TaxSlayer.com Motorsports Journalism Awards of Excellence Announced: TaxSlayer.com and Charlotte Motor Speedway announced the winners of the 27th Annual TaxSlayer.com Motorsports Journalism Awards of Excellence in honor of Russ Catlin presented by Charlotte Motor Speedway. This year marked the most competitive contest to date, as a record-setting 200 entries were submitted. The 2011 honorees were Don Coble (Morris News Service/Florida Times-Union), David Caraviello (NASCAR.com), Alan Cavanna (WSOC), Justin Burnett (SPEED) and Will Lester (Inland Valley Daily Bulletin) for outstanding motorsports coverage in 2011. To view the winning entries, visit charlottemotorspeedway.com/catlinaward/2012winners. The TaxSlayer.com Motorsports Journalism Awards of Excellence recognize the best motorsports coverage in five categories: Daily and Other Writing, Local and National Broadcast and Photojournalism. Entries are open to all forms of motorsports coverage, and no affiliation or membership is required for participation. As in years past, the Indiana University School of Journalism judged the award entries. The recipients were honored at a ceremony held in conjunction with the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway. Winners received a trophy and $1,000 scholarship from TaxSlayer.com in their names to the school of their choice. Their names were also added to a perpetual trophy housed at Charlotte Motor Speedway that lists all past winners.(CMS)(1-26-2012)

Jeff Gordon receives Spirit Award: #24-Jeff Gordon is the recipient of the National Motorsports Press Association Speedway Motorsports Spirit Award for 2011 for his work with children’s health issues. Gordon was among four quarterly winners for the award and chosen by NMPA members as the overall winner for the year. The NMPA Spirit Award is designed to recognize character and achievement in the face of adversity, sportsmanship and contributions to motorsports. Gordon has always taken an interest in children’s health issues through his Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation Pediatric Cancer Treatment Research, but those efforts expanded in 2011. Gordon brought a hands-on approach to his work with children this summer. Working with the Clinton Global Initiative, Gordon traveled to a refugee camp in the Congo in July in an effort aid with health issues. He witnessed first-hand what children in the area face and offered his personal assistance to the program.(NASCAR)(1-25-2012)

Ray Hendrick & Al Pearce honored: Legendary NASCAR short-track star the late Ray Hendrick and long-time motorsports journalist Al Pearce are among the six Virginians selected as the Class of 2012 for the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. The Class was introduced on Monday afternoon to both houses of the Virginia State Legislature in the State Capitol.
In addition to Hendrick and Pearce, this year’s class includes former NFL star and Super Bowl-winning wide receiver Antonio Freeman; former NBA all-star guard and three-time NBA champion Gerald Henderson; long-time University of Virginia women’s basketball coach Debbie Ryan; retired NBA official Jess Kersey; and former MLB all-star lefthander Billy Wagner. The Class will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday night, April 28 in Portsmouth.
Pearce began covering NASCAR for the Times-Herald/Daily Press in 1969 and for AutoWeek magazine in 1972, and is still working for AutoWeek. He won eight Virginia Press Association awards during his 35 years at the Daily Press Inc. and in 2003 earned the prestigious Henry T. McLemore Award for “continued outstanding motorsports journalism.” The McLemore Award brought with it induction into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame at Talladega, Ala. The Newport News resident also has been recognized for his work by Martinsville Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Langley Speedway, which named its media center in his honor.
Hendrick was a Modified and Late Model standout during a career that began in the late 1950s’ and extended into the mid-1980’s. Records are sketchy, but it’s generally agreed he won upwards of 700 races (including 20 at Martinsville Speedway) on East Coast and Southeastern tracks ranging from a quarter-mile to the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway. He won countless track championships, was top-10 in NASCAR Modified points nine times and twice was top-10 in Late Model Sportsman national points. He also had two top-fives and six top-10’s in his 17 Sprint Cup starts. Hendrick was selected to the NMPA Hall of Fame in 1993, was named one of NASCAR’s 50 greatest drivers in 1998, was a charter inductee into the Virginia Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2003, was named one of Modified racing’s all-time top-10 drivers and was a 2007 inductee into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame at Talladega. He died in 1990 at age 61.(Virginia Sports Hall of Fame)(1-25-2012)

NASCAR's Tharp honored: Kerry Tharp, NASCAR senior director of competition communications, won the Ken Patterson Helping Others Award on Sunday night during the 2012 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Convention at the Embassy Suites in Concord, NC. The prestigious award, named after the former director of public relations for Talladega Superspeedway, recognizes a public relations representative in the motorsports industry who has “exhibited the kind, generous qualities that Patterson always demonstrated.” Affectionately – and appropriately – nicknamed the “Commander,” Tharp leads all competition communications efforts for the NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications department. Tharp joined NASCAR in 2005 after a 20-year tenure as sports information director at the University of South Carolina.
“Kerry is a great communications professional, but more importantly he is a great human being and that is reflected in this award,” said Brett Jewkes, NASCAR vice president and chief communications officer. “He loves our sport and the people in our industry and it shows in everything he does. We’re very proud of Kerry and grateful to the NMPA for honoring him with this prestigious award.” Sports has forever fueled Tharp’s passion – and career. For 26 years, Tharp worked in collegiate athletics, starting in the sports information department at his alma mater, Western Kentucky University before moving to graduate school at the University of Tennessee. Following UT, Tharp worked for the University of Oklahoma for four years before moving to South Carolina.
Tharp joined NASCAR as director for the sanctioning body’s licensing office in Charlotte in April of 2005. In February of 2006, he moved to his current role as head of competition communications, based out of NASCAR’s Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C. Tharp was promoted to his current title of senior director in October of 2010.(NASCAR)(1-24-2012)

Stewart named NMPA Driver of the Year: Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart was named the National Motorsports Press Association's 2011 Richard Petty Driver of the Year Sunday. Stewart, who had a mediocre regular season, nevertheless made the Chase for the Sprint Cup field - and then performed with near-brilliance, winning five of the final 10 races of the season and edging Carl Edwards for the series championship. The title was the third for Stewart but his first racing for his own team, Stewart-Haas Racing.(SPEED)(1-23-2012)

Bruton Smith Honored at 2012 North Carolina Motorsports Industry Awards: Bruton Smith, founder and CEO of Speedway Motorsports, Inc., was honored Monday evening with the 2012 Achievement in Motorsports Tribute Award from the North Carolina Motorsports Association. The honor was given to Smith before a large crowd of motorsports industry professionals at the 6th Annual North Carolina Motorsports Industry Awards presented by Senn Dunn Insurance at the Embassy Suites and Convention Center in Concord. Smith joins previous Tribute Award recipients Bill France Jr., Benny Parsons, Richard Petty, Richard Childress, Dale Earnhardt Sr., and Junior Johnson.
David Poole, longtime Charlotte Observer motorsports writer, was honored (posthumously) with the Media Recognition Award. The award was accepted by Poole's widow Katy [Poole] and Mike Persinger, Executive Sports Editor for the Charlotte Observer.
In addition, seven industry companies were awarded for their 2011 accomplishments and positive impacts to the Motorsports Industry:
• Bruton Smith, Achievement in Motorsports Tribute Award
• David Poole, Media Recognition Award
• G-Force Racing Gear
• Industrial Hard Carbon
• JRi Shocks
• Lake Norman Elementary School Pit Crew
• NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
• Racing Electronics
• Richmond County Tourism Authority
(NCMA))(1-18-2012)

Tony Stewart and Rick Eckert voted EMPA Drivers of the Year: By a vote of the membership, NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart and World of Outlaws Late Model Series titlist Rick Eckert have been elected Drivers of the Year by the Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA). The awards will be presented at the group’s annual Convention set for January 6-8, 2012 at the Crowne Plaza Valley Forge in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. Stewart, who won the Sprint Cup title in dramatic fashion, will receive the EMPA/Al Holbert Memorial National Driver of the Year award, while Eckert, a winner in both sanctioned and independent 2011 races, has earned the EMPA/Richie Evans Memorial Northeast Driver of the Year accolades.
In other announced awards, IZOD IndyCar head Randy Bernard was chosen T. Wayne Robertson Newsmaker of the Year; NASCAR Modified sensation Jason Bonsignore will receive the John Blewett III Young Guns Award presented by New England Race Fuels; and longtime midget racing supporter Stan Lobitz will be presented with the Junie Donlavey Spirit of the Sport award. New this year, race track promoter Alan Kreitzer has been named the recipient of the inaugural Jerry Reigle Outstanding Contribution to Sprint Car Racing Award presented by the World of Outlaws. New inductees into the EMPA Hall of Fame include previously announced NASCAR executive Jim Hunter, sportswriter Frank Blunk, and retired Modified driver Jack Johnson. Also elected to the EMPA Hall of Fame are driver Merv Treicher, speedway owner Jack Arute Sr., and racing announcer Bill Singer. EMPA member awards and journalism contest winners will be announced during annual EMPA/NASCAR Hall of Fame Banquet Saturday evening during the Convention.(Eastern Motorsport Press Association)(12-23-2011)

“The Loopies”: The Fifth Annual Best-Of Loop Data For 2011 #1: For the fifth consecutive season, NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications combed through the statistics to hand out a number of awards celebrating the best – and worst – Loop Data performances of 2011. The first award goes to:
“Still The Most Awesome Sport Ever” Award: This one goes to NASCAR. Congrats again, us. For the second consecutive season, the world’s best racing boasted numbers never before seen in its six-decade-plus history. According to the Loop Data, there were 131,989 green flag passes this season, the most since NASCAR started recording the stat in 2005. Though not Loop Data, there were also an average of 27.1 lead changes and 12.8 leaders per race, both Cup Series records.(NASCAR)(12-17-2011)

“The Loopies”: The Fifth Annual Best-Of Loop Data For 2011 #2: For the fifth consecutive season, NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications combed through the statistics to hand out a number of awards celebrating the best – and worst – Loop Data performances of 2011. The second award goes to:
“Where Did He Come From” Award: Better known as the “Most Improved Driver” Award, this award goes to the driver who had the biggest gain in Driver Rating from 2010. Brad Keselowski, please accept your welldeserved award. Keselowski entered 2011 mostly as an afterthought. He finished the 2010 season -- his first with Penske Racing -- with a 25th-place points finish and a Driver Rating of 65.1. Still fresh to the series, most expected those growing pains to continue. But Keselowski scoffed at any low expectations with a quick win at Kansas. Then he won at Pocono on a broken left ankle. A few weeks later, he won the Bristol Motor Speedway night race. And soon after that, he made the Chase for the Sprint Cup, taking advantage of the new Wild Card berth. Keselowski finished the season fifth in points, with a Driver Rating of 87.1 – an improvement of 22.0 points, best in the series.(NASCAR)(12-18-2011)

“The Loopies”: The Fifth Annual Best-Of Loop Data For 2011 #3: For the fifth consecutive season, NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications combed through the statistics to hand out a number of awards celebrating the best – and worst – Loop Data performances of 2011. The third award goes to:
“Nice Guys Finish Not First” Award: We hate to give this award out, but no one ever said The Loopies were easy. Fans place a certain level of trust in The Loopies board of directors. This one is given to the driver with the largest drop in Driver Rating. This unfortunate award goes to Jeff Burton, whose 96.2 Driver Rating in 2010 fell to 78.7 in 2011 -- a decline of 17.5 points. The personable Burton need not worry too much. Optimism reigns in the #31 shop, as the team scored four top-10 finishes in the final five races.(NASCAR)(12-19-2011)

“The Loopies”: The Fifth Annual Best-Of Loop Data For 2011 #4: For the fifth consecutive season, NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications combed through the statistics to hand out a number of awards celebrating the best – and worst – Loop Data performances of 2011. The fourth award goes to:
“Rope-A-Dope” Award: Attention NASCAR Hall of Fame: Richard Petty’s plaque needs a re-write -- he has just won a Loopie. The King’s two drivers, A.J. Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose, ranked 1-2 in the “Closer” statistic -- the number of positions gained or lost in the last 10 percent of races. Allmendinger gained a whopping 134 spots as races winded down; Ambrose improved 85 spots. In case you’re wondering, Kevin Harvick (aptly nicknamed “The Closer”) ranked third, with 78 positions improved.(NASCAR)(12-20-2011)

“The Loopies”: The Fifth Annual Best-Of Loop Data For 2011 #5: For the fifth consecutive season, NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications combed through the statistics to hand out a number of awards celebrating the best – and worst – Loop Data performances of 2011. The fifth award goes to:
“Irregular Season” Award: Season-to-Date Loop Data is what it says -- a statistical representation of the entire season. That’s why you’ll find Kyle Busch -- winner of this Loopie -- at the top of so many Loop Data charts, but at the bottom of the Chase standings. Busch led 10 different Loop Data categories this year: Average Running Position (10.4), Driver Rating (104.1), Fastest Early in a Run (average rank of 5.9), Fastest Late in a Run (average rank of 7.8), Green Flag Speed (average rank of 6.1), Laps in the Top 15 (79.6%), Laps Led (1,455), Mile Leaders (1,777.77), Quality Passes (2,219) and Speed in Traffic (average rank of 9.3). So why the 12th place finish for Busch? The answer: Another subpar Chase. During the 26-race regular season, Busch had a Driver Rating of 108.4. In the nine races he ran in the Chase, his Driver Rating was 91.6.(NASCAR)(12-21-2011)

“The Loopies”: The Fifth Annual Best-Of Loop Data For 2011 #6: For the fifth consecutive season, NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications combed through the statistics to hand out a number of awards celebrating the best – and worst – Loop Data performances of 2011. The sixth award goes to:
“Lifetime Achievement” Award: As this is the milestone Fifth Annual Loopies, we felt it necessary to commemorate the occasion with a special award: The Stefan Kretschmann Lifetime Achievement Award. Kretschmann, the godfather of Loop Data, works for our partners at Stats Inc. in Chicago, Ill. He’s the man behind the Loop Data, originating each statistic and inventing the involved formula for Driver Rating. It’s only fitting this award be named after him. And the winner of the first ever Stefan Kretschmann Lifetime Achievement Award Loopie is … Jimmie Johnson. Johnson’s championship reign ended in 2011, but his assault of the stats page continues. NASCAR started collecting Loop Data in 2005. Since then, Johnson has compiled a Loop Data-lifetime Driver Rating of 104.8, the only driver eclipsing the 100.0 barrier. Second-best is Jeff Gordon, with a 98.3.(NASCAR)(12-22-2011)

Mattiolis honored: Drs. Rose and Joseph Mattioli, of Pocono Raceway, received the National Motorsports Press Association's Myers Brothers Award last night. The award, presented during season-ending NASCAR festivities in Las Vegas, recognizes individuals and/or groups who have provided outstanding contributions to stock car racing. The Mattiolis have owned Pocono Raceway since it opened in the late 1960s. Finalists for the award included Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and the Wood Brothers. "[The Mattiolis] represent the true heart and spirit of NASCAR," said NMPA president Rea White. "They always recognized that NASCAR was more about people than anything else." Billy and Bobby Myers were former NASCAR competitors.(Philadelphia Daily News)(12-2-2011)

Bruton Smtih and David Poole among those honored by the NCMA: The North Carolina Motorsports Association (NCMA) announced Bruton Smith as the 2012 Achievement in Motorsports Tribute Award recipient for the Sixth Annual North Carolina Motorsports Industry Awards presented by Senn Dunn Insurance. The announcement took place at the NCMA's annual membership luncheon at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
In addition to Smith, the late David Poole, long-time Charlotte Observer motorsports writer, will be honored with the Media Recognition Award. The event will also recognize seven industry organizations (listed below) for their 2011 accomplishments and positive impacts on the Motorsports Industry in North Carolina. All the recipients will be honored at the awards banquet Monday, January 16 at the Embassy Suites in Concord, N.C.
Growing up on a modest farm near Oakboro, N.C., O. Bruton Smith parlayed his love for "building things" into a business empire, focusing on the motorsports and automotive industries. Today, his companies provide hundreds of full-time North Carolina jobs and opportunities for racing fans, competitors and businesses. Smith founded Speedway Motorsports Inc. by consolidating his motorsports holdings in December 1994, and in February 1995, he made it the first motorsports company to trade on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:TRK).
Currently Speedway Motorsports Inc. owns and operates eight premier motorsports facilities: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Infineon Raceway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. Speedway Motorsports also provides souvenir merchandising services through its SMI Properties subsidiary, and manufactures and distributes smaller-scale, modified racing cars through U.S. Legend Cars International. In August of 2008, utilizing 1,876 workers and a combined 636,000 man hours, the first-ever, four-lane drag strip was opened on the grounds of Charlotte Motor Speedway. In 2010, zMAX Dragway hosted the inaugural Four-Wide Nationals, a ground-breaking event for the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA).
Always interested in cars, Smith promoted various racing events during the 1950s, featuring the burgeoning National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). Though a rough era for the sport, Smith was one of the first truly professional promoters who paid good purses, tended to the needs of the fans and found unique ways to promote events staged at the speedways he leased around North Carolina. His dedication to enhancing the race fan's experience continues to today with CMS adding the world's largest HDTV to its backstretch during the 2011 season.
Smith is also very active in philanthropic activities, including Speedway Children's Charities which he founded in 1982. The non-profit organization has grown to include chapters at each of the Speedway Motorsports facilities and has distributed more than $40 million to agencies that provide educational, medical and social support to children.
In April 2007, Smith was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and he became a member of the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame in January 2006. In January, Smith will join Benny Parsons, Richard Petty, Richard Childress, Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Junior Johnson as the sixth recipient of the North Carolina Achievement in Motorsports Tribute Award.
2012 North Carolina Motorsports Industry Awards:
Bruton Smith, Achievement in Motorsports Tribute Award
David Poole, Media Recognition Award (Posthumously)
G-Force Racing Gear
Industrial Hard Carbon
JRi Shocks
Lake Norman Elementary School Pit Crew
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Racing Electronics
Richmond County Tourism Authority
(more info about the awards, banquet and NCMA, see the North Carolina Motorsports Association website.(11-17-2011)

Gordon named NASCAR Illustrated Person of the Year: The ever-expanding scope of Jeff Gordon's philanthropic endeavors reached over international borders and other boundaries of age and race this year. Whether it was his work in Africa with the Clinton Global Initiative, representing AARP's Drive to End Hunger among senior citizens in the U.S., or continuing to lead the fight against pediatric cancer through his eponymous children's foundation, Gordon has become the model for NASCAR philanthropy and an example for others to follow. For all these reasons, he was a consensus choice as NASCAR Illustrated Person of the Year, becoming the first three-time winner of the award. In 1997, the first year it was presented, Gordon shared POY honors with Darrell Waltrip. Then, Gordon joined Hendrick Motorsports as Persons of the Year in 2004 after the team endured the tragedy of the plane crash that claimed 10 lives. For the full story on Gordon's remarkable year of giving, see the December issue of NASCAR Illustrated.(SceneDaily)(11-16-2011)

Gordon named 3rd quater recipient of the Spirit Award: #24-Jeff Gordon has been chosen as the third quarter recipient of the National Motorsports Press Association's Speedway Motorsports Spirit Award. Gordon, who through his Jeff Gordon Foundation was selected to serve on the Clinton Global Initiative, traveled to the Congo to visit a refugee camp with members of the organization in July. The CGI helps its members maximize efforts to alleviate poverty, create a cleaner environment and increase access to health care and education. Also receiving votes for the third quarter were fellow Cup drivers Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski. Gordon joins JTG Daugherty Racing and Jamie McMurray as quarterly winners of the award for 2011. The award is designed to recognize character and achievement in the face of adversity, sportsmanship and contributions to motorsports. An overall winner of the award is determined by a vote of the NMPA membership at season's end.(SceneDaily)(11-10-2011)

Indy's York to be honored with Jim Chapman award: Bill York, whose half-century of work in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway media center earned him the respect and friendship of journalists from around the world, today was announced as winner of the 2011 Jim Chapman Award for excellence in motorsports public relations. The Chapman Award is considered by many in the industry as the highest honor in racing public relations. It is named in memory of Chapman, the legendary PR executive and innovator, who worked with Babe Ruth and was named Indy Car racing’s “most influential man” of the 1980s. Chapman died in 1996 at age 80. The announcement was made by Michael Knight, chairman of the selection committee, and one of Chapman’s closest friends. The award is determined by vote of media members, most of whom knew Chapman, and is authorized by the Chapman family. PR representatives from all forms of motorsports are eligible for consideration. “It is impossible to think of anyone more deserving,” said Knight, the longtime journalist/publicist and award rights-holder. “Bill York is more than one of Jim’s countless friends and admirers. Bill’s professionalism is in the example and spirit of Jim Chapman’s. Bill, like Jim before him, believes in the ‘old-school’ approach to working with the media – that it is essential to build one-on-one relationships with journalists. That’s too often missing today, when far too many PR representatives think an E-mail or text message constitutes ‘relationship-building.’ Jim was a true ‘people person’ and knew nothing could replace a handshake, a face-to-face conversation, or the sound of another person’s voice. Over many decades, Bill has shown he understands the value of actually talking to people and getting to know them, and that having those professional relationships best serve clients in good times -- and bad.”
York began working in the Indianapolis 500 press room in 1958. As a popular goodwill ambassador with journalists, York filled many roles, including gathering statistics and managing the media center through 2008. He was instrumental in creating the Stark & Wetzel Indy 500 Rookie of the Year award. He served as a Speedway media liaison last May. York has earned many auto racing honors, including the 2010 Bob Russo Founders Award for lifelong contributions to the sport. He’s also worked in the NBA Indianapolis Pacers and NFL Indianapolis Colts media rooms. The Pacers’ media center is named in his honor. Chapman started as sports editor or managing editor of several Southern newspapers before joining the New York Times. He served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. He entered the PR business in 1946, as regional PR director for Ford Motor Co. in Detroit. York will officially receive the 2011 Jim Chapman Award January 8, 2012, at the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association’s All-America team dinner in Indianapolis. Broadcaster Paul Page, a longtime Chapman friend and a member of the award selection committee, will make the presentation.
PREVIOUS JIM CHAPMAN AWARD HONOREES:
1991 – Michael Knight
1992 – Tom Blattler
1993-94 – Deke Houlgate and Hank Ives
1995 – Kathi Lauterbach
1996 – Marc Spiegel
1997 – Mike Zizzo
1998 – Tamy Valkosky
1999 -- Carol Wilkins
2000-2003 – (Award not presented)
2004 – Doug Stokes
2005 – Susan Arnold
2006 – Kevin Kennedy
2007 – Dave Densmore and Bob Carlson
2008 – Judy Stropus
2009 – (Award not presented)
2010 -- Jim Hunter
(PR)(11-8-2011)

Brian France Among First Two Sports Figures To Receive Intrepid Salute Award: Aboard the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City tonight, NASCAR Chairman & CEO Brian France will accept a 2011 Intrepid Salute Award in recognition of his support of the military, business achievements and important philanthropic activities. France will join George Bodenheimer, president ESPN, Inc. and ABC Sports in being the first two sports personalities to be bestowed with the honor since the award was founded in 1992. "It is an honor to accept this award on behalf of NASCAR, our drivers, teams and tracks who have all been ardent supporters of active and retired members of our nation's Armed Forces since our sport's inception," France said. "Accepting the award will be especially humbling knowing that U.S. military servicemen and women from around the world tune in to NASCAR races each week as a respite from their ongoing service to our country. NASCAR has a long history of supporting active troops and veterans and we remain particularly proud to be a lead partner in recruiting young people into the Armed Forces." The award will be presented as part of the museum's annual "Fleet Week" activities, which include a visit from Navy and Coast Guard ships joining the legendary USS Intrepid on the Hudson River.(NASCAR)(5-27-2011)

Spirit of Ford Award announced: Kevin Kennedy, who has worked with some of the greatest names in Ford Racing history as director of Ford Racing public affairs, was presented the prestigious Spirit of Ford Award in a surprise ceremony today as part of the annual Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour. The Spirit of Ford Award is Ford Motor Company’s highest honor in auto racing, recognizing lifetime achievement and contribution to the industry both on and off the race track. Kennedy becomes the 25th recipient, joining an international list of honorees from all forms of racing and racing media. He was recognized in a surprise presentation by Edsel B. Ford II, great-grandson of company founder Henry Ford and a member of the company’s board of directors. In addition to his duties with Ford Racing, Kennedy is Executive Vice President at PCGCampbell, a marketing communications agency that was founded in 1982 as Campbell & Co. in conjunction with Ford Motor Company’s corporate reentry into professional motorsports. In addition to the Spirit of Ford, Kennedy was also recognized for his excellence in motorsports public relations by the American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association (AARWBA) with the Jim Chapman Award in 2006.
Spirit of Ford Awards Winners
Bill Stroppe, 1988
Bob Glidden, 1989
Chris Economaki, 1990
Richard Petty, 1992
Bob Bondurant, 1993
Mario Andretti, 1994
Jackie Stewart, 1994
Bud Moore, 1995
Parnelli Jones, 1996
Jim Clark, 1997
Phil Hill, 1998
Stirling Moss, 1998
Bill France, Sr., 1998
Bill France Jr. 1998
Junie Donlavey, Jr., 1999
Glen Wood, 1999
Leonard Wood, 1999
Dan Gurney, 1999
Denise McCluggage, 2000
Bill Elliott, 2000
Carroll Shelby, 2001
Wally Parks, 2001
Ned Jarrett, 2003
Mose Nowland, 2005
Jack Roush , 2006
John Force, 2010
Kevin Kennedy, 2011
(Ford Racing)(2-1-2011)

Johnson named river of the year by NMPA: Five-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has been named the 2010 winner of the Richard Petty Driver of the Year award by the National Motorsports Press Association. The announcement was made Sunday during the NMPA’s annual convention. Johnson was also the named driver of the year by the organization in 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009. The Richard Petty Driver of the Year award has been presented annually by the NMPA since 1969. It is named after the sport’s winningest driver, Richard Petty, who retired after the 1992 season with 200 career victories and seven Cup championships. The recipient of the award is determined by a vote of the NMPA membership.(Scene Daily)(1-24-2011)

Junior Johnson to be honored at NCMA Awards: The North Carolina Motorsports Association ("NCMA") is gearing up for the 5th Annual North Carolina Motorsports Industry Awards presented by Senn Dunn Insurance. On Friday, January 21st, industry business leaders will gather to honor racing legend Junior Johnson and award seven companies for their 2010 accomplishments. In addition, a first ever Media Recognition Award will go to Chris Economaki recognized as "The Dean of American Motorsports". The event is in its 5th year and will once again be held at the Embassy Suites in Concord, NC, beginning with a cocktail reception hosted by Dixon Hughes PLLC. An unscripted fire side chat will be moderated by Tom Higgins as Jimmy Spencer, Ned Jarrett, Steve Waid and Humpy Wheeler take the stage to discuss this year's Achievement in Motorsports Tribute recipient, Junior Johnson.
Senn Dunn Insurance has announced that they will return as the presenting sponsor for the second consecutive year. Senn Dunn Insurance, through its Motorsports Practice Group, has established long-term clients and a well respected name within the racing industry handling risk management, employee benefits and other insurance needs. Their motto is, "We'll handle it" and that is exactly what they will be doing the night of the event when they help present the Achievement in Motorsports Tribute award. More awards info at the NCMA site.(1-21-2011)

EMPA Writers Award Renamed In Honor Of Jim Hunter: The Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) has renamed its annual award for excellence in motorsports journalism the EMPA/Jim Hunter Memorial Writers Award. Hunter, NASCAR’s Vice President, Corporate Communications, and an avid supporter of the EMPA, passed away in 2010. “Jim was a friend of everyone he ever met,” said EMPA President Len Sammons. “And he took great interest in EMPA, helping the organization with its activities, attending our annual Convention several times, and always gently steering us in the right direction. We certainly miss him for his guidance, but especially as a friend. That’s why we’re proud to rename our Writers Award in his honor and memory.”
“Jim Hunter was a rare individual,” added EMPA Secretary John Snyder. “I always enjoyed listening to him, whether it was explaining a NASCAR situation, or retelling a great racing story from the past. No matter what title he held, however, in his heart he was always a newspaperman. It’s only fitting that our EMPA Writers Award be named in his memory.” In conjunction with the renaming of the Award, the late Frank Blunk, in whose honor the Award was originally named, will be inducted into the EMPA Hall of Fame during the organizations’ annual Convention in January 2012. Blunk was the first motorsports editor of The New York Times, serving in that capacity from the late 1950s until his retirement in 1968.(NASCAR)(1-15-2011)

NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon: Thursday was about the industry as a whole – the sport’s drivers, owners, teams, fans, media and sponsors. At the annual NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon held in the Bellagio Hotel and Casino, the overwhelming theme was the highly competitive nature of the 2010 season.
A number of postseason awards were given out during the luncheon, the last of which was the event’s namesake: the NMPA Myers Brothers Award. This year the honor was given to former NASCAR Vice President of Corporate Communications Jim Hunter, who passed away in October at the age of 71. The emotional end to the ceremony included a tribute video and an acceptance by Hunter’s son, Scott. Said host Mike Joy, “Before Jim found such great success with NASCAR and ISC, he was a very talented writer. He was one of us. And he always will be.”
The complete list of Thursday’s award winners from the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon:
· Buddy Shuman Award: Dr. Joseph Mattioli
· NASCAR Foundation’s Track of the Year Award: Daytona International Speedway
· NASCAR Marketing Achievement Awards: Nationwide Insurance
· NASCAR Home Depot Humanitarian Award: Tony Stewart
· NMPA Myers Brothers Award: Jim Hunter
· Hamburger Helper Most Popular Driver Award: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
· Coors Light Pole Award: Jamie McMurray
· DirecTV Crew Chief of the Year Award: Gil Martin (crew chief for Kevin Harvick)
· Goodyear Gatorback Belts Fastest Lap Award: Jimmie Johnson
· Goodyear Tires Award: Jimmie Johnson
· Mahle Clevite Engine Builder of the Year Award: Earl Wheeler, Hendrick Motorsports (engine builder for Jimmie Johnson)
· Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew of the Year: #11, Joe Gibbs Racing
· Mobil 1 “Command Performance Driver of the Year” Award: Kurt Busch
· Moog Chassis Parts Problem Solver of the Year Award: Gil Martin (crew chief for Kevin Harvick)
· O’Reilly Auto Parts Position Improvement Award: Kevin Harvick
· Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award: Kevin Conway
· Sunoco Diamond Performance Award: Jimmie Johnson
· Tissot “Pit Road Precision” Award: #17, Roush Fenway Racing
· WIX Filters Lap Leader Award: Denny Hamlin
· Championship Sponsor Award: Lowe’s
· Champion Crew Chief Award: Chad Knaus
(NASCAR)(12-3-2010)

NASCAR Receives Three Awards At The Inaugural Sports Media Marketing Awards: NASCAR was honored in three separate categories at the Inaugural Sports Media Marketing Awards, held at the Angel Orensanz Foundation in New York City on Thursday, November 18, 2010. NASCAR was awarded Gold honors in the category of “Team Promotion (Collegiate and League Sports)” for its “Everything Else Is Just A Game” integrated brand communications campaign. The campaign demonstrates the intensity and danger that drivers and crew members face in the heat of competition along with the awe-inspiring, fun and communal nature of the NASCAR at-track experience.
NASCAR also won top Gold honors in the “Events & Experiential Category” with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Victory Lap, a parade of the sport’s top drivers down the Las Vegas Strip during the 2009 NASCAR Champion’s Week, including a celebratory burn out by champion Jimmie Johnson. After winning his historic fifth straight NASCAR Sprint Cup title this past Sunday, Johnson will return for more burnouts when NASCAR takes to the streets of Las Vegas for the next NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Victory Lap on Thursday, December 2, 2010.
NASCAR took home Silver honors in “Brand Integrated Marketing” for NASCARPartners.com, an online B2B portal serving as a central point for partners of the sport to find exclusive content, assets and information. The site has continuously evolved based on user input to create an exclusive and unique value-added component for NASCAR’s official partners.
“It’s an honor to have received recognition for programs designed to create an exciting and consistent presentation of our sport married to the excitement associated with NASCAR racing,” said Steve Phelps, Chief Marketing Officer, NASCAR. “We are very proud of the work being done by NASCAR’s brand and consumer marketing professionals along with our creative agencies, Jump Company and Lead Dog Marketing Group.”
Several NASCAR partners were also recognized for their NASCAR programs.
· Sprint and Goodby, Silverstein & Partners received top honors in both Interactive Consumer Marketing and Interactive Brand/Sponsor Integration for the Sprint NASCAR Widget site.
· Turner Sports was awarded Gold honors for Interactive Consumer Marketing/Best Use of Digital Non-Linear marketing for NASCAR.COM Duel RaceBuddy, and took home a Silver award for “Affiliate and Trade Marketing/Advertising” for NASCAR.COM RaceBuddy 3D – Daytona.
· DIRECTV, Inc. won Silver honors for Consumer Marketing – Print Poster, Outdoor and Out of Home in the Linear/Long Form/Sports News & Analysis Programming Promotion for NASCAR HotPass Bookmark.
Credits for the NASCAR Awards:
CATEGORY: TEAM PROMOTION (COLLEGIATE & LEAGUE SPORTS)
Outstanding Overall Marketing Campaign - Integrated

GOLD HONORS: NASCAR - Everything Else Is Just A Game, NASCAR with Jump Company
CREDITS
Managing Director: Jim Obermeyer, NASCAR
Director: Christi Moll, NASCAR
Manager: Meredith Chevalier, NASCAR
Account Director: Jon Tiede, Jump Company
Account Manager: Kathy Blumfelder, Jump Company
Creative Director: Bob Harris, Jump Company
Creative Director: Mike Conway, Jump Company
Associate Creative Director: John Ruebush, Jump Company
Art Director: Mike Thomas, Jump Company
Producer: Mark Dickmann, Jump Company
Producer: Michael Windler, Jump Company
Production Company: Jeff Rohrer, Bandito Brothers
Production Company: Peter Nydrle, Nydrle Films

CATEGORY: EVENTS & EXPERIENTAL
Best Consumer Based Experience Activation Event
GOLD HONORS: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Victory Lap, NASCAR with LeadDog Marketing Group, Inc.
CREDITS
Production Company: Rob Hagedorn, LeadDog Marketing Group
Production Company: Karen Ashnault, LeadDog Marketing Group
Managing Director: Jim Obermeyer, NASCAR
Director: Stephen Sweeney, NASCAR
Account Manager: Manny Poveda, NASCAR
CATEGORY: BRAND INTEGRATIED MARKETING
SILVER HONORS: NASCARpartners.com, NASCAR
CREDITS
Director: Stephen Sweeney, NASCAR
Manager: Ann Floreal, NASCAR
(NASCAR)(11-28-2010)

Aflac Motorsports Journalism Awards of Excellence: Aflac and Charlotte Motor Speedway are proud to continue the tradition of recognizing the best in motorsports media with the 26th Annual Aflac Motorsports Journalism Awards of Excellence in honor of Russ Catlin. The 2010 awards will be presented during the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway in January 2011. The awards are presented to individuals who capture the passion, excitement and compelling stories of motorsports through distinguished journalism.
Aflac Motorsports Journalism Awards of Excellence winners receive a special plaque to commemorate their achievements along with a $1,000 scholarship to the school of their choice, funded by Aflac. As in years past, professors and faculty from the Indiana University School of Journalism provide an independent review of all entries to determine the winners.
The categories for the 2010 Aflac Motorsports Journalism Awards of Excellence are:
· Writing entries for daily newspapers
· Writing entries for other forms of written media (Internet, weekly, etc.)
· Broadcast entries for local radio and television
· Broadcast entries for national radio and television
· Photojournalism entries
Any type of motorsports coverage from the 2010 season is eligible. Entries dated from any other year or season will not be accepted. Judges will review each submission closely and base their decision on the quality of work and its representation of excellence in motorsports journalism. The Aflac Motorsports Journalism Awards of Excellence accepts and encourages all types of motorsports racing media coverage. It is NOT limited specifically to NASCAR. Entries must be postmarked by December 3, 2010. Entry forms and official rules can be downloaded at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/aflacaward.(CMS)(11-5-2010)

Jr. Johnson & Economaki among those to be honored by NCMA: The North Carolina Motorsports Association ("NCMA") announced that legendary driver and team owner Junior Johnson will be the 2011 Achievement in Motorsports Tribute Award recipient. Johnson will be honored on January 21st, 2011 at the NCMA's 5th Annual Motorsports Industry Awards Banquet. Past recipients have included Benny Parsons (2007), Richard Petty (2008), Richard Childress (2009) and Dale Earnhardt (2010).
Chris Economaki, another legend in the racing industry, was selected to receive the NCMA's first ever Motorsports Media Recognition Award. Economaki wrote his first column for National Speed Sport News at age 14, a publication he eventually owned. Born October 15, 1920 Economaki has worked as a commentator, pit road reporter, and journalist, earning him the title "The Dean of American Motorsports". When the NCMA's awards banquet committee determined it would include a media award into the program, Chris Economaki was a clear choice.
The NCMA also announced seven companies ranging from tracks, education, media, suppliers and manufacturers that will be recognized at the upcoming banquet for their contributions to the motorsports industry in North Carolina. The following organizations will receive Motorsports Industry Awards at the NCMA's banquet in January: North Wilkesboro Speedway, Winston Salem State University Motorsports Management Program, NASCAR Media Group, US Legend Cars International, Piedmont Racing Expo, Essex Parts Services and Goodridge USA. The announcements were made during the NCMA's Annual Membership Luncheon held at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, NC.(NCMA PR)(11-17-2010)

Jim Hunter honored with Jim Chapman Award: Jim Hunter, NASCAR’s vice president of corporate communications who died Oct. 30, today was announced as winner of the 2010 Jim Chapman Award for excellence in motorsports public relations.
The Chapman Award is considered by many in the industry as the highest honor in racing public relations. It is named in memory of Chapman, the legendary PR executive and innovator, who worked with Babe Ruth and was named Indy Car racing’s “most influential man” of the 1980s. Chapman died in 1996 at age 80.
The announcement was made before the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway by Michael Knight, chairman of the selection committee, and one of Chapman’s closest friends. The award is determined by vote of media members, most of whom knew Chapman, and is authorized by the Chapman family. PR representatives from all forms of motorsports are eligible for consideration. Knight said the committee selected Hunter for the honor a few weeks before his death.
“We had hoped to make this presentation in December, as part of NASCAR’s Champion’s Week celebration in Las Vegas,” said Knight, the longtime journalist/publicist. “In several important ways, Jim Hunter’s career mirrored that of Jim Chapman’s. Most importantly, both deeply believed in the ‘old-school’ approach to working with the media – that it was essential to build one-on-one relationships with journalists. That’s too often missing today, but both Jims understood the value of actually talking to people and getting to know them, and that having those professional relationships best served their clients.”
Hunter’s career as a journalist and PR professional spanned portions of six decades. He was the Columbia Record sports editor, writer at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and author of several books. He began in PR in the 1960s with Dodge’s racing programs before stints as PR director at both Darlington Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway. He joined NASCAR as vice president of administration in 1983. In 1993, Hunter was named president of Darlington Raceway and corporate VP of International Speedway Corp. He returned to NASCAR as VP of corporate communications in 2001. He died of cancer at age 71.
Chapman started as sports editor or managing editor of several Southern newspapers before joining the New York Times. He served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. He entered the PR business in 1946, as regional PR director for Ford Motor Co. in Detroit. Soon thereafter, Chapman hired Ruth as consultant to the automaker’s sponsorship of American Legion Junior Baseball. They traveled together for more than two years for personal appearances and became close friends. Chapman was one of only three friends at Ruth’s bedside when he died in August 1948. In 1950, Chapman left Ford to start his own PR firm. One of his first clients was Avis founder Warren Avis. Chapman devoted much of his time to financial PR, which he once called his “favorite form of PR,” and helped companies get recognition among analysts and even gain admission to the New York and American stock exchanges. Chapman’s first venture into motorsports was in 1951, when he joined with NASCAR founder Bill France to promote the Motor City 250. The race was part of Detroit’s 250th birthday celebration, a Chapman client. In 1967, Chapman entered Indy Car racing with client Ozzie Olson’s Olsonite sponsorship of Dan Gurney’s team, which later featured Bobby Unser as driver.
“Jim was one of the most innovative and imaginative PR men ever to grace a pit lane,” said Gurney. “Jim practically invented most of what is now considered routine sponsor PR work. He was the first, as far as I know, who thought of putting up a sponsor hospitality tent alongside a racetrack (at the old Riverside Raceway), filling it with extravagant race car ice-sculptures, beautiful food and beautiful people from the business, sports and movie industries. He started an ‘open house’ tradition in Ozzie’s hotel suite in Indianapolis, where journalists could rub shoulders with John Wayne or (astronaut) Scott Carpenter.”
Chapman also coordinated Olsonite’s sponsorship of the Driver of the Year award, orchestrating an annual luncheon at New York City’s famed ‘21’ Club.
Chapman’s greatest professional acclaim came from 1981-1992, as director of CART series sponsor PPG Industries’ program. Chapman was instrumental in raising PPG’s prize fund from $250,000 to more than $3.75 million at the time of his retirement in February 1993. The all-female PPG Pace Car Driving Team was another Chapman innovation, as were the PPG Editor’s Days, when he brought business and feature writers to the tracks for lunch, pace car rides, and driver interviews.
Indy Car Racing magazine named Chapman the sports’s “most influential” man of the 1980s, saying he turned “a public relations assignment into an art form.” After his retirement, Chapman continued to consult PPG, and agreed to Mario Andretti’s personal request that he serve as honorary chairman of Andretti’s “Arrivederci, Mario” farewell tour in 1994.
“The true honor of the award is not the plaque,” said Knight. “The true honor is having your name forever associated with that of the great James P. Chapman.”
PREVIOUS JIM CHAPMAN AWARD HONOREES:
1991 – Michael Knight
1992 – Tom Blattler
1993-94 – Deke Houlgate and Hank Ives
1995 – Kathi Lauterbach
1996 – Marc Spiegel
1997 – Mike Zizzo
1998 – Tamy Valkosky
1999-2003 – (Award not presented)
2004 – Doug Stokes
2005 – Susan Arnold
2006 – Kevin Kennedy
2007 – Dave Densmore and Bob Carlson
2008 – Judy Stropus
2009 – (Award not presented)(11-14-2010)

5th Annual SPEED Performace Awards: As the SPEED Performance Awards roll into its fifth year, SPEED is updating the interactive fan-voting Web page with social media hooks and sharing functionality, along with an optimized video player that can be seen on iDevices and Android mobile devices. “The SPEED Performance Awards continue to be a great way to capture the extreme emotions race fans go through over the course of a season,” said SPEED President Hunter Nickell. “All of the hold-your-breath, edge-of-your-seat, laugh-out-loud moments packaged together … and the fans get to pick their favorites.”
Highlighted by the prestigious panel-voted SPEED Performer of the Year and the presentation of the Mario Andretti Trophy, the 5th Annual SPEED Performance Awards offer nine categories for voting exclusively by viewers and race fans: Best Finish, Best Move, Biggest Comeback, Best Rivalry, Biggest Upset, Biggest Hit, Temper, Temper, Oops Award and RACER Magazine Rookie of the Year. Fan voting opens Nov. 22 with the television special scheduled for February. The SPEED Performance Awards debuted in 2006, with SPEED combining on-line video elements, fan voting, SPEED expertise and support from multiple motor sports sanctioning bodies and media partners. The culminating one-hour awards show first aired in February of 2007.(SPEED)(11-13-2010)

Home Depot & NMPA team up again: The Home Depot and the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) will once again team up in 2010 to present the Home Depot NMPA Humanitarian Award. This is the fourth year the award is being presented and the winner of the award will be announced during the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brother Awards luncheon in Las Vegas. The award recognizes an individual in the NASCAR community that has displayed a dedication to helping others and improving communities through their service and giving. The winner will receive a $100,000 cash donation made by The Home Depot to the recipient's charity of choice and a specially-designed crystal award. Two finalists will each receive $25,000 cash donations to their designated non-profit organizations.(JGR)(9-7-2010)

Aflac Motorsports Journalism Awards of Excellence Winners Announced: In a ceremony held Tuesday afternoon, five motorsports journalists were awarded the Russ Catlin Award during the 25th annual Aflac Motorsports Journalism Awards. Nate Ryan from USA Today was the top pick in the writing-daily category with his entry "NASCAR Rooted in Fossil Fuels, Turns Over New Green Leaf" (scholarship to Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism). In the writing-other division, ESPN.com's David Newton (Chesterfield High School; Chesterfield, SC) took home the award with "Martin Wouldn't Change His Tough Days." Bonnie Larkin's Columbia University) entry "Science of a Wreck," which aired on ESPN, won her the broadcast-national category award. In the broadcast-local division, Brian Tetzler of KWGN/KDVR in Denver, Colo., took home the award for his entry "Making the Race." The winner of the photojournalism category was David Moulthrop from Gator News with his picture titled "Taking Flight." The Aflac Motorsports Journalism Awards of Excellence recognize superior motorsports coverage in five categories, including daily and other writing, local and national broadcast, and photojournalism - while honoring the memory of Russ Catlin, a motorsports journalism pioneer. More than 120 entries were submitted this year, making it one of the most competitive seasons to date. Keeping with tradition, the Indiana University School of Journalism judged the entries. Winners received a trophy and $1,000 scholarship from Aflac in their names to the schools of their choice.(Charlotte Motor Speedway Sprint Media Tour Notes)(1-20-2010)

Four NASCAR Greats honored by the NMPA: Rusty Wallace, Roger Penske, Jack Roush and Robert Yates were inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame Saturday night [Jan. 16th]. They are four of the most recognizable names in NASCAR and were among the sport’s most successful competitors during the 1980s and ’90s.
Wallace burst onto the scene in 1984 and won the 1989 championship with car owner Raymond Beadle. It was with Penske, though, that he became a superstar, winning 10 races in 1993, eight in 1994 and battling Dale Earnhardt for the championship throughout the early- and mid-1990s.
Roush was one of most successful team owners in sports-car racing before moving to NASCAR in 1988 with driver Mark Martin. He has fielded some of the most successful Cup teams and drivers of the past two decades, bringing such stars as Martin, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards to the sport. He won championships in 2003 and 2004 with Kenseth and Busch.
Yates, a master engine builder who invested his life savings into a Cup team for young driver Davey Allison in 1989. Ironically, Yates said he chose Allison over Wallace for his first driver. Yates went on to win the Daytona 500 three times as a car owner and won the 1999 Cup championship with Dale Jarrett before turning his operation over to his son, Doug, in 2007.(in part from SceneDaily)(1-17-2010)

Johnson wins Al Holbert Memorial Award: the Eastern Motorsport Press Association has voted four-tine Sprint Cup Champ, Jimmie Johnson, the Al Holbert Memorial National Driver of the Year. EMPA is made up of members who are journalists, photographers and broadcasters that cover motorsports on a regular basis. Johnson will have his award presented at the annual EMPA Convention being presented at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center in Trevose, PA, January 15 thru 17th. The presentation will take place during the NASCAR/EMPA Hall of Fame Dinner. Other events in the area include: Motorsports 2010 Race Car & Trade Show on Jan 22-24 and the Atlantic City Indoor Races on Jan 29-30.
Joining Johnson as recipients of special awards from the EMPA will be Richie Evans Memorial Northeast Driver of the Year Ted Christopher; T. Wayne Robertson Memorial Newsmaker Award winner Wall Stadium promoter Jim Morton; Junie Donlavey Spirit of the Sport Award winner NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour competitor Wade Cole; along with John Blewett III Young Guns Presented by New England Racing Fuels Award winner Ryan Truex.
Four new members will be inducted in the Eastern Motorsport Press Association Hall of Fame. One of the true legends in dirt modified racing, Freddy Adam tops the list of inductees along with sprint car legend Steve Smith, Western Pennsylvania sprint car and super modified legend Lou Blaney and one of the founding partners of the weekly trade newspaper Gater Racing News Norm Patrick.
Long time Pocono Raceway public relations person Bob Pleban will be honored with the Art McHugh Memorial in recognition of his many years of support of the EMPA.( southjerseydirtracing.com)(12-30-2009)

Kulwicki family's gifts gain recognition: Alan Kulwicki's family has been recognized through the NMPA's Speedway Motorsports Spirit Award for recent gifts to two universities. The family has committed nearly $1.9 million to support engineering education at UNC Charlotte through a trust fund established by the late driver's stepmother, Thelma H. Kulwicki. The money will support student scholarships and a new motorsports engineering facility on campus. The family of NASCAR’s 1992 Cup champion also contributed nearly $630,000 to his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The gift will be used for scholarships and to help establish the Alan Kulwicki Memorial Student Center.
Also receiving fourth-quarter votes from members of the National Motorsports Press Association were Jeff Gordon, Sam Hornish Jr., and 11-year-old R.J. Fink of Ross County, Ohio, who donated his go-kart winnings to Denny Hamlin’s foundation. Charlotte Observer writer David Poole was recognized posthumously through the group's first-quarter vote. Jeff Kerr, a jackman at Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, was honored in the second quarter. Tony Stewart was the third-quarter recipient.(Charlotte Observer)(12-16-2009)

Hendrick honored with Bill France Award of Excellence: Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports was honored with the Bill France Award of Excellence at the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony. The award was presented to Hendrivk by Betty Jane France, wife of the late Bill France Jr., who guided the sport from 1971-2003. “I wasn’t expecting this one,” Hendrick said during his acceptance speech at the Wynn Las Vegas. “This award means so much to me because of the relationship I had with Bill France and the respect I had for him.” The award is not handed out annually by the France family, which has owned and operated NASCAR for 61 years. Named for NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., the award is presented when the NASCAR leadership believes someone is worthy of the recognition for contributions to the sport. “NASCAR has had many iconic figures throughout its rich history, and Rick Hendrick certainly falls into that category,” Betty Jane France said. “Through the years, he has not only won our respect but our hearts as well.” Hendrick did not know that Betty Jane France was at the banquet and the award was not listed in the agenda for the evening that celebrated Jimmie Johnson’s fourth consecutive title in a season where Hendrick drivers swept the top three spots in the standings. “I’ve never seen him where he’s in a position where he couldn’t say what was on his mind,” Johnson said after the ceremony. “It really got him. … For a minute there, I thought he was going to need to sit down and start over and come back to the podium. It’s amazing. It means so much to Rick because of his friendship with Bill. I could only imagine how much that means to him. And then this year, you look at the 1-2-3 and all the success. You roll it all up in one, he’s going to remember 2009 forever.”(SceneDaily)(12-6-2009)

Sporting News' Driver and Crew Chief Of The Year named: #48-Jimmie Johnson, the first driver in Sprint Cup Series history to win four consecutive championships, is the Sporting News driver of the year, the magazine announced today. Chad Knaus, Johnson’s crew chief since Johnson became a full-time Cup driver in 2002, was voted the top crew chief. The voting was done by Sprint Cup drivers, crew chiefs and owners. Besides the four championships, Johnson and Knaus have combined for 47 Cup wins in 291 starts, a 16.2 winning percentage that ranks Johnson sixth all time.(Sporting News)(12-5-2009)

Barney Hall recipient of the 2009 NMPA Myers Brothers Award: MRN Radio’s Barney Hall, known to generations of NASCAR fans for his distinctive delivery and storytelling, is the recipient of the 2009 NMPA Myers Brothers Award. The award, named in honor of former NASCAR competitors Billy and Bobby Myers, was presented Thursday in Las Vegas in conjunction with tonight’s Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony – which will be broadcast live on MRN, with Hall and Joe Moore anchoring the coverage. Hall was recognized for a lifetime of achievement in radio broadcasting. He recently completed his 51st year covering stock car racing. He was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame in 2007 and also has an award named for him that recognizes outstanding work in the field of radio broadcasting. “Despite all of NASCAR’s changes through the years, Barney Hall remains one of the sport’s constants,’’ said NMPA President Dustin Long. “Barney is a regular Sunday visitor to many fans. He takes them to the track, describes the scene and shares unique stories about their racing heroes. He works with a grace and style that earns the respect of many.”
Voted on each year by members of the NMPA, the Myers Brothers Award recognizes individuals and/or groups that have provided outstanding contributions to the sport of stock car racing. Mark Martin, runner-up in this year’s Chase for the Sprint Cup, and the late David Poole of The Charlotte Observer also were finalists.(MRN Radio)(12-4-2009)

Dale Inman Named 2009 Buddy Shuman Award Winner: Dale Inman, among the foremost crew chiefs in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history, collected one of NASCAR’s most prestigious and longest-running awards today in Las Vegas. Inman received the Buddy Shuman Award during the 2009 NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards. Presented since 1957, the award annually recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to NASCAR racing. It honors the late Buddy Shuman, a pioneering NASCAR driver who died in a hotel fire in November 1955. “Dale is one of the first crew chiefs I worked for and remains a true trailblazer for that position,” said NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton. “He’s a major reason and inspiration behind many of the current talented people working in the NASCAR Sprint Cup garage.” Inman, Richard Petty’s first cousin, was responsible for eight NASCAR Sprint Cup championships – one more than his famous relative, also a Buddy Shuman Award winner. The 73-year-old Inman, from Level Cross, N.C., won 298 races. His victory total boasted 27 wins – and 10 straight – in 1967. Inman won NASCAR Sprint Cup titles with Petty in 1964, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975 and 1979. His final championship came with Terry Labonte in 1984.
Petty once described his cousin as the sport’s first official crew chief. Inman and brothers Richard and Maurice Petty began working on father Lee Petty’s cars during after-school hours and on weekends in the 1940s and 50s. When the younger Petty began racing, Inman was assigned engine-building duties and later became crew chief for Petty Enterprises. He was responsible for 192 of the team’s victories. From 1986 through Petty’s retirement in 1992, Inman handled the business side of Petty Enterprises. Inman worked with the team’s drivers in a consulting role until his retirement in 1998. Away from the track, Inman played an integral role in helping the Petty family launch the Victory Junction which enriches the lives of chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses.(NASCAR)(12-4-2009)

Tim Booth wins Home Depot NMPA 2009 Humanitarian Award: Michigan International Speedway’s Director of Guest Services Tim Booth was selected as the winner of the Humanitarian Award ahead of NASCAR drivers Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle, who were also finalists. For receiving the prestigious honor from The Home Depot and National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA), Booth will receive $100,000 that will be donated on his behalf to the Spirit of America Blood Drive. Booth, Stewart and Biffle were recognized during the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brother Awards program in Las Vegas on Thursday. Stewart and Biffle will be awarded $25,000 for their respective charities for being named as finalists.
“Just to have been nominated is truly a great honor, and I am humbled,” Booth said. “The reality is this award is not about any one, single nominee or finalist, but rather about donating one’s time for a cause that you believe in – any amount of time and any cause will do. It’s about giving, isn’t it? So thank you to Home Depot and the NMPA for this great honor, and thank you for supporting my charity. Greg, Tony and I are all winners on our charities’ behalves.”
Booth was nominated for the Humanitarian Award for his efforts in making the Spirit of America Blood Drive at MIS the nation’s largest 9-11 blood drive event. The Spirit of America has collected a grand total of 6,213 units of blood, potentially benefiting 18,639 people since its inception in 2002. (Each unit of blood can be transfused to up to three people.) Booth has made countless efforts to support various non-profit organizations in his community, but none as much as the Great Lakes Region of the American Red Cross. His creation of the Spirit of America Blood Drive, which began at MIS in 2002, was a way to honor the victims and heroes of September 11, 2001. The blood drive’s success caught the eye of the NASCAR Foundation, which has since created the NASCAR Foundation Blood & Marrow Drive, which is hosted at 30 race tracks across the country on September 11. Booth is also a regular blood donor who has personally given blood 146 times, which amounts to more than 18 gallons in his lifetime. The NMPA Home Depot Humanitarian Award was established in 2007.(MIS)(12-4-2009)

Sporting News announces some NASCAR honors: Joey Logano, at 19, the youngest driver to win a Sprint Cup Series race, is the Sporting News rookie of the year, the magazine announced today. Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick is owner of the year, and Mark Martin is the 2009 Dale Earnhardt Tough Driver. The top driver and crew chief will be announced Thursday. All five awards were voted on by Sprint Cup drivers, crew chiefs and owners.(Sporting News)(12-2-2009)

Vote for SPEED Performance Awards: Fan voting opened recently for three more categories for the 4th Annual SPEED Performance Awards. Video candidates for Best Finish, Temper-Temper and Biggest Upset are now available for viewing and voting at www.speedperformanceawards.com, with the final three categories set to open Dec. 7.
Voting schedule (All categories will remain open for fan voting through Dec. 20):
* Oops, Biggest Hit and Best Move opened Nov. 23
* Best Finish, Temper-Temper and Biggest Upset opened Nov. 30
* Best Rivalry, Biggest Comeback and Rookie of the Year opens Dec. 7
Winners will be revealed as part of a one-hour television special in February.(12-1-2009)

Donlavey to be honored with award: The Tim Sullivan Memorial of Excellence award for 2010, from the Motor Racing Heritage Association, goes to Junie Donlavey. Donlavey is noted for his many contributions for many decades as a car owner [#90 Ford most of the time, 45 years and 863 starts]. Donlavey also helped start many driver Sprint Cup careers, including Bobby Hillin Jr, Jody Ridley, Ken Schrader, James Hylton, Ramo Stott and Robby Gordon. Ridley won the first Sprint Cup race [and only] for Donlavey in the 1981 Mason-Dixon 500 at Dover International Speedway. Donlavey is retired now and living where has always hailed from in Richmond, VA. The Motor Racing Heritage lifetime achievement award goes to Bob Coolidge, the vice president of the Living Legends of Auto Racing who has been involved in racing for many years.
The Tim Sullivan Award of Excellence will be presented to Junie Donlavey at the LLOAR Banquet on February 10, 2010 at the Plaza Resort and Spa in Daytona Beach.(11-29-2009)

Aflac and LMS to honor motorsports media: Aflac and Lowe’s Motor Speedway will once again honor the best in motorsports media with the annual Motorsports Journalism Awards of Excellence in honor of Russ Catlin. The 2009 Awards will be presented during the Lowe’s Motor Speedway Media Tour in January 2010. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Catlin Awards, which were created in honor of motorsports media pioneer Russ Catlin. The Awards are presented to individuals who capture the passion, excitement and compelling stories of motorsports through distinguished journalism. Russ Catlin Award winners receive a special plaque to commemorate their achievement along with a $1,000 scholarship to the school of their choice, paid by Aflac. As in years past, professors and faculty from the Indiana University School of Journalism provide an independent review of all entries to determine the winners.
The categories for the 2009 Aflac Motorsports Journalism Awards of Excellence are:
* Writing entries for daily newspapers
* Writing entries for other forms of written media (internet, weekly, etc.)
* Broadcast entries for local radio and television
* Broadcast entries for national radio and television
* Photojournalism entries
Entries must be postmarked by December 4, 2009. More info at lowesmotorspeedway.com/aflacaward.(Breaking Limits)(11-13-2009)

Sporting News' NASCAR Athlete of the Decade: the Sporting News choices for seven athletes of the decade--one in each sport they cover--sparked some intense debate. Three consecutive Cup championships form a pretty good basis for arguing Jimmie Johnson over two-time champ Tony Stewart. The results:
Athlete of the decade: Jimmie Johnson over Tony Stewart
Crew chief of the decade: Chad Knaus
Team of the decade: Hendrick Motorsports
Race of the decade: 2001 Daytona 500, won by Michael Waltrip.(Sporting News)(9-29-2009)

David Poole to be honored by Gaston HoF: David Poole, the late motorsports writer and broadcaster, will be among those honored by the Gaston County Sports Hall of Fame on Monday [Sept 21st]. The David Poole Service Award will go to longtime youth baseball coach Mack Hanna. Hanna’s son, Mark, will accept the award from UNC-Chapel Hill women’s basketball coach Sylvia Hatchell. Poole, a Charlotte Observer and ThatsRacin.com writer, grew up in West Gastonia and played on teams coached by Hanna, the award’s first recipient. The hall, in its 25th year, also will salute a leading supporter of the county’s sports programs with its annual Bennie Cunningham Fan of the Year Award and induct four men. They are longtime golf broadcaster John Derr, Clemson golf coach Larry Penley, former amateur golf champion Charlie Smith and former Virginia Union basketball coach Dave Robbins. Broadcaster Mark Packer, who played college golf with Penley, will be the keynote speaker.(Charlotte Observer) and see a nice article posted by NASCAR Scribe Monte Dutton at NASCAR This Week..(9-20-2009)

Richard Petty to be honored at Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance: The Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance Foundation, Inc. announced that NASCAR legend Richard Petty will be the honoree at the 15th annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance, scheduled for March 12-14, 2010 at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island and The Golf Club of Amelia Island at Summer Beach. Petty will serve as the key note speaker at the Concours' annual Gala Dinner Saturday, March 13, 2010. In addition to Petty's presence, this year's Concours will honor the 40th anniversary of Porsche's inaugural victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona and Le Mans and showcase a number of influential 917s, a model that is widely considered to be one of the most significant racecars of the modern era. This year's Amelia will also honor Sir Stirling Moss, OBE and the 50th Anniversary of Moss' victory in the last Cuban Grand Prix. The Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance is one of the nation's most innovative vintage auto events featuring over 250 rare classics from seldom-seen private collections nationwide. For more information, visit ameliaconcours.org.(Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance)(8-12-2009)

Johnson wins an ESPY: #48-Jimmie Johnson won the ESPY as Driver of the Year. Johnson beat out 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Kyle Busch, four-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday Jr., 2009 IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti and six-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher. New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was chosen male athlete over Johnson, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Albert Pujols. Johnson has won the last three Driver of the Year ESPY's, with Jeff Gordon winning in 2007.(ESPN)(7-15-2010)

Johnson Nominated For Best Male Athlete At 2010 ESPYS: Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is one of five superstar athletes to be nominated for the Best Male Athlete Award at the 2010 ESPYS, set for July 14 in Los Angeles. The reigning Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year will vie for the honor with Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees, five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant, two-time NBA MVP LeBron James and three-time MLB National League MVP Albert Pujols. Johnson is also one of the Best Driver nominees along with 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Kyle Busch, four-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday Jr., 2009 IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti and six-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher. Fans will determine the winners in 37 categories (except the Arthur Ashe Courage Award and other special awards) by voting online and by phone. For more information, go to espn.com/espys.(6-26-2010)

Stewart Announces 2011 ‘Stewie Award’ Winners on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio: Winners of the fifth annual ‘Stewie Awards’ were announced last night by 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart live on Sirius XM Radio and in front of a studio audience at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The ‘Stewie Award’ winners were decided by fans who voted for the best, boldest and funniest moments of the NASCAR season. Listeners around the country tuned in to experience the event live on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90 on Sirius and XM Premier (formerly known as “The Best of Sirius”). ‘The Stewies’ will be rebroadcast on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio several times over the coming weeks, including this Saturday, Dec. 3 (3:00 pm/et) and Sunday, Dec. 4 (6:00 pm/et).
Guests on last night's program included: NASCAR President Mike Helton, Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, auto racing legends A.J. Foyt and Leonard Wood, and celebrities Jerry Springer and Robin Leach. Video highlights of the event are available now at siriusxm.com/stewieawards.

The winners of the 2011 ‘Stewie Awards’ are:

Best Original Drama – For the year’s most dramatic moment or sequence.
Tony Stewart overcomes pit road issues, debris damage, a lengthy red flag and down-to-the-wire challenge from Carl Edwards to win season finale Ford 400 at Homestead. Smoke has to climb his way to the front of the field twice and he and Edwards trade lead several times. The 1-2 finish leaves them tied in points but tie-breaker, and championship, goes to Stewart.

Bonehead Move of the Year Award
JJ Yeley pushes Matt Kenseth when #17 runs out of gas at Geico 400 at Chicagoland but, since it is illegal to receive assistance on final lap, Kenseth is dropped from 8th to 21st place finish.

“Feels Like The First Time” Award – For the most notable “first” of the NASCAR season.
On the day after his 20th birthday, Trevor Bayne wins Daytona 500 in his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start.

Best Vocal Performance – For the year’s most memorable quote. (Visit www.siriusxm.com/stewieawards to hear audio.)
Pastor Joe Nelms of Family Baptist Church in Lebanon, TN, channels his inner “Ricky Bobby” during the pre-race invocation for the Federated Auto Parts 300 at Nashville.

Best “Driver2Crew Chatter” – (Visit www.siriusxm.com/stewieawards to hear audio.)
The #88 crew helps Dale Earnhardt Jr. mark his pit stall in the STP 400 at Kansas.

Best Original Comedy – For the year’s most entertaining “incident.”
Thinking Greg Biffle was racing dirty in the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen, Boris Said requests a “meeting” with “The Biff” after the race. In the ensuing encounter, Biffle takes a swing at Said and Said answers back with verbal TKO.

Hal Needham Award (Best Stunt Sequence) – For the year’s most remarkable crash.
At the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen, David Ragan hits wall at 100 mph. Ragan then hits David Reutimann who cartwheels into Turn 2 fence. Everyone emerges safely.

‘Boys, Have At It” Award – For the year’s most memorable on- or off-track bumping and/or dumping.
Nearing the checkered flag in the Good Sam Club 500 at Talladega, Jeff Gordon gets dumped by his tandem draft partner, Trevor Bayne, for another Ford driver. Gordon goes from being a contender to win to finishing 27th, 12 spots behind Bayne.

The Social Stewie Award – For the year’s best social media quote.
· Matt Kenseth via Twitter after his wife’s “Better Half Dash” practice injury. @matt_kenseth17: “Katie is feeling pretty good today, and I got to learn something new…how to put a bra ON!”

“Stewie” Lifetime Achievement Award – Chosen by Stewart and Yocum, this award was presented to Leonard Wood.

Stewart won his third NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title after a remarkable postseason run that saw him win five of the 10 races in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. His down-to-the-wire battle with Carl Edwards created one of the most exciting finishes in NASCAR history, as Stewart overcame early-race troubles and held off Edwards to win the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway and claim the crown. In just his third year as a driver/owner with Stewart-Haas Racing, Stewart becomes the first driver/owner to win a championship since Alan Kulwicki did it in 1992. He was the last driver to win the championship before Jimmie Johnson went on his historic five year title run. SiriusXM is the Official Satellite Radio Partner of NASCAR, broadcasting every NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race live on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90, the only radio channel dedicated to NASCAR 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.(Sirius PR)(12-2-2001)

Tony Stewart to Present Annual 'Stewie Awards': Tony Stewart will host the fifth annual 'Stewie Awards' show on Thursday, December 1, live from Las Vegas on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The 'Stewies,' which features Stewart's entertaining and irreverent take on the best, boldest and funniest moments from the 2011 NASCAR season, will be awarded during a live broadcast hosted by Stewart and Matt Yocum from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Thursday, December 1 (9:30 pm ET / 6:30 pm PT). The live broadcast will air nationwide on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90 on Sirius and XM Premier (formerly known as "The Best of Sirius"), there is NO TV coverage, this is a radio event. The broadcast will be open to the public for fans in Las Vegas. Fans can vote for the 'Stewie Award' winners online at www.siriusxm.com/stewieawards.
The 2011 'Stewies' categories are:
Best Original Drama - For the year's most dramatic moment or sequence.
Bonehead Move of the Year Award
"Feels Like The First Time" Award - For the most notable "first" of the NASCAR season.
Best Vocal Performance - For the year's most memorable quote.
Best "Driver2Crew Chatter"
Best Original Comedy - For the year's most entertaining "incident."
Hal Needham Award (Best Stunt Sequence) - For the year's most remarkable crash.
'Boys, Have At It" Award - For the year's most memorable on- or off-track bumping and/or dumping.
The Social Stewie Award - For the year's best social media quote.
Golden Stewie Award
"Stewie" Lifetime Achievement Award
(Sirius PR)(12-1-2001)

Tony Stewart's 'Stewie Awards' announced: Winners of the fourth annual ‘Stewie Awards’ were announced Thursday by Tony Stewart on SIRIUS XM Radio and in front of a live audience at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The 2010 ‘Stewie Award’ winners were decided by fans who voted for the best, boldest and funniest moments of the NASCAR season. Listeners around the country tuned in to experience the event live on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, channel 128 for SIRIUS subscribers and XM subscribers with the “Best of SIRIUS” programming package. “The Stewies” will be rebroadcast on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio on Friday, Dec. 3 (7:00 pm/et), Saturday, Dec. 4 (5:00 pm/et) and Sunday, Dec. 5 (3:00 pm/et). Guests included: 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson, who captured the title for an unprecedented fifth straight year, Chase drivers Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick, owners Chip Ganassi and DeLana Harvick, Ford Martin and celebrity Robin Leach. Video highlights of the event are available at www.sirius.com/nascar. Winners in 10 categories, including “Best Original Drama,” “Best Driver2Crew Chatter,” “Best Vocal Performance” and others were honored.
The winners of the 2010 ‘Stewie Awards’ are:
Golden Stewie Award – Selected by Stewart and co-host Matt Yocum and honoring a legendary figure from the Golden Era of racing, this year’s award went to former NASCAR owner, stuntman and film producer/director Hal Needham.
“Stewie” Lifetime Achievement Award – Selected by Stewart and Yocum, this award was given to the late Jim Hunter, NASCAR’s former VP of corporate communications who passed away in October. The award was accepted during tonight’s event by Hunter’s son, Scott.
Best Original Drama – Honoring the year’s most dramatic moment or sequence.
* Clint Bowyer wins the Sylvania 300 at Loudon on Sep. 19 but later loses win after failing an inspection for being 1/16th of an inch too high on left rear. The loss costs the #33 team a shot at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title.
Hal Needham Award (Best Stunt Sequence) – For the year’s most spectacular crash
* During Sonoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono, Elliott Sadler plows head first into SAFER barrier wall in one of the hardest impacts ever recorded by NASCAR. As a result of numerous safety improvements made in the sport, Sadler was not injured.
Best Original Comedy – Honoring the year’s most entertaining “incident.”
* Joey Logano rips Kevin Harvick to reporters at Pocono saying, “His wife wears the firesuit in the family and tells him what to do.” (In Logano’s absence, this award was presented tonight to DeLana Harvick)
Bonehead Move of the Year Award
* Denny Hamlin puts a proven, three-win car into the wall during his victory burnout at Pocono on Jun. 6.
“Feels Like The First Time” Award – For the most notable “first” of the NASCAR season.
* Chip Ganassi becomes the first owner to win the “Trifecta” – Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400 – in the same year.
‘Boys, Have At It” Award
* At Atlanta on March 3, Carl Edwards “pays back” Brad Keselowski and ends up flipping Keselowski’s car onto its roof.
Best Driver2Crew Chatter Exchange – Acknowledging the year’s most memorable driver-to-pit crew communication
* Kyle Busch expresses his displeasure at Jimmie Johnson not letting him pass at Martinsville on Oct. 24.
Best Vocal Performance – Honoring the year’s most memorable quote
* Kevin Harvick shares his post-race thoughts on the #48 team’s luck at Fontana on Feb. 21.
More info on the awards and the list of nominee's at www.sirius.com/stewieawards.
SIRIUS XM is the Official Satellite Radio Partner of NASCAR, broadcasting every NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race live on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, channel 128, the only radio channel dedicated to NASCAR 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.(Sirius)(12-3-2010)

Tony Stewart's ‘Stewie Awards’ return (2010): SIRIUS XM Radio announced that two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart will host the fourth annual ‘Stewie Awards’ on Thursday, December 2, live from Las Vegas on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio. The ‘Stewies,’ the acclaimed awards show that features Stewart’s entertaining and irreverent take on the best, boldest and funniest moments from the 2010 NASCAR season, will be awarded during a live broadcast hosted by Stewart and Matt Yocum from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on Thursday, December 2 (9:30 pm/et / 6:30 pm/pt). The live broadcast will air nationwide on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, channel 128 for SIRIUS subscribers and XM subscribers with the “Best of SIRIUS.” The broadcast will be open to the public for fans in attendance in Las Vegas.
The two-hour event will feature live interviews with five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson and other drivers in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in Las Vegas, plus other special guests. Fans can determine the ‘Stewie Award’ winners by casting their votes online at www.sirius.com/stewieawards.
The 2010 ‘Stewies’ nominees are:
Best Original Drama – Honoring the year’s most dramatic moment or sequence.
* Jeff Gordon vs. Jimmie Johnson: Gordon expresses post-race frustrations about Johnson to the media at Talladega.
* Clint Bowyer wins the Sylvania 300 at Loudon on Sep. 19 but later loses win after failing an inspection for being 1/16th of an inch too high on left rear. The loss costs the #33 team a shot at the NASCAR Sprint Cup title.
* Dale Earnhardt Jr. drives a throwback #3 Wrangler Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Daytona – the same track where his iconic father lost his life.
* Jeff Gordon vs. Jeff Burton: After Burton collects Gordon during a caution at Texas, both drivers exit their cars and Gordon shoves Burton. Burton later apologizes. Gordon says he has lost respect for Burton.
* Denny Hamlin goes from first to ninth to first in the final 15 laps of a wild overtime finish at Martinsville on Mar. 29. Off a late pit stop, the Virginia native bullies his was to his first win of the season.
Hal Needham Award (Best Stunt Sequence) – For the year’s most spectacular crash
* In overtime of Kobalt Tools 500 in Atlanta, Jamie McMurray causes a wreck that takes out much of the field including Mark Martin. Asked if he likes the new “green/white/checker” rule post-race, Martin quips, “It’s good for the fans.”
* At Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas, Jeff Gordon taps Tony Stewart, who gets bumped by Carl Edwards. Stewart turns into Gordon and the ensuing wreck claims nearly 10 cars.
* During Sonoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono, Elliott Sadler plows head first into SAFER barrier wall in one of the hardest impacts ever recorded by NASCAR. As a result of numerous safety improvements made in the sport, Sadler was not injured.
* At Talladega on October 30, Ron Hornaday’s truck ends up on its roof after flipping four times. Hornaday crawls out of the truck on his own, grabs hat and steering wheel and laughs as crowd cheers him on.
Best Original Comedy – Honoring the year’s most entertaining “incident.”
* After missing his pit box at Darlington on May 8, Tony Stewart suggests his crew get a bigger pit sign.
* At Atlanta race, Stewart’s father, Nelson, shows some creativity by suggesting a new method to signal his son into the pits. Smoke’s dad’s idea: Shine a flashlight for Tony to see!
* Joey Logano rips Kevin Harvick to reporters at Pocono saying, “His wife wears the firesuit in the family and tells him what to do.”
* After the Michigan race on Aug. 15, Joey Logano confronts Ryan Newman and pokes him in the stomach. Newman appears ready to fight, but Logano tells reporters later he only asked Newman why he races him so hard.
Bonehead Move of the Year Award
* Clint Bowyer pulls away from his pit with the jack still under the car at Dover on May 16.
* Denny Hamlin puts a proven, three-win car into the wall during his victory burnout at Pocono on Jun. 6.
* At Sonoma on Jun. 20 Marcos Ambrose, while leading the race, shuts off his engine to coast downhill then can’t re-fire it. NASCAR penalizes him for being “off the pace” and he ends up finishing sixth.
* Kasey Kahne pulls out of his pit at Phoenix with gas can still attached on Nov. 14.
“Feels Like The First Time” Award – For the most notable “first” of the NASCAR season.
* NASCAR Hall of Fame opens and inaugural class is enshrined – Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Junior Johnson.
* Chip Ganassi becomes the first owner to win the “Trifecta” – Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400 – in the same year.
* At Bristol, Kyle Busch becomes the first driver in history to win all three of NASCAR’s top racing series events (NSCS, NNS, NCTS) in the same weekend.
* Open wheel star Danica Patrick makes her much-anticipated NASCAR debut.
* Brad Keselowski gives Roger Penske his first NASCAR Championship by winning NASCAR Nationwide Series title.
‘Boys, Have At It” Award
* At Atlanta on March 3, Carl Edwards “pays back” Brad Keselowski and ends up flipping Keselowski’s car onto its roof. Edwards, though unapologetic, says he didn’t mean to flip Keselowski. Keselowski calls for a response from NASCAR.
* After being bumped by Kyle Busch at Bristol on Aug. 20, Brad Keselowski says he is “gonna go to work on beating [Busch’s] ass.”
* After contact by Jeff Gordon at Martinsville on Oct. 24, Kyle Busch retaliates by putting Gordon into the wall and ending his day.
* After several poor performances, Chad Knaus replaces Jimmie Johnson’s #48 team pit crew with the #24 crew in mid-race at Phoenix. Change remains in place for remainder of the season and Johnson ends up winning his fifth NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.
Best Driver2Crew Chatter Exchange – Acknowledging the year’s most memorable driver-to-pit crew communication (Visit www.sirius.com/stewieawards to hear audio of nominees)
* Dale Earnhardt Jr. and crew chief Lance McGrew exchange colorful words about “laying down” at Bristol on Mar. 21.
* After a series of incidents, David Reutimann’s crew chief, Rodney Childers, suggests a way to end the scuffling between his driver and Kyle Busch at Kansas on Oct. 3.
* “The Best of” Kevin Harvick and the #29 team (montage)
* Kyle Busch expresses his displeasure at Jimmie Johnson not letting him pass at Martinsville on Oct. 24.
Best Vocal Performance – Honoring the year’s most memorable quote (Visit www.sirius.com/stewieawards to hear audio of nominees)
* Kevin Harvick shares his post-race thoughts on the #48 team’s luck at Fontana on Feb. 21.
* Juan Pablo Montoya vents about teammate Jamie McMurray at Las Vegas on Feb. 28.
* Kurt Busch comments on losing to Jimmie Johnson at Bristol on Mar. 21.
* Actors/Comedians Adam Sandler and Kevin James deliver a memorable “Start Your Engines” command at Michigan on June 13.
* Greg Biffle jokes with media about what it takes to win at NASCAR’s highest level at Bristol on Sep. 24.
Golden Stewie Award – Chosen by Stewart and Yocum and honoring a legendary figure from the Golden Era of racing, the winner of this award will be revealed the night of the event
“Stewie” Lifetime Achievement Award – Chosen by Stewart and Yocum, the winner of this award will be revealed the night of the event.(11-29-2010)

“The Stewies” announced: Winners of the third annual ‘Stewie Awards’ were announced Thursday night by Tony Stewart live on SIRIUS XM Radio from the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV. The 2009 ‘Stewie Award’ winners were decided by fans around the country who voted for the best, boldest and funniest moments of the NASCAR season. Listeners around the country tuned in to experience the event live on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, SIRIUS channel 128 and XM channel 128 with the “Best of SIRIUS” programming package. “The Stewies” will be rebroadcast on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio on Friday, Dec. 4 (7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT), Saturday, Dec. 5 (7:00 am ET/4:00 am PT and 5:00 pm ET/2:00 pm PT) and Sunday, Dec. 6 (2:00 pm ET/11:00 am PT).
Guests on the program included: 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson, Chase drivers Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, Juan Pablo Montoya, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards and Brian Vickers, legendary drivers David Pearson and AJ Foyt, plus Kevin Harvick, Rick Hendrick and celebrity Robin Leach.
Video highlights of the event will be available at www.sirius.com/nascar.
Winners in 11 categories, including “Best Original Drama,” “Best Driver2Crew Chatter,” “Bonehead Move of the Year” and others were honored. Among the evening’s highlights was the presentation of the “Stewie Lifetime Achievement Award” to team owner Rick Hendrick and the awarding of the Golden Stewie to racing legend David Pearson.
The winners of the 2009 ‘Stewie Awards’ are:
“Feels Like The First Time” Award – Recognizing the most notable “first” of the NASCAR season.
· Kevin Harvick gets first win in his own Nationwide Series car. (Mar. 21)
Best Original Drama – Honoring the year’s most dramatic moment or sequence.
· 50-year-old Mark Martin makes the Chase in his first year with Hendrick Motorsports.
Best Original Comedy – Honoring the year’s most entertaining “incident.”
· Denny Hamlin vs. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski spins Hamlin into the wall late in NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Dover (Sep. 26). After the race, crews from both teams get into a pit road skirmish.
Best Vocal Performance – Honoring the year’s most memorable quote
· Tony Stewart “in awe” of Jeff Gordon post-race at Kansas. (Oct. 4)
Smokey Yunick Award (Best Engineering and Special Effects) – Acknowledging the year’s most creative modifications to a race car.
· Mark Martin’s #5 and Jimmie Johnson’s #48 cars for NOT being illegal, yet causing a media frenzy in September of 2009 after being warned by NASCAR that they were “getting too close to the tolerance limits” set forth by NASCAR.
Bonehead Move of the Year Award
· Kyle Busch destroys his Nationwide Series guitar/trophy at Nashville in true “rock star fashion.” (Jun. 6)
‘I Got Dumped’ Award – Acknowledging the year’s most memorable on or off-track bumping
· Marcos Ambrose loses NAPA Auto Parts 200 Nationwide Series race in Montreal on last lap to Carl Edwards by misjudging final turn. (Aug. 30)
Hal Needham Award (Best Stunt Sequence) – Acknowledging the year’s most spectacular crash
· Carl Edwards wrecks on the final lap at Talladega in the spring (Apr. 26) and sends the car flipping into the catch fence. Edwards gets out of car and runs across finish line to complete the race.
Best Driver2Crew Chatter Exchange – Acknowledging the year’s most memorable driver-to-pit crew communication
* Juan Pablo Montoya penalized by NASCAR at Indy for speeding on pit lane. (Jul. 26)
Golden Stewie Award – Chosen by Stewart and Yocum and honoring a legendary driver from the Golden Era of racing.
* David Pearson
“Stewie” Lifetime Achievement Award
* Rick Hendrick
SIRIUS XM is the Official Satellite Radio Partner of NASCAR, broadcasting every NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race live on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, channel 128, the only radio channel dedicated to NASCAR 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.(SIRIUS XM Radio)(12-4-2009)

Fans Vote Kahne & Paschal To Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame: The fans have spoken... and Kasey Kahne and Jim Paschal will be the next drivers enshrined to the Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame on Saturday, Oct. 30. The Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame in downtown Talladega is both a focal point saluting NASCAR’s greatest names and a tribute to one of racing’s brightest stars – the late Davey Allison. Developed in 1994, the Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame has inducted one active driver and up to two inactive drivers since 1995 based on the fans’ vote chosen from a ballot of nominees selected by strict guidelines.
This year’s active driver nominee, Kasey Kahne, has thrived in the NASCAR ranks, but his early career began in open-wheel cars. Hailing from Enumclaw, Wash., Kahne tore through the open-wheel world earning a 2000 USAC Midget Series championship and National Midget Driver of the Year honors. His success caught the attention of owners in NASCAR and in 2002 he made his rookie campaign in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. In 2004 he raced his first full season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, earning the Raybestos Rookie of the Year title and finished 13th in the driver point standings. His most successful season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series came in 2006 when he won six races and six pole awards to finish eighth in the final season standings. Now in his seventh year at the Sprint Cup level campaigning for Richard Petty Motorsports, Kahne has amassed 11 career wins and 18 career pole awards.
Inactive driver nominee, James Roy Paschal, Jr. known to fans as Jim Paschal, was a driver during NASCAR’s formative years. Originally from Highpoint, North Carolina, Paschal competed in his first race at the Charlotte Fairgrounds on June 19, 1949. He won 25 races and 12 poles during his 23-year career. He won the World 600 twice, now known as the Coca Cola 600, in 1964 and 1967. His remaining wins came on short tracks, less than a mile and a half in length. He competed in his last race in 1972, shortly after; Paschal was inducted into the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame. Paschal passed away in 2004 at the age of 77.
Past active driver inductees have included Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Ernie Irvan, Dale Jarrett, Bill Elliott, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Bobby Hamilton, Ricky Rudd, Mark Martin, Kyle Petty, Darrell Waltrip, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte and Morgan Shepherd. Richard Petty and Benny Parsons were the first inactive drivers to be inducted, later joined by Alan Kulwicki, Cale Yarborough, Ned Jarrett, Buddy Baker, David Pearson, Junior Johnson, Harry Gant, Lee Petty, Tim Flock, Fireball Roberts, Buck Baker, Joe Weatherly, Red Byron, Bobby Isaac, Fred Lorenzen, Fonty Flock, Herb Thomas, Terry Labonte, Rex White and Jack Smith.
The first inductees – “ Alabama Gang” drivers Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison, Red Farmer and Neil Bonnett – were inducted by decree of the board.
In the park, Davey Allison is remembered with a large marble monument, while drivers inducted into the Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame have bronze plaques placed around the park, accessible by walkways that form the shape of Talladega Superspeedway. For additional information, visit www.talladegawalk.com.
Will more NASCAR history be made when NASCAR returns to Talladega Superspeedway for the AMP Energy 500 weekend? Race fans will have to be here to find out. NASCAR action returns with the Mountain Dew 250 fueled by Fred’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race and Race Number Seven in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the AMP Energy 500, Oct. 29 - 31. To experience it all, call 1-877-Go2-DEGA or visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com.(TSS)(9-12-2010)

Talladega Walk of Fame: Voting is underway through July 15, 2010, for more info, go to talladegawalk.com. the 2009 Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame Inductees were Morgan Shepherd & Jack Smith.(6-11-2010)

Shepherd, Smith voted into Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame: The fans have spoken... and Morgan Shepherd and Jack Smith will be the next drivers enshrined to the Talladega-Texaco Walk of Fame on Saturday, Oct. 31. Shepherd won the active driver nomination over Michael Waltrip and Kasey Kahne, while Smith won in the inactive driver category.(Talladega PR)(7-29-2009)

Stewart wins 2011 Driver of the Year Award: #14-Tony Stewart was voted both 2011 Driver of the Year and Fourth Quarter winner, respectively, by an elite panel of broadcasters and journalists. Unlike this year's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship, decided in a tiebreaker, the voting in the Annual - as well as the fourth quarter - were landslides. Stewart was also voted Driver of the Year in 2005 after his second NASCAR Sprint Cup title. The Columbus, Ind., native put on a performance not seen before in the Chase with five wins in the season's final 10 races in the #14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevy. Stewart, who in his third season as co-owner Stewart-Haas Racing with Haas Automation founder Gene Haas, was quick to credit his team for the title at NASCAR's Award banquet. Upon learning of taking both the final quarter and the coveted Driver of the Year AWARD for the second time Stewart said, "I have a lot of pride in this. This is an award that comes from a highly esteemed group. These are the awards that mean the most." Commenting on the Chase Stewart added "The last quarter was a history maker, for sure. There are so many champions honored this way (the Award). It's just amazing I don't know how to put it words. It's truly an honor."
It's certainly ironic that last year's vote involved a spirited debate, but this year's was a slam dunk," said Driver of the Year president Barry Schmoyer. "Stewart's come from behind victory at Homestead will thrill fans for ages," Schmoyer added. Journalist and broadcasters, who voted in a secret ballot for a single driver, gave Stewart 15 votes, Carl Edwards, Dario Franchitti, Jason Meyers and Del Worsham all received one vote. In the quarterly voting Stewart beat Edwards and Meyers (162-73-51, respectively) getting all but one of the first place votes.
In its' 45th year, the Driver of the Year title is unique because it is the original award of its' type that encompasses all of the racing series and all of the drivers in the United States. A panel of 20 leading journalists and broadcasters from across the U.S. are eligible to vote. One vote was not tabulated this year. Stewart will receive his trophies and Tissot wristwatches at presentations at places and times to be announced later.(DOTY)(12-13-2011)

Keselowski wins 3rd quarter driver of the year award: Brad Keselowski's winning ways, overcoming a broken ankle and other injuries, helped him win the voting as the third quarter Driver of the Year 2011. In the last seven NASCAR Sprint Cup races, in the quarter ending at Richmond International Raceway, he recorded two wins, four top-fives and seven top-12 finishes. And those two wins were earned within days of recovering from a broken ankle at a test session. Adding those victories to a previous one and an 11th place overall finish in NASCAR's regular season Keselowski earned a wild card spot for his first Chase for the Sprint Cup. In the voting Keselowski took ten first-place ballots and totaled 117 points according to the Driver of the year points system. Will Power, a Penske Racing teammate in the IndyCar series, had five first place votes and garnered 108 points. This was the first time that the same team owner (Roger Penske) had two drivers from different series finishing one-two. Kyle Busch the first quarter 2011 Driver of the Year took two first place votes and was third with a total of 67 points. Greg Anderson, the 2003 Driver of the Year from the NHRA, and Kevin Harvick, from NASCAR, also received first-place votes. A total of 18 drivers scored points in the third quarter voting.(Driver of the Year Foundation)(9-21-2011)

Edwards named 2nd Quarter Driver of the Year: #99-Carl Edwards was hot while it was still cool in the spring. As a result Edwards was voted the 2d quarter Driver of the Year 2011. Edwards who led the NASCAR Sprint Cup series, in the quarter ending June 26, was victorious in the All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and won three races in NASCAR's Nationwide series. In the voting Edwards took eight first-place ballots and totaled 98- points according to the Driver of the Year points system. The panel voted across the broad spectrum of professional racing with the NHRA's Del Worsham taking second place with 88 points and five first place votes. IndyCar's Scotland-born, Dario Franchitti, was third in the voting with 80 points and two first-place votes. Anyone driving on four wheels in US-based series or any American racing, globally on four wheels, is eligible, a total of 21 drivers scored points in the first quarter voting. In its' 45th year, the Driver of the Year title is unique. A panel of 21 leading journalists from across the U.S. determines the winner. In quarterly voting, points are awarded on a declining 9, 6, 4,3,2,1 basis. Edwards will receive a trophy and a Tissot wristwatch later this year.(DOTY)(7-8-2011)

1st Quarter Driver of the Year named: #18-Kyle Busch won races in all three of NASCAR's top divisions tallying the most first-place votes in the 1st quarter Driver of the Year 2011 balloting by leading broadcasters and journalists in the United States. The driver of the #18 Toyota Camry in the Sprint Cup series, #18 Z-Line Designs Toyota in the Nationwide Series for Joe Gibbs Racing and is the owner/driver of the #18 Dollar General Toyota Tundra in the Camping World Truck series credited his teams for his early 2011 success. "It's been a great start to the season in all three series' and that's because of the great people we have at JGR and KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports)," said Busch. "This award is testament to all of those guys. Each of my teams have done a great job bringing me good cars to the racetrack each week and if we haven't won, we've been in contention more times than not. In particular, Dave Rogers and all the guys on the M&M's Toyota team and everyone at JGR are working very hard and we hope to have a shot at bringing home a Sprint Cup championship at the end of the year." Busch, 25, won the Bristol Motor Speedway Sprint Cup race, four Nationwide races and one Camping World Truck race in the first quarter voting.
Barry Schmoyer, President of the Driver of the Year Foundation, said "calling Kyle Busch versatile would be an understatement. He certainly proved that he is a triple-threat to win on any given weekend. And he's only 25-years-old. I wouldn't be surprised if, some year soon, I will be handing him the Driver of the Year trophy."
In the voting Busch took nine first-place ballots and totaled 121 points according to the Driver of the Year points system. NASCAR drivers swept the virtual podium with Carl Edwards garnering six first-place votes and 89 points and Kevin Harvick also earning six first-place votes and 84 points. A total of 14 drivers scored points in the first quarter voting. In its' 45th year, the Driver of the Year title is unique. A panel of 21 leading journalists from across the U.S. determines the winner. In quarterly voting, points are awarded on a declining 9, 6, 4,3,2,1 basis. Busch will receive a trophy and a Tissot wristwatch to be presented at Infineon Raceway on the SaveMart 350 weekend.(Driver of the Year Foundation)(4-25-2011)

Johnson Accepts Driver of the Year Trophy: This past weekend at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega, NASCAR president Mike Helton and Barry Schmoyer, president of the Driver of the Year Foundation presented #48-Jimmie Johnson, the Sprint Cup’s five-consecutive time champion with the 2010 Driver of the Year trophy at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame dinner. Johnson was also presented a Tissot timepiece. In its’ 45th year, the Driver of the Year title is unique and the oldest award of its’ type. A panel of 20 leading journalists from across the U.S. determines the winner. In quarterly voting, points are awarded on a declining 9, 6, 4,3,2,1 basis. The winning driver receives a trophy and a Tissot wristwatch. Barry Schmoyer is businessman and sportsman based in Sarasota, FL.(Driver of the Year PR)(4-21-2011)

Johnson voted winner of Driver of the Year Award: Fresh off winning his fifth straight Sprint Cup championship, Jimmie Johnson was voted the winner of this year’s Driver of the Year Award, it was announced Wednesday. The 2010 DOTY is the fourth the Hendrick Motorsports driver has been awarded in his career. He was also the winner of the prestigious award – which is voted upon by a panel of 20 leading North American broadcasters and motorsports journalists – in 2006, 2007 and 2009. The only other driver to win four DOTYs is Johnson’s HMS teammate, Jeff Gordon. Johnson got 10 votes from the 18 members of the panel who voted this year. John Force, who won the NHRA Full Thottle Drag Racing Series’ Funny Car championship in 2010, received seven votes. Force, who won his 15th Funny Car championship this year, won the 1996 DOTY. Kyle Busch, the NASCAR driver who notched victories in Sprint Cup, Nationwide and the Camping World Trucks series, received one vote. The Driver of the Year Award is in its 44th season. It is the longest-running award program of its kind. It’s first winner was Mario Andretti. All drivers in major American racing series are eligible to win the DOTY. Andretti and Darrell Waltrip were three-time winners of the award. Johnson, a native of El Cajon, Calif., won six Cup races in 2010 and now has 53 in his 10-year career in the series. He had 17 top-five victories in 2010. Johnson will receive a trophy and a Tissot wristwatch which will be presented at a place and time to be announced later. The DOTY program is overseen by Schmoyer, a businessman and sportsman of Sarasota, Fla.(RacinToday)(12-15-2010)

Johnson wins 2009 Driver of the Year Award: #48-Jimmie Johnson was elected by an elite panel of broadcasters and journalists the 2009 Driver of the Year. Johnson becomes only the fourth three-time Driver of the Year winner, following other racing greats Mario Andretti, Darrell Waltrip, and Jeff Gordon. Gordon is the only four-time Driver of the Year, America's original race driver's award. Johnson rewrote NASCAR records as he won his fourth- straight Sprint Cup championship, the first driver to do so. Johnson the Driver of the Year in 2006 and 2007 also won the fourth quarter 2009 Driver of the Year award. In spite of all the trophies and honors, especially around the busy NASCAR Champion's week, Johnson was a bit surprised when he was informed of the panel's decision - "fantastic, cool," he said adding "it will take some time to sink in."
"It's an amazing accomplishment, I'm proud to be considered," he added. When advised of the members of the panel and that top drivers from all US series are eligible for the award, Johnson noted "when you look at the all the people being considered it's not a popularity contest." Professionals, who voted in a secret ballot for a single driver, gave Johnson 13 votes, Kyle Busch received two votes, and Mark Martin received one vote. In its' 43rd year, the Driver of the Year title is unique because it is the original award of its' type that encompasses all of the racing series in the United States. A panel of 20 leading journalists and broadcasters from across the U.S. are eligible to vote via a secret ballot. Four votes were not tabulated this year. Johnson will receive a trophy and a Tissot wristwatch which will be presented at a place and time to be announced later.(Driver of the Year Foundation PR)(12-16-2009)

Johnson wins 4th Qtr Driver of the Year Award: #48-Jimmie Johnson was voted fourth quarter Driver of the Year 2009 by a panel of broadcasters and journalists. Johnson, the Driver of the Year in 2006 and 2007, wrapped up his fourth- straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship then took 12 out of the 16 first-place votes and was the only driver on all ballots. He earned 130 points. Kyle Busch, his on-track rival, was second with 53 points. NHRA's Robert Hight was third with 49-points. Kyle Busch, who wrapped up his first championship, in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for Joe Gibbs Racing, in addition to his full-time driving duties in the Sprint Cup series, also scored wins in Camping World Series and received one first-place vote. NHRA's Robert Hight who scored a Funny Car Championship for owner, John Force, (Driver of the Year in 1996) had two first-place votes. Dario Franchitti who won his second IndyCar title finished fourth in the voting with 41 points. Top Fuel's Tony Schumacher, last year's Driver of the Year was fifth. A total of 14 drivers scored points in the fourth quarter voting. In its' 42nd year, the Driver of the Year title is unique and the oldest award of its' type. A panel of 20 leading journalists from across the U.S. determines the winner. In quarterly voting, points are awarded on a declining 9, 6, 4,3,2,1 basis. Johnson will receive a trophy and a Tissot wristwatch to be presented at a later date. A secret ballot to name the Driver of the Year 2009 will be conducted this week and results will announced.(DOTY)(12-3-2009)

Mario Andretti Trophy goes to Tony Stewart: Racing legend Mario Andretti presented his namesake trophy to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart on SPEED Center earlier this evening, acknowledging the three-time champion’s Chase run as the difference maker among a very impressive field of finalists for the annual SPEED Performer of the Year presented by ACE. “This is an awesome moment in my career,” Stewart said on the program. “I grew up in Indiana watching this guy a lot. Winning any award is an honor, but winning one with Mario’s name on it is very special.” Five of this year’s seven finalists received first-place votes, including Stewart, runner-up Casey Stoner; AMA Supercross/Motocross champion Ryan Villipoto; last year’s SPEED Performer of the Year, Sebastian Vettel, and USAC/WoO phenom Kyle Larson. “I get to see the best of the best and, Tony, you are in that company,” said Andretti, who actually noticed Stewart’s calm demeanor during the Chase and texted the driver, “I smell championship.” The award, now in its sixth season, is presented annually by SPEED to the racer who puts a premium on winning races, shines on motor sports’ biggest stages and does it all with a measure of sportsmanship and class. The 2011 SPEED Performer of the Year was selected by a panel including racing legends Andretti and Dan Gurney, "Wind Tunnel" host Dave Despain, veteran broadcasters Varsha, Ralph Sheheen and Leigh Diffey, SPEED.com writers Robin Miller and Tom Jensen, versatile racers Tommy Kendall and Dorsey Schroeder and a select group of SPEED motor sports producers. The trophy, a true work of art created by bronze sculptor Elie Hazak, stands 38 inches tall and weighs 95 pounds. It features eight cars, including six of the most important in Mario’s rise to superstardom, as well as an array of artistic symbolism that captures the essence of the trophy’s namesake.
Mario Andretti Trophy winners and runner-ups:
2006 – Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR. Nicky Hayden, MotoGP
2007 – Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR; Donny Schatz, WoO
2008 – Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR; Tony Schumacher, NHRA
2009 – Tony Schumacher, NHRA; Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR
2010 – Sebastian Vettel, F1; Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR
2011 – Tony Stewart, NASCAR; Casey Stoner, MotoGP
(SPEED)(1-30-2012)

Seven Finalist's named for Mario Andretti Trophy: Tony Stewart’s unprecedented five-win run in the Chase to capture the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title … Sebastian Vettel’s record-setting performance in Formula One … Casey Stoner’s total domination of MotoGP … and that’s just three names on the list. Stewart, Vettel and Stoner are joined by Ryan Villopoto (Supercross/Motocross), Dario Franchitti (IndyCar), Scott Pruett (Grand-Am) and Kyle Larson (USAC/WoO) as nominees for the Sixth Annual SPEED Performer of the Year award. The winner receives the Mario Andretti Trophy, a 100-pound bronze sculpture created by artist Elie Hazak, to be presented as part of a special edition of SPEED Center.
“There were several extraordinary performances in motor sports this season,” said Andretti, the only driver to ever win the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500 and the Formula One World Championship. “In fact, this may be one of the most difficult seasons ever for the SPEED voting panel. As much as it rewards winning, this award is designed to honor the heart and soul of a racer and all of the nominees certainly put both on display all season long.” Representing both four-wheel and two-wheel efforts across the globe, the Mario Andretti Trophy goes to the racer who puts a premium on winning races, shines on the sport’s biggest stages and does it all with a measure of sportsmanship and class.
Vettel, last year’s winner of the Mario Andretti Trophy, scored 11 wins in 19 races to win the Formula One Drivers title, erasing Nigell Mansell’s 19-year-old record by qualifying fastest 15 times.
Stewart won five times in NASCAR’s Chase for the Championship playoff format, passing 118 drivers in the final race of the season to earn his third Cup title.
Stoner completely dominated MotoGP, winning 10 of 17 events, qualifying first 12 times and finishing on the podium in all but one event.
Villopoto won the AMA Supercross championship (six wins in 17 events), the AMA Motocross title (10 wins in 24 motos and three overall wins in 12 starts) and the inaugural Monster Energy Cup, where he won all three motos and the $1 million bonus.
At 19, Larson swept the USAC 4-Crown Nationals at Eldora (Ohio) and became the youngest winner of the WoO World Cup at Chico (California). He became the first driver in history to win a World of Outlaws race, an ASCS National and score victories in all three USAC divisions in the same year.
Franchitti collected four wins, his third consecutive IndyCar title and his fourth championship in the last five years.
Pruett scored his second consecutive Grand-Am Rolex Series title, becoming the all-time wins leader with 36 career victories.
In addition, IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon, who lost his life in the season-ending IndyCar race at Las Vegas, earned several honorable mentions from the nominating panel.
The 2011 SPEED Performer of the Year is selected by a panel including racing legends Andretti, Dan Gurney and Sir Stirling Moss, "Wind Tunnel" host Dave Despain, veteran broadcasters Bob Varsha, Ralph Sheheen and Leigh Diffey, SPEED.com writers Robin Miller and Tom Jensen, versatile racers Tommy Kendall and Dorsey Schroeder and a select group of SPEED motor sports producers.
Mario Andretti Trophy winners and runner-ups:
2006 – Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR. Nicky Hayden, MotoGP
2007 – Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR; Donny Schatz, WoO
2008 – Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR; Tony Schumacher, NHRA
2009 – Tony Schumacher, NHRA; Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR
2010 – Sebastian Vettel, Formula One; Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR)
(SPEED)(11-29-2011)

SPEED presents Mario Andretti Trophy: Fresh off a 10-day goodwill tour of Europe and the Middle East to visit U.S. servicemembers with a contingent of IndyCar drivers, racing legend Mario Andretti traveled to Red Bull Racing’s Formula One headquarters in Milton Keynes, Great Britain to present 2010 FIA Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel with the Mario Andretti Trophy as the 2010 SPEED Performer of the Year. The award, now in its fifth season, is presented annually by SPEED to the racer who puts a premium on winning races, shines on motor sports’ biggest stages and does it all with a measure of sportsmanship and class. In 2010, at 23, Vettel became the youngest driver ever to win the FIA Formula One World Championship, besting Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 effort by six months. The young German racer finished the season with five wins, 10 poles and 10 podiums, claiming the title in the final race of the season -- a finale that marked the first time in the series’ 60-year history that four drivers had a shot at the title.
The 2010 SPEED Performer of the Year was selected by a panel including racing legends Andretti, Dan Gurney and Sir Stirling Moss, "Wind Tunnel" host Dave Despain, veteran broadcasters Varsha, Ralph Sheheen and Leigh Diffey, SPEED.com writers Robin Miller and Tom Jensen, versatile racers Tommy Kendall and Dorsey Schroeder and a select group of SPEED motor sports producers.
The trophy, a true work of art created by bronze sculptor Elie Hazak, stands 38 inches tall and weighs 95 pounds. It features eight cars, including six of the most important in Mario’s rise to superstardom, as well as an array of artistic symbolism that captures the essence of the trophy’s namesake.
Former Mario Andretti Trophy winners and runner-ups:
* 2006 – Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR. Nicky Hayden, MotoGP
* 2007 – Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR; Donny Schatz, WoO
* 2008 – Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR; Tony Schumacher, NHRA
* 2009 – Tony Schumacher, NHRA; Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, who won his fifth consecutive title in 2010 and is a three-time Mario Andretti Trophy winner, was this year’s runner-up. The top six vote-getters will be featured in a one-hour SPEED television special on Feb. 10 at 9 p.m. ET, along with nine additional “fan chosen” SPEED Performance Awards, including RACER Rookie of the Year.(SPEED)(2-1-2011)

Finalists announced for Mario Andretti trophy: The 100-pound bronze Mario Andretti Trophy, designed by artist Elie Hazak and presented annually to the SPEED Performer of the Year, celebrates the wide variety of cars Andretti piloted to victory in his decorated career, and this year that same range of talent is on display as SPEED reveals its list of finalists for the honor – 18 racers from 10 different disciplines. Representing both four-wheel and two-wheel efforts across the globe, the Mario Andretti Trophy goes to the racer who puts a premium on winning races, shines on his/her sport’s biggest stages and does it all with a measure of sportsmanship and class.
This year, Jimmie Johnson -- five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and a three-time Mario Andretti Trophy winner -- joins 17 other racers in their quest for the honor, including: Sebastian Vettel (F1), John Force (NHRA), Jorge Lorenzo (MotoGP), Dario Franchitti (IndyCar), Larry Dixon (NHRA), Denny Hamlin (NASCAR), Ryan Dungey (Supercross), Joey Saldana (WoO), Bryan Clauson (USAC), L.E. Tonglet (NHRA), Scott Pruett (Grand-Am), Will Power (IndyCar), Jamie McMurray (NASCAR), Fernando Alonso (F1), Sebastien Loeb (World Rally), Valentino Rossi (MotoGP) and Kyle Busch (NASCAR).
Former Mario Andretti Trophy winners and runner-ups:
* 2006 – Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR. Nicky Hayden, MotoGP
* 2007 – Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR; Donny Schatz, WoO
* 2008 – Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR; Tony Schumacher, NHRA
* 2009 – Tony Schumacher, NHRA; Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR
Nine additional “fan chosen” SPEED Performance Awards are open for voting at speedperformanceawards.com through Dec. 19, with winners being announced as part of a one-hour television special in February.(SPEED)(12-14-2010)

Johnson finalist for Mario Andretti Trophy: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, NHRA Top Fuel king Tony Schumacher and World Superbike phenom Ben Spies each made history in 2009 and these ultra-talented racers are among 15 finalists for the 2009 SPEED Performer of the Year and the Mario Andretti Trophy as part of the 4th Annual SPEED Performance Awards. Johnson, a three-time winner of the Andretti Trophy, scored his fourth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title, a feat unmatched in the history of the sport. Schumacher, a runner-up for the Andretti Trophy in 2008, lost longtime crew chief Alan Johnson and most of his crew when Johnson formed his own team with Sheik Khalid bin Hamad Al-Thani of Qatar at the end of last season, yet won his unprecedented sixth consecutive Top Fuel championship and seventh overall. Spies, a rookie on the World Superbike circuit in 2009 and a SPEED Performance Awards nominee for Rookie of the Year, needed no time at all to adjust to his new surroundings, dominating the series with 14 race wins in 28 starts and a record-breaking 11 pole positions. In a single season of racing, Spies already is tied for 12th on the all-time World Superbike career wins list.
Other finalists for the 2009 SPEED Performer of the Year are Jenson Button (Formula One), Joey Saldana (WoO), Dario Franchitti (IndyCar), Scott Dixon (IndyCar), Kyle Busch (NASCAR), Valentino Rossi (MotoGP), David Brabham (ALMS), 2007 SPEED Performer of the Year runner-up Donny Schatz (WoO), James Stewart (Supercross), Mark Martin (NASCAR), Alex Gurney/Jon Fogarty (Grand-Am) and Sebastian Vettel (Formula One).
The 2009 SPEED Performer of the Year will be selected by a panel including Andretti, "Wind Tunnel" host Dave Despain, veteran broadcasters Bob Varsha and Ralph Sheheen, SPEEDtv.com writers Robin Miller and Tom Jensen, versatile racers Tommy Kendall and Dorsey Schroeder and a select group of SPEED motor sports producers. The winner receives the Mario Andretti Trophy, created by bronze artist Elie Hazak. Nine additional “fan chosen” SPEED Performance Awards are open for voting at www.speedperformanceawards.com through Dec. 20, with winners being announced as part of a one-hour television special in February.(SPEED)(12-16-2009)