Picking the top drivers and driver awards for the Best of 2009 goes something like this: Select the obvious choices. Check through series and track champion lists for other drivers likely to be included. Then dig through stories, weekly results, websites and notebooks to find others you might miss. And then hope you don’t overlook anyone.

It’s not a perfect system, and that was proven when I was thinking Tuesday about Chad Simpson, the two-time World Dirt Racing League champion. I hadn’t MORE