Skyta receives Driver of the year Award
by Tom Sherrill - Florida Short Track Report.com

It took some time, but Greg Skyta, the young Late Model racer from New Smyrna Speedway, had finally gotten all the bugs worked out of the car to make his first race of the season last weekend at the half-mile track. With a second place finish on the first night out, the crew was happy with their effort. As earlier in the night Skyta received his Florida Short Track Report Driver of the year Award in front of all the fan’s and fellow racers at the track.

With his racing career starting in go karts, Skyta and his father Gary had found a common interest which would become a true family affair. Skyta moved into the mini sprint ranks and raced with the FMSA before the move to late models. With a full time schedule at the University of Florida, Skyta drives home on the weekends to race - and with a great family and team behind him it’s all possible.

The management of New Smyrna Speedway received the call last October form the Florida Short Track Report to find out which of their drivers would represent the track in the Florida Short Track Report driver and rookie driver of the year contests. The contest, which runs from Thanksgiving day through New Years eve, is held every year by the internet racing website and radio show. With the top drivers and rookie drivers from every track in Florida it all comes down to who get the most votes. The track knew as soon as they got the call who they felt would represent the track the best.

The voting started and the numbers in the first week would showed that there was going to be a battle for the title. At the second week, it was clear the contest was hot with three drivers tight in votes.
Brandon Morris from Auburndale Speedway and Ryan Fowler from Southern Raceway along with Skyta were piling up the votes from the fans, friends and teams.

In the end it was clear that New Smyrna Speedway’s Greg Skyta was the 2008 Florida Short Track Report Driver of the year. Skyta stood strong against the tough competition. The other top five drivers in the
contest were Fowler, Morris then East Bay Raceway’s Matt Haynes and the TBARA’s Troy DeCaire. Almost all of these drivers are likely to be in the 2009 contest as well.

This year, the contest paid $1000 to each the winning driver of the year and the rookie driver of the year along with a plaque. The contest was sponsored by Racecar Engineering, American Drilling & Pump,
Panhandleracing.com, Dale Reigle, Beck’s Heating & Air Conditioning, Dow Chassis & Engineering, Prause Photography and the Florida Short Track Report. The Florida Short Track Report would like to thank the sponsors and everyone who participated in the contest, and looks forward to a bigger and better 2009 event.