Longtime car owner Junie Donlavey was named the National Motorsports Press Association Spirit Award recipient for the third quarter of 2014. Donlavey, who passed away in June of this year at the age of 90, competed at NASCAR’s highest level for more than four-and-a-half decades, beginning in 1950. Donlavey is credited with giving numerous drivers the opening they needed to begin, or further, their Cup careers. Among those whose first premier series starts came with Donlavey were two-time champ Joe Weatherly, Jimmy Hensley, Harry Gant and Robby Gordon. Donlavey also aided the careers of drivers such as Ken Schrader and Dick Trickle. Donlavey-owned teams made 863 starts, finishing in the top-10 in points on nine occasions. His lone win as an owner came in 1981 at Dover, Del., with driver Jody Ridley. Donlavey was inducted into the NMPA Hall of Fame in 2009. Also receiving votes for the third quarter were Sprint Cup drivers Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kyle Larson. Other quarterly winners of the Spirit Award for 2014 are Lynda Petty (first quarter) and Martin Truex Jr. (second quarter). The NMPA Spirit Award is designed to recognize character and achievement in the face of adversity, sportsmanship and contributions to motorsports. Each year, quarterly winners are chosen, and an overall winner is selected by a vote of the NMPA membership.(NMPA)(1-8-2014)
