Ultimately, the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards were all about Jimmie Johnson and his sixth series championship, but there were some pointed jokes and some return barbs before the Friday night program at Wynn Las Vegas got there. After team owner Rick Hendrick, sponsor Lowes and crew chief Chad Knaus all received their due, Johnson took the podium to acknowledge those who had helped make his sixth title possible. ‘Rick and (wife) Linda, youve created the winningest racing organization in NASCAR history by caring for the people you employ and treating us all like family’ Johnson said after receiving his championship ring from NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. ‘And Im honored to call myself a Hendrick employee.” Johnson thanked Knaus for pushing him to make him better and acknowledged the bond, both personal and professional, formed between driver and crew chief over the past 12 years. Johnsons speech was the climax of the evening, but the humor that preceded it often brought the house down. Comedian Jay Mohr, the master of ceremonies, revved up the crowd with some well-researched jokes that poked fun at Jeff Gordon, Danica Patrick and Clint Bowyer in particular. Mohr highlighted Gordons last-minute addition as a 13th driver to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, after manipulation of the outcome of the final regular-season race at Richmond by Michael Waltrip Racing changed the course of the 2013 season. Mohr interrupted his own routine with ‘news” that Gordon had just been added to the BCS championship in college football, that the four-time champion had been added to the Best Picture category for the Academy Awards and, finally, that a 13th month had been added to the calendar, called ‘JeffGordonary.” Mohr surmised that Patrick, who was sitting close to the stage with her boyfriend, Sunoco Rookie of the Year Ricky Stenhouse Jr., might feel uncomfortable being so close to the front. He congratulated Bowyer, whose late-race spin started the sequence of events at Richmond that led to a record $300,000 fine for the organization for being ‘so good at apologizing for things you may or may not have done.” Before Johnson took the stage, series runner-up Matt Kenseth, who moved from Roush Fenway Racing to Joe Gibbs Racing this season, offered his congratulations with a pointed suggestion. ‘I will start by congratulating Jimmie, Chad, Rick and the 48 team “¦ but, honestly, I have to say, your dominance is getting old’ Kenseth said. ‘If I were you Jimmie, I would seriously contemplate retirement. Winning that much has to be tiring. Go buy yourself an island somewhere, hang out with your family, find a new hobby, spend some of that money and enjoy yourself.” But as usual, Johnson had the last word, as he and the #48 team prepare for a run at a record-tying seventh championship next year.( NASCAR Wire Service )
