End-of-year 2008 award banquet dates announced

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- NASCAR announced Friday the lineup for its three top series' 2008 postseason awards shows, including the Sprint Cup Awards Ceremony's return to the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City.

The Dec. 5 Waldorf event will continue a tradition started in 1981 for NASCAR's premier series. The event will be held in the Waldorf's Grand Ballroom. Television broadcast information will be announced at a later date.

This lineup is a change from recent seasons, when the Nationwide Series was the finale. This year, that event will preface the New York show.

The 2008 postseason award banquets:

• Nov. 17: Craftsman Truck Series; Seminole Hard Rock; Hollywood, Fla.
• Nov. 22: Nationwide Series; Portofino Bay Hotel; Orlando, Fla.
• Dec. 5: Sprint Cup Series; Waldorf-Astoria; New York