Longtime motorsports journalist and key figure in the creation of the Motor Racing Network Jim Foster has been named recipient of the 2027 Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence, becoming the 15th winner of the prestigious award.
Foster spent 15 years as a sports journalist, with a newspaper career that included stops at The Salisbury Post and The Greensboro Record, followed by seven years as sports editor of the Spartanburg Herald. It was there that Foster covered some of NASCAR’s early years, including the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959.
After a brief stint in public relations with Chrysler’s Dodge Division, NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. hired Foster in 1967 as press director and assistant to the president. When France wanted the inaugural race at Talladega Superspeedway broadcast on radio in 1969, he turned to Foster to help make it happen. That effort ultimately helped spark the creation of the Motor Racing Network, with Foster playing a key role in assembling the team, which included legendary broadcaster and Squier-Hall Award namesake Ken Squier, that launched the network during Daytona Speedweeks in 1970.
“Jim Foster helped set a standard for NASCAR media coverage during the sport’s formative years, bringing its stories and personalities to life for a growing audience of readers and, later, listeners,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR CEO. “From his years covering NASCAR for several newspapers in the Carolinas to helping establish the Motor Racing Network, Jim understood the power of connecting fans directly to the sport through vibrant storytelling. His vision and passion left a lasting impact on both the media landscape and NASCAR, and we’re proud to recognize him with the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence.”
The Squier-Hall Award is voted upon by a panel of NASCAR and NASCAR Hall of Fame executives, active and retired media members, and former NASCAR competitors and industry leaders. Foster will be honored during NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony festivities on January 22, 2027, and featured in an exhibit in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Tickets to the Induction Weekend events are available at NASCARHall.com.
The Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence was named after legendary NASCAR media figures Ken Squier and Barney Hall, the first two recipients of the award.
The other seven nominees for the award were:
Russ Catlin, one of the best-known early racing writers and historians; editor of Speed Age Magazine
George Cunningham, long-time beat writer for The Charlotte Observer, Atlanta Constitution and NASCAR Scene; is the namesake for the annual NMPA award for Excellence in Writing
Bob Montgomery, co-founder and announcer for the Universal Racing Network
Bob Moore, spent more than 20 years as a NASCAR beat writer including stints with the Daytona Beach News-Journal and The Charlotte Observer
Al Pearce, covered NASCAR for more than 50 years including 56 consecutive Daytona 500s, with a long tenure at AutoWeek
Dr. Jerry Punch, veteran ESPN broadcaster whose NASCAR career spanned decades from pit road to the broadcast booth
Hank Schoolfield, a jack of all trades bringing NASCAR racing to rans across the Southeast through newspapers, magazines and radio
— NASCAR —