NASCAR's newest champion named Driver of the Year by panel of journalists
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kevin Harvick poses with his championship ring during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto racing awards at Wynn Las Vegas Friday, Dec. 5, 2014, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken) (The Associated Press)
NASCAR champion Kevin Harvick has been named Driver of the Year by a panel of broadcasters and journalists.
Harvick won the final two races of the season to earn his first career Sprint Cup title. He won five races in his first season with Stewart-Haas Racing, and it included three in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.
Harvick received 13 of the 16 votes cast by motorsports journalists who vote for just one driver. IndyCar champion Will Power, Nationwide Series champion Chase Elliott and World of Outlaws champion Donny Schatz all received one vote each.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Driver of the Year award is in its 48th season and encompasses all racing series in the United States. There are 17 journalists eligible to vote.