With the Big Apple as the backdrop, NASCAR will honor the top drivers in Nextel Cup racing at the series’ annual awards banquet Friday night, live from the Waldorf-Astoria at 9:00pm/et on ESPN Classic and ESPN360.com. The event will be re-aired at midnight on ESPN2. In addition, ESPN Classic will air highlights from the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon at 8:30pm/et Friday prior to the start of the banquet coverage. Held on the day before the banquet, the luncheon highlights NASCAR awards such as rookie of the year and ends with the presentation of the Myers Brothers Award by the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) to the individual or group making the greatest contribution to NASCAR racing in the past year. Jimmie Johnson and members of the Hendrick Motorsports organization will be toasted as the Nextel Cup championship team for the second consecutive year during Friday night’s awards banquet. The rest of the drivers who finished in the top 10 of the series point standings also will receive awards onstage. Comedian/actor David Spade will be the featured performer at the banquet. Spade is a long-time fan of NASCAR, having served as Grand Marshal in 2006 at Atlanta Motor Speedway and as the Honorary Mayor at Darlington Raceway in 2003. Multi-platinum, Grammy-winning recording artist Kelly Clarkson also will perform during the banquet. Clarkson, whose collaboration with NASCAR this year included a live performance before the Daytona 500 and a television spot for the NASCAR, How bad have you got it? campaign, will perform her songs One Minute and Since U Been Gone. Dr. Jerry Punch, the lead announcer for NASCAR coverage on ESPN, will serve as the onstage master of ceremonies for the banquet. ESPN360.com, ESPN’s signature live sports broadband network, is delivering more than 2,500 live, global sports events over the next 12 months (more than ESPN and ESPN2 combined). The service is available at no additional charge to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection from an affiliated service provider.(ESPN PR)(11-28-2007)
