Tommy Kendall, shown here in 2004 at Mazda
Raceway Laguna Seca, was the dominant driver in the Trans-Am Series in
the 1990s.
Award honors contributors to motorsports in California
Tommy
Kendall was presented with the Justice Brothers-Shav Glick Award on
Sunday at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. Named in honor of
legendary Los Angeles Times sports writer Shav Glick, the award is
presented annually to an individual who has made significant
contributions to motorsports in California.
Kendall, a Santa
Monica native, dominated the SCCA Trans-Am Series in the 1990s,
capturing four driving titles in the first eight years of the decade
(1990, '95, '96, '97). From 1995 to 1997, while piloting Jack
Roush-owned Ford Mustangs, Kendall claimed 16 wins and 27 poles in 38
Trans-Am races. In 1997, on his way to his fourth and final Trans-Am
title, Kendall scored wins in the first 11 of 13 races that season.
Kendall also made 14 NASCAR Sprint Cup starts, mostly on road courses, and made two appearances in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“This
year’s competition was extremely tough, each nominee deserving in their
respective ways," said Ed Justice Jr., president and CEO of Justice
Brothers. "Tommy Kendall’s selection is truly reflective of the amazing
career he has had, both in and out of the cockpit. He receives the
Justice Brothers-Shav Glick award on the heels of being inducted into
the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.”
Ed Justice Jr., left, presents Tommy Kendall with the Justice Brothers-Shav Glick Award on Sunday in Fontana, Calif.
Earlier this year, Kendall was inducted into the Motorsports
Hall of Fame of America. Since retiring from full-time driving in 1998,
he has worked in racing as a TV announcer and test driver.
“To be
honored with the Justice Brothers-Shav Glick Award is quite incredible
with all the history behind it," Kendall said. "Parnelli Jones and Dan
Gurney were my heroes before I got into racing and were my heroes when I
was in the sport. My admiration for both of them only grew greater as I
drove for a longer period of time and continued to learn about them and
the sport. If you reflect on the Shav Glick tie-in to this award, he
wrote a piece on me for the LA Times when I was just 19 years old, which
was my breakout year when I won the GTU Championship and the Firehawk
Championship at the same time in 1986.
"I'm very grateful for the
light that Shav shown on me. He was a real gentleman and a great
journalist who is missed by those in the sport. One of the things about
California is the roots of racing go way, way back, and that obviously
applies to the Justice Brothers in California. In this day and age, you
can have huge companies created almost overnight, but the one thing they
don’t have is heritage. You can’t match the heritage that Justice
Brothers has in motorsports. Kudos to Ed for keeping that heritage alive
by supporting this award. History is an important part of getting young
folks involved in the racing.”
The 16th
annual award is named after sports writer Shav Glick, who delivered
countless stories on auto racing during his 45 years at the Los Angeles
Times. Glick, who passed away in 2007, is a member of the Motorsports
Hall of Fame of America.
The award is presented annually by Ed
Justice Jr., president and CEO of Justice Brothers, during the pre-race
ceremonies at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400 race in
Fontana, Calif.
Previous recipients of the Justice Brothers-Shav Glick Award
2015 – Tommy Kendall
2014 – Bill Simpson
2013 – Mickey Thompson
2012 – Jeff Gordon
2011 – Robert E. Peterson
2010 – Kenny Roberts
2009 – Frank Kurtis
2008 – John Force
2007 – Don Prudhomme
2006 – Phil Hill & Carroll Shelby
2005 – J.C. Agajanian
2004 – Les Richter
2003 – Rick Mears
2002 – Parnelli Jones
2001 – Wally Parks
2000 – Dan Gurney
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