light of talent for the next generation.

MESSAGE BOARD OF THE YEAR ... YELLOWBULLET.COM

There is strength in numbers and for the last half-decade, the gang at Yellowbullet.com have used their large membership to outvote the competition.

The Bullet, as its followers have nicknamed the forum, lives by the creed, “Where the weak are Killed and Eaten”.

This is not a play on words. The Bullet is largely comprised of the most passionate drag race fans and the atmosphere at times can resemble the Wild West.

INTERNET RADIO SHOW OF THE YEAR ...

WFO RADIO WITH JOE CASTELLO

Someone might have trademarked the three-peat phrase which leads us to categorize the team at WFO’s third Dot Com crown as a three-feat. Every Tuesday, with the support of the NHRA’s Alan Reinhart and various winners from the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Castello has provided the NHRA community with hours of informative commentary aimed at keeping them in the know.

Castello’s charisma and passion for drag racing displayed on the internet airwaves has enabled the all-around great guy from southern Florida to develop quite a fan following. His performance hasn’t gone unnoticed as the NHRA has reportedly penciled in Castello as an announcer during the 2013 season.

Castello is a part of the up-and-coming generation within drag racing, and with the proper promotion and a few breaks along the way could become a future Bob Frey or Dave McClelland-kind of iconic figure.

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FACEBOOK PAGE OF THE YEAR -

NHRA

By the narrowest of margins, the NHRA’s Facebook page edged defending award winner Bangshift for the title of Facebook Page of the Year. While both are incredibly informative and very well worth liking, the NHRA’s site provides a daily service to over 400,000 likes with a combination of news article, photos and at times classic videos.

If you would like to keep a close eye on the NHRA world, in addition to what we have here at CompetitionPlus.com, this Facebook/Twitter feed is well worth the LIKE.

PRINTED PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR …

NATIONAL DRAGSTER

The readers have spoken and once again the fine staff led by Phil Burgess captures yet another virtual trophy from the Dot Com Awards, the 13th in 14 campaigns, to be exact. In a day and age when the printed word appears to be falling by the wayside thanks to Internet advances, the DRAGSTER team continues to pound out relevant copy with incredible photography to the masses of drag racing fans.

Their hands are tied somewhat when it comes to reporting because of their status as the NHRA house organ, but this boundary does little to slow the hard-working staff in their covering the drag racing world.

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DRAG STRIP OF THE YEAR ...

SUMMIT RACEWAY PARK

After successfully repelling a last minute charge from defending champion Tulsa Raceway Park, Summit Raceway Park in Norwalk, Ohio, reclaimed its title. This was a fierce battle between the two tracks and its passionate racers. Only 1.2-percentage points separated the two when the polls closed.

Summit Raceway Park, essentially a blue collar drag strip located between Cleveland and Toledo, Ohio, is owned operated by the Bader Family, a family who truly gets it when it comes to customer satisfaction.

If the incredible carnival food atmosphere and family friendly approach from the employees doesn’t make you fall in love with the track, there’s always the pound of ice cream for a dollar deal.

One must understand where this track came from in the 1970s to appreciate the gem it has become today.

 

SPONSOR OF THE YEAR …

LUCAS OIL

Lucas Oil founder Forrest Lucas loves drag racing. In looking at his fingerprint on the sport, it is easy to see he’s all too willing to put his money where his mouth is.

Lucas Oil serves as the primary sponsor of the NHRA’s Sportsman drag racing series and has helped numerous professional and sportsman racers along the way.

Drag racing is all the better because Mr. Lucas is a part of it. This is why, for the second year in a row, the readers of CompetitionPlus.com have voted him with this honor.

 
OH YEAH ... about those other Dot Coms ... THE POLITICALLY INCORRECT DOT COMS