Martin Truex Jr. was honored for winning his second consecutive Busch Series championship. Credit: Doug Benc/Getty Images

Truex, DEI honored at Busch awards banquet

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A short ride for Chance 2 Motorsports in the NASCAR Busch Series -- including only two full seasons -- came to a close Friday night with a second championship celebration.

Martin Truex Jr. was honored as the Busch Series' fifth back-to-back champion at its 24th annual awards banquet, held for the fourth consecutive year in the Tuscan Ballroom at the Portofino Bay Hotel on the grounds of Universal Studios Orlando, before a crowd of more than 500.

Two-time champAfter adversity, Truex finds second title more rewarding Looking backHighlights of the 2005 Busch Series season Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

Truex, 25, in his final full Busch season before heading to the Nextel Cup Series in 2006, became the series' first "$3 million man" as he and Chance 2 dominated the night's proceedings.

The top-10 drivers in the series shared a record amount of more than $7.1 million dollars in financial rewards, but the majority of the limelight rested on Truex, whose payoff totals $3,123,692, and his No. 8 Chevrolet team.

"This definitely doesn't get any easier, even if it is the second time," Truex said. "A lot of things have happened to me in the last two years. Joining a new team in a new series, learning to become a winner and learning to be a champion.

"When I look back it amazes me how all these things could happen to someone so quickly [but] it makes me realize how fortunate I am and how much I appreciate all the opportunities I've had throughout my life."

For the season Truex collected $1,596,404 in race winnings bolstered by six wins, 15 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes, as well as his share of the series point fund, $1,433,288 -- while boosting his career money won to $5,907,470 in only 84 career starts.

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The $114,000 balance of Truex's total came via contingency awards including the Clevite Engine Builder of the Year Award accepted for the second consecutive year by Joe London, Goody's Headache Powder Award, Goodyear Tire Award, Mobil 1 Command Performance Award, MBNA Mid-Race Leader Award, Sunoco Diamond Performance Award and the WIX Filters Lap Leader Award.

Next season the driver, crew chief Kevin Manion and Chance 2's personnel will fold into their parent organization, Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, where Truex will drive the No. 1 Chevrolet as a teammate to Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Chance 2 was formed, in large part, to give Earnhardt Jr. a taste of team ownership. Previously, driving for DEI he'd recorded back-to-back Busch Series championships in 1998-99 -- becoming the fifth driver to win multiple Busch titles.

Clint Bowyer Credit: Doug Benc/Getty Images

Last year Earnhardt spoke to the banquet and shared the head table in his role as co-owner of the team with stepmother Teresa Earnhardt, but Friday night, with his left forearm in a cast after undergoing a minor surgical procedure earlier that day, he spent a low-key evening at a front-row table with some of his team members.

Manion, who's engineered 12 wins for Truex in two seasons, praised his driver and his organization in his remarks.

"Dale [Earnhardt] and Teresa started Dale Earnhardt Incorporated 25 years ago with a goal of winning and tonight, not only are we celebrating our second NASCAR Busch Series championship, but the continuation of a legacy," Manion said. "Martin, I can't say enough about your talent.

"We're honored to be here celebrating back-to-back championships with you and I'm confident we're not done winning just yet."

Teresa Earnhardt celebrated her organization's fourth Busch championship in the last eight seasons.

"Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Manion epitomize what teamwork and determination can achieve, especially this year as they overcame many competition challenges," Earnhardt said. "Because of these challenges, it will better enable them for the tougher competition at the Cup level next year."

Carl Edwards Credit: Doug Benc/Getty Images

Truex was honored for the second consecutive year with the Busch Series' Most Popular Driver Award, which in 2005 was determined by a vote by readers of "NASCAR Insider Magazine."

Runner-up Clint Bowyer gave Truex and company everything they could handle before coming up 68 points short in the No. 2 Chevrolet. He eclipsed $2 million with season winnings totaling $2,114,592, a record amount for second place.

Bowyer is another driver who in 2006 will compete full-time in both Nextel Cup and Busch, which is mind-boggling to the driver from Emporia, Kan.

"I was thinking about that [Friday] and I don't know if I know what I'm getting myself into," Bowyer said. "But it's just a couple years ago that I was working in a body shop, wishing and dreaming to be here."

Carl Edwards missed one race in his No. 60 Ford's run into third and, while simultaneously competing full-time in the Nextel Cup Series won the Busch Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award by only 13 points over Reed Sorenson.

"It's an honor to finish third in both series," Edwards said. "Thanks to Jack Roush for allowing me to do this."

Lisa Marie Presley Credit: Doug Benc/Getty Images

Edwards equaled 2004's rookie of the year Kyle Busch and Roush Racing teammate Greg Biffle's 2001 rookie record of five wins. Edwards' third-place winnings were $1,739,782 and he also won the Busch Pole Award for his five poles.

Edwards and Sorenson, who finished fourth in the championship, joined fifth-place Denny Hamlin in becoming the first trio of rookies in series history to finish in the top five in the championship.

Sorenson, a precocious 19-year-old who won twice this season in the No. 41 and who'll also mimic Edwards by competing full-time in both Busch and Nextel Cup next season, lauded Edwards. "I finished second to him [in the rookie race]and he was almost the Nextel Cup champion," Sorenson said. "If I had to lose to somebody it would definitely be Carl."

Five of the top-10 drivers were in that group for the first time, including Bowyer, Edwards, Sorenson, Hamlin and sixth-place Paul Menard, Truex's DEI teammate.

Truex joins Bowyer, Sorenson, Hamlin, Menard and J.J. Yeley, who finished 11th in the Busch championship, with plans to compete for Nextel Cup rookie of the year honors in 2006.

Benny Parsons and Richard Jeni Credit: Doug Benc/Getty Images

For the first time, 17 drivers totaled more than $1 million in season money, including ninth-place Jason Keller, whose $1,074,447 year boosted his Busch Series career leading total money won to $10,470,071.

Rounding out the top 10 in the standings, with their total winnings for the season, were Sorenson ($1,800,178), Hamlin ($1,494,198), Menard ($1,310,560), Kenny Wallace ($1,275,584), David Green ($1,252,051), Keller and Biffle ($1,212,275).

Biffle had an outstanding season as he started only 27 of the 35 races, but had a victory, eight second places among 16 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes for Brewco Motorsports, whose No. 66 Ford driven by Biffle and several other drivers was fifth in the owner standings.

Ryan Newman, who only made nine starts, scored six victories in Penske Racing South's No. 39 Dodge. Overall, 14 drivers won races.

Chevrolet, on the strength of 14 victories won by five different drivers and despite having only four of the top-10 drivers in the standings, won its 12th Bill France Performance Cup in the 15 years of the award's history, as the leading Busch Series manufacturer.

NASCAR on TNT •   The Busch Series Awards Ceremony can be seen on TNT from 12-1 a.m. ET on Dec. 13.

Early in the evening, sponsor Anheuser-Busch's director, Busch Beer Jim Lukowski announced that Busch would bump its contribution to the 2006 series point fund to $4.1 million.

Johnny Sauter, who won at The Milwaukee Mile for owner James Finch's Phoenix Racing and totaled five top-five and 11 top-10 finishes, was cited as the Featherlite Most Improved Driver, after improving from 18th to 12th in the driver standings.

Guest comic for the evening was American Comedy Award and Cable Ace Award winner Richard Jeni while Lisa Marie Presley; a participant in NASCAR's 2005 "image campaign" provided the musical entertainment.

The ceremony hosted by NBC/TNT NASCAR commentator Allen Bestwick and featuring TV colleague and former Cup champion Benny Parsons, will be telecast on TNT at midnight Dec. 13.

The Busch Series' 25th season begins Feb. 18, 2006 at Daytona International Speedway.

Ted Musgrave will be honored at the Craftsman Truck Series awards ceremony Sunday evening at the Portofino Bay.