 | | Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart and NASCAR president Mike Helton are in New York for a weeklong celebration. Credit: Contributed Photo |
From Press Release
November 28, 2005
05:49 PM EST (22:49 GMT)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- A lot has changed since Tony Stewart won his first championship in 2002, but one thing remains the same: A whirlwind visit to New York to celebrate the title. Stewart has already made one brief stop in the city, for an opening round of media interviews and to tape a segment for the Late Show with David Letterman, after he clinched the championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway last Sunday. Now he's on the eventful "NASCAR Nextel Cup Champions Week presented by Sprint" schedule this week. The highlights of that schedule include some of NASCAR's New York traditions, such as the champion's photo shoot in Times Square, as well as newer events highlighted by Wednesday's "NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Victory Lap presented by Sprint," that parades the top-10 cars through the city. This year's festivities mark NASCAR's 25th annual visit to New York to crown its premier series champion and promote NASCAR racing in the nation's biggest city. The historic Waldorf-Astoria hotel on Park Avenue will once again serve as NASCAR's home base for the week and host the exclusive awards ceremony Friday evening. Beyond the Waldorf, NASCAR's presence in the city has grown with each passing year. During the next week, the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup contenders will also appear at various Manhattan landmarks, the New York Stock Exchange, an FDNY training facility, the Ronald McDonald House, hospitals, fan events, nightclub hot spots, media luncheons and television shows broadcast from New York. Through the week-long "NASCAR Nextel Cup Pit Stop Tour presented by Sprint," fans can see more than a dozen race cars throughout the city. "New York is one of our sport's biggest markets, and Champions Week gives the many New Yorkers who love NASCAR a chance to get close to our biggest stars and feel the roar of their race cars," said Roger VanDerSnick, vice president of marketing for NASCAR. But the star of the show will be Stewart, who will be the face of NASCAR throughout the week. In addition to the awards ceremony, NASCAR's annual New York Press Conference and luncheon, scheduled for Thursday at Cipriani on 42nd Street, is the major media event of the week. NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France will provide a review of the 2005 season, as will Sprint Nextel Chairman Tim Donahue. The Nextel Cup Series top-10 drivers, 11th-place Jeff Gordon, rookie of the year Kyle Busch, Busch Series champion Martin Truex Jr. and Craftsman Truck Series champion Ted Musgrave will also attend. In addition, the 2005 champions from each of NASCAR's national, regional touring and weekly series will gather for their annual group photo -- marking the only time during the year when all 12 NASCAR champions are together. | 
