In only his first full year running midgets on the national scene, Kyle Larson, of Elk Grove, CA, has earned the honor of being named the Midgetmadness.com "Top Gun of the Year," presented by JE Pistons. 2011 saw Larson burst onto the national scene with a rookie year that turned in results you would expect from a seasoned veteran.

In what would be a busy year for the California driver, Larson started his winning ways in February which found himself taking both nights of the Copper on Dirt at USA Raceway in Tucson, AZ. Little did we know, this was surely a sign of things to come from this young talent.

Indiana Midget Week in June saw Larson score his first USAC National Midget win at Bloomington Speedway. A little over a month later Larson was sitting in victory lane at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, his first USAC National pavement win. The winning didn't stop as sweeping the Belleville Midget Nationals would be the next big accomplishment for the young racer from California.

But perhaps Larson's greatest accomplishment came at the famed Eldora Speedway in late September. Not only did Larson win the USAC National Midget portion of the 4-Crown Nationals, but he also went on to win in the Sprint and Silver Crown divisions as well, a truly remarkable feat. The amazing thing, this was Larson's first trip to Eldora Speedway, making it all that more impressive.

Larson decided to take his talents abroad and wasted little time showing the fans in New Zealand that he has no problem adjusting to a new track. Competing against an international field with some of the top midget drivers in the world, Larson went on to another impressive win at Western Springs Speedway, topping off an unforgettable season.

Larson will be presented the Top Gun award during the 2012 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma this week.

This is the fifth season for the popular midget award, previous "Top Gun" recipients include Jerry Coons Jr. (2007), Brad Sweet (2008) and Bryan Clauson (2009 & 2010).