Posted on by Press Release

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (November 6, 2020) – Comcast announced NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace as the sixth annual Comcast Community Champion of the Year. Wallace receives the award for the work his Live To Be Different Foundation does to lift up individuals seeking a means to fulfill their potential, no matter their race, gender, disabilities or socio-economic situation. The foundation will receive a $60,000 donation toward his foundation in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the community in 2020.

Comcast established the prestigious award in 2015 to honor NASCAR industry members for their philanthropic efforts, donating more than $700,000 dollars to 18 different charitable organizations in the NASCAR community through the program. Wallace was chosen by a panel comprised of Comcast NBCUniversal and NASCAR executives, as well as 2019 Comcast Community Champion, Mike Tatoian who received the award for his work with USO Delaware.

“From taking a stand for social justice to fostering an inclusive environment through the Live To Be Different Foundation, Comcast is honored to recognize Bubba Wallace as the 2020 Comcast Community Champion of the Year,” said Matt Lederer, Vice President of Brand Partnerships at Comcast. “Bubba embodies everything this award stands for and we look forward to standing together as he continues to make a positive impact in our communities and across the sport.”

In addition to taking a leadership role in the fight for social justice, the Richard Petty Motorsports driver believes all barriers can be removed so that all dreams can be realized. Through a message of compassion, love and understanding, Live To Be Different’s mission is empowering the next generation to strive and achieve anything they put their mind to, just as Wallace has done in his journey as an African-American race car driver and agent of change in the sport. In doing so, Live To Be Different supports disadvantaged individuals and those in need of a second chance with educational, social or other types of assistance needed to help make their dreams reality.

“This is a tremendous honor for the Live To Be Different Foundation and me,” said Bubba Wallace. “We may be a relatively young organization, but we have lofty goals and high hopes for what we can in our community. I’m a firm believer that if we practice those core principles of compassion, love and understanding, we can make an everlasting and positive change. With Comcast’s generosity, we will look to inspire other and help those in need.”

Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell and Matt Kaulig, owner of Kaulig Racing, were selected as finalists and each will be awarded $30,000 toward the organizations in their hometowns of Martinsville, Va., and Hudson, Ohio, respectively. In conjunction with the Campbell Family Foundation, Campbell works to make Henry County a better place through educational opportunities and financial donations, with a focus on local area youth. Kaulig and his wife, Lisa, founded Kaulig Charitable Giving Programs to ensure the well-being of children and families through direct giving and community involvement, including a strong relationship with Akron Children’s Hospital. Videos highlighting each finalist’s story can be viewed at ComcastCommunityChampion.com.

Comcast has a long track record of community service, aiding in the advancement of local organizations, developing programs & partnerships, mobilizing resources to connect people and inspiring positive and substantive change. To learn more about these efforts, click here.

Posted on by Terrin Waack

Before the 2020 NASCAR Playoffs started, Joey Logano made a list of six or seven best practices he thought were key to a successful race team.

The driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford had already locked himself into the postseason for the third consecutive year and sixth time in the last seven years. But he was on a dry spell, having not won since the second and fourth races of the season. The playoffs began with the 27th event on the schedule.

Logano showed the list to his crew chief, Paul Wolfe, and asked for his opinion.

“He saw the word ‘believe;’ he said that’s the biggest thing,” Logano said Thursday during the Championship 4’s Media Day. “We got to believe in each other. We got to believe in ourselves. We got to believe we can win. We got to believe we’re the best. Be humble to work and find gains, but believe in us.”

RELATED: Complete championship weekend schedule

It was that easy. The No. 22 crew had its motto. And it worked.

Logano qualified for the Championship 4 after advancing through the first two rounds on the basis of points and then winning the Round of 8 opener at Kansas Speedway. He’ll race for his second title Sunday at Phoenix Raceway in the Season Finale 500 (3 p.m. ET on NBC/NBC Sports, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

“Honestly, I feel l like this year feels a lot like 2018,” Logano said. “It’s actually kind of funny because I think about 2018 where we had not the best summer months, then we kind of picked it up as the playoffs started (and) won Martinsville, the first race of the third round, which set up to race for a championship in Miami that year.”

A championship that he won.

Out of the four title-eligible contenders, Logano and teammate Brad Keselowski are previous champions. Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott are aiming for their first title.

Keselowski and Hamlin made the Championship 4 on points. Elliott won the final elimination race at Martinsville Speedway for his first-ever berth. Logano had that Round of 8 opener victory.

RELATED: Phoenix odds | Paint schemes | Starting lineup

“We’ve had three weeks to think about it, be ready for it,” Logano said. “With those things, I feel more confident than ever. I always go back to my first Championship 4 round back in 2014. I remember crapping my pants about how nervous I was. … Now going through it before, knowing how to prepare for what’s coming ahead of you, that battle ahead of you, knowing you succeeded before in the championship round, it really gives you some confidence to go out there and do your job.”

Logano also won the race at Phoenix earlier this season, right before the COVID-19 shutdown. He led 60 of the 316 laps, including the last 24 after passing Keselowski. Logano beat Kevin Harvick to the finish line by .276 seconds.

Safe to say Logano is ready to repeat.

“I think the experience is there, the speed is there,” Logano said. “I think the mentality of the way we race is there.

“I truly believe that we’re the favorites to win this thing.”

MORE: Why Joey Logano will win the title

Posted on by Steve Luvender

February feels like such a long time ago. More like nine years ago than nine months ago. Back before the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season started, I prompted the fine citizens of Twitter to call their shot early: which four drivers would make up the Championship 4?

Of course, nobody could really have predicted all the madness that would unfold in this unpredictable year — on and off the track. And, if they could predict it and didn’t warn us, then, well, that’s just not cool.

For instance, who would have guessed defending champion Kyle Busch would struggle to repeat his 2019 success and face an early elimination? What reasonable person could have foreseen an untimely Kevin Harvick collapse in the playoffs? Who would have imagined Cole Custer would be the newest first-time winner in the Cup Series? (OK, that was me, and I haven’t stopped bragging about it since Custer won at Kentucky in July.)

Still, surely somebody could have defied all the odds and picked the Championship 4 before everything went all topsy-turvy, right? Before we raced three times at Darlington and added the Daytona Road Course to the schedule? Prior to the time where Denny Hamlin was merely a two-time Daytona 500 champion and wasn’t planning to team up with Michael Jordan?

OMG, someone did it

Turns out the answer is yes. Twitter was right.

Well, one Twitter user was right: @MarkRH was the only respondent who, on February 13, 2020, guessed the Championship 4 would come down to Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, and Denny Hamlin.

Like 2020 itself, it’s simply unbelievable.

Let’s all offer a hearty congratulations to @MarkRH (from at least six feet), who somehow pulled off what even our own fantasy experts couldn’t guess.

For reference, in 2019, two people predicted the Championship 4. In 2018, not one person guessed correctly.

The Wall of Shame

Of course, accountability goes both ways. We can laud @MarkRH, who was nothing short of prophetic, but we also have to make fun of the guesses that were so bad that all four of their Championship 4 predictions were wrong.

For these 17, thank you for participating, and may you have better luck next season.

https://twitter.com/LJTolito11/status/1228008288236769282

https://twitter.com/CKTheFlyingScot/status/1227974734287118338

And a few tweets more

What’s Twitter without a little fun? I’ve got to pick on a few specific responses back in February.

My friend, it turned out nothing was predictable or boring about 2020. Though, there may have been times were a little semblance of predictability would have been nice.

The joke here was that all four picks are retired drivers but who would have guessed the full-time return of Matt Kenseth? Not me. 2020, man.

Finally, I suppose there’s technically a second correct response between one and three drivers won in the Round of 8, and at least one driver advanced on points. While we can’t count this in the official record, I’ll give a tip of the cap for finding a loophole. You’d make a fine crew chief. (Or fast-thinking jackman.)

Thanks to everybody who played along! We’ll do it again next year where, maybe, hopefully, things feel at least a little more predictable.

Posted on by Pat DeCola

Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of four stories examining why each driver could win the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series championship.

Tuesday: Denny Hamlin
Wednesday: Brad Keselowski
Thursday: Chase Elliott
Friday: Joey Logano

• • •

Joey Logano will win the 2020 championship because …

Any path to the trophy likely goes through him, and there’s a strong chance he’s blocking the way.

While Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin were unquestionably in a league of their own for much of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, Logano is the driver most of his peers would likely to say they enjoyed racing against the least this year. Not only is he exceptionally talented on the race track, he has a certain way of making said real estate seem *that* much smaller for his competitors, feverishly working his rearview mirror to make them work just a little harder to get past him.

This wouldn’t be as much of an issue for them if he also wasn’t doing this at the front of the field, and often.

Now remember, at the beginning of the season the first four races looked strongly suggested it was going to be Logano’s year with a pair of quick wins at Las Vegas and Phoenix before the sport was shut down for two-plus months due to the pandemic. By his own admission, the No. 22 driver and his crew lost their way a bit once the competition resumed. Whether it was from a strict lack of performance or the tough adjustment to no practice time to tinker, it all settled with an average finish of 16.33 over the first 15 races back that culminated in a crash at Kansas that netted a 35th-place result.

RELATED: Odds, lines for Phoenix championship race

Despite that mediocre average finish, though, Logano was still an extremely consistent presence among the leaders, pacing the field for double-digit laps in 11 of those contests, including a fourth-place run with 234 laps led at Martinsville — a venue that deploys the same short-track package that’ll be used in Sunday’s Season Finale 500 at Phoenix Raceway (3 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio).

Even still, that Kansas crash appeared to be somewhat of a turning point for Logano, as he then reeled off six straight top-nine finishes in the march to the regular-season cutoff at Daytona where a crash, unfortunately, spoiled his streak. Take an even closer look, and the stats might even suggest he’s been the best driver since the calendar turned to August.

Removing a crash at the Daytona cutoff (in which he also happened to lead 36 laps, despite being locked in already) and another one at Talladega in the Round of 12 (where, hey, he also led 45 laps) and in the remaining 14 races between the Kansas crash and last weekend at Martinsville, the 2018 champ owns a sterling 6.2 average finish.

Combine all of that with a handful of other facts …

  • Won the most recent race at Phoenix in the spring.
  • Has won the fall race at Phoenix before (2016).
  • Is the only Championship 4 driver to win a title in this format.
  • Has the only title-winning crew chief in the Championship 4 calling the shots (Paul Wolfe).
  • Has had more time than the others to prepare for the title race by virtue of Kansas win in Round of 8 opener.

… and there’s a lot to like for the Logano camp about their potential for a second championship in three years.

You still have to race the race and in no way does any of this guarantee the No. 22 a title, but it feels certain that he’s going to have a significant impact on whoever’s holding the trophy at the end — whether it’s him, or because another driver specifically beat him.

And there might not be a harder driver to beat on Sunday.

MORE: Joey Logano through the years

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR fans and country music fans will get a treat during NBC’s coverage of the Cup Series championship race Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. Luke Combs, a multi-platinum, ACM, CMA, CMT and Billboard Music Award-winning artist from Asheville, North Carolina, will debut his song “Blue Collar Boys” during NBC’s coverage, which starts at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Combs, whom the New York Times called “the most promising and influential new country star of the last five years,” will record performances of “Blue Collar Boys” and “Angels Workin’ Overtime” with NASCAR.

“Blue Collar Boys” has never been performed on television and “Angels Workin’ Overtime” has never been performed across any national media. That gives fans a chance to see these works before many others do as Combs performs the songs acoustically with two other musicians.

Full-length performances of both songs will also be viewable on-demand on NASCAR Facebook and NASCAR YouTube channels. So make a plan to watch on Sunday and check out Combs, who broke Taylor Swift’s record by having his first two albums spend 25 weeks or more at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart.

Then, after you’re done listening to the music, don’t forget to tune in to the Season Finale 500 from Phoenix Raceway where NASCAR will crown a Cup Series champion from a field that includes Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano.

NBC’s NASCAR coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. ET on Sunday on NBC and the NBC Sports App. The race gets underway shortly after 3 p.m. ET on NBC and the NBC Sports App.

Posted on by Terrin Waack

The 85th version did the trick.

NASCAR officials had to revise the 2020 Cup Series schedule 85 times due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Sunday’s Season Finale 500 at Phoenix Raceway will mark the 36th and final race of the year, though. The sport overcame a nine-week, eight-race postponement only to finish out the season as originally planned.

“I think each champion has their own asterisk next to them,” Brad Keselowski said Thursday during Championship 4 Media Day. “You know, each championship is won in its own unique way. It’s hard to say which ones mean more and which ones mean less.

“You can argue the formats play into that. You can argue external circumstances, like COVID-19, play into that. You can certainly argue that rules packages on the cars play into that. It’s really hard, I think, to quantify championships and maybe their difficult level or their earned level with everything that goes on over the course of a year or season.”

RELATED: Complete championship weekend schedule

Keselowski is a member of Championship 4. Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott complete the quartet. They’re the only drivers eligible for the title.

The 10-race playoff slate remained untouched during NASCAR’s schedule revisions, which was a priority for the sanctioning body, and it did not disappoint. Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, who’s retiring from full-time competition at the end of the season, did not qualify for the postseason’s opening Round of 16. Reigning Cup Series titleholder Kyle Busch was eliminated from contention after the Round of 12, yet won his first race of the season in the Round of 8. Nine-time 2020 winner Kevin Harvick missed the Championship 4 by eight points despite entering the final elimination race with a 42-point buffer.

“There’s a trophy at the end of the day,” Logano said. “We all had to go to the same amount of races. We all had the same opportunity to score points and wins. The rules didn’t change in the middle of the year.”

Rules, no. Schedule, yes.

NASCAR implemented midweek races and doubleheaders to make up for lost time. It also scratched practice and qualifying in order to limit at-track exposure to one day.

RELATED: “Saving the Season,” how NASCAR operated amid COVID-19 pandemic

No exceptions were made for the championship.

“It takes a lot of pieces away from the puzzle, right?” Elliott said. “I don’t know that it’s good or bad. I mean, if you start the race on Sunday and your car’s off, dang, I wish we had some practice; I wish we could have fixed this on Friday or Saturday. If you start the race on Sunday, your car is driving good, then no, you’re probably happy with not having any. I think it comes down to whether or not you hit your balance close to the race.”

Said Hamlin: “It’s different, but we’ve adapted all year. It won’t hurt us to adapt for one more week.”

One more week. One more race. Then, that’s it.

The 2020 season may have been unorthodox, but it was a complete season nonetheless and therefore deserves a champion.

“The reality is the championship is just that: It’s a culmination of work and effort that’s led up to an overall title,” Keselowski said. “And in that sense, I don’t want to undermine it.”

Posted on by Staff Report

For old times’ sake, the large glass that Brad Keselowski used to toast his 2012 NASCAR Cup Series championship has been located. The bad news: It wasn’t empty.

Keselowski will apparently have the super-sized glassware on standby when he gets his shot at the 2020 title in Sunday’s season finale (3 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Phoenix Raceway. He earned his first premier series title eight years ago at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

RELATED: Why Brad Keselowski will win the 2020 title | Phoenix schedule

In 2012, he celebrated with the trophy, but also with a sudsy flagon of Miller Lite — his primary sponsor at the time. That led to a viral moment in a tipsy Victory Lane interview with ESPN’s SportsCenter, something that Keselowski — now married and with children — has been warned by his family not to repeat.

“My wife has told me that she will prepare the glass as long as I promise to drink responsibly,” Keselowski said, “and we have a deal.”

But the piece of Keselowski racing nostalgia had a little bit of his sponsor’s product remaining in the bottom of the glass — not ideal.

“Those people that know me know that I like to leave things as they were, meaning that we located the glass from 2012,” Keselowski said. “It still had beer in it, a little on the bottom. Needless to say, that was not a pleasant sight, but it was authentic. So my wife is cleaning it as we speak. She’s going to wrap it up, put it in a nice bubble-wrap box, and hopefully we’ll be getting it out Sunday night.”

Posted on by Pat DeCola

Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of four stories examining why each driver could win the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series championship.

Tuesday: Denny Hamlin
Wednesday: Brad Keselowski
Thursday: Chase Elliott
Friday: Joey Logano

• • •

Denny Hamlin will win the 2020 championship because …

He thinks he can.

I’ll be honest, there’s some cause for concern here. Hamlin’s only win of the playoffs came at Talladega and he has just three top-10 finishes in 10 races since his win at Dover. His 11.1 average finish in the playoffs isn’t mesmerizing when drivers are supposed to be performing at their best.

At no point during a roller coaster of a nine-race stretch to open the postseason did Hamlin seem concerned, down or unsure of the notion that he and his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team were going all the way. And despite the surmounting questions since the calendar turned to September, here they are.

RELATED: Ranking all 12 Championship 4 drivers

It might not have been pretty at times and it probably wasn’t their preferred method of advancing to Phoenix with a title shot, but that part of the job is done. And now suddenly Hamlin, who has three more wins than any of his Championship 4 counterparts, has a shot at his first title for the second year in a row.

And looking a little closer at the results of the playoff races, he led laps in all but two of them, pointing to likely having at least the speed necessary to contend for the win Sunday.

The sting of last year’s disappointment likely still feels fresh, and it certainly wasn’t his first taste of championship letdown. Hamlin will be ready to go on Sunday, and he’ll be sure to do everything in his power to not go through that heartbreak again.

Hamlin’s back-and-forth struggle with Kevin Harvick over the summer as two master craftsmen attempted to out-excellent each other was a blast to watch, and it’ll be a bit of a disappointment to not see that story line conclude in the season finale. That might, however, open the door a bit for 2020’s 1B to Harvick’s 1A to just outright dominate the race.

He entered last season’s finale riding a wave of momentum coming off a win at this very track and fell flat at Miami. With expectations slightly diminished from the height of his midseason dominance, perhaps this year Denny Hamlin’s got ’em right where he wants ’em.

MORE: Denny Hamlin through the years

Posted on by Staff Report

The legend is leaving. After Sunday’s Season Finale 500 at Phoenix Raceway, Jimmie Johnson will no longer be a full-time driver in the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. That job will instead belong to Alex Bowman next year. So, what now?

For Johnson, he will move on to an IndyCar ride with Chip Ganassi Racing and said recently he is dreaming about a return in the Rolex 24. But as far as NASCAR is concerned, unless we get a cameo appearance — and nothing has been planned — this Sunday is our last chance to see “Seven Time” in a stock car.

So with one more weekend to celebrate one of the best drivers ever to put on a fire suit, let’s enjoy some content. Bookmark this page and come back often, because we will add to it as more becomes available.

ARTICLES

— Johnson’s final race: One Final Time was good for a fifth-place finish at Phoenix Raceway for the seven-time champion. Hear from Johnson as he tries to put into words what his last race meant to him. READ MORE

— Drivers, peers share send-offs: Chad Knaus, Jeff Gordon and others chimed in on social media to pay tribute to Jimmie Johnson for his final race as a full-time driver. Read their kind words and reactions. READ MORE

— Jimmie Johnson cared when he didn’t have to: Hear from Cup Series contemporaries such as Brad Keselowski as they discuss Johnson as a fellow competitor and the way he acted on and off the track. Find out why Keselowski said Johnson cared when didn’t have to, setting “Seven-Time” apart from the rest. READ MORE

— Silver streak: Johnson unveiled a new silvery look for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Ally Chevrolet for his final ride at Phoenix. Check it out and discover what his teammates have planned for their paint schemes that will pay tribute to Jimmie. READ MORE

— Johnson reaches out to young designer: Before this season’s fall race at Texas, Johnson surprised one of his biggest fans, a young University of Michigan design student who was bullied on the internet for introducing a Pride scheme to iRacing. See the young man’s reaction, as well as his No. 48 design for that race. READ MORE

— A legacy of lessons: Johnson’s impact on and off the track is immeasurable. Holly Cain looks at his roots, his rise and the mark he has left on competitors across the sport. READ MORE

— Forever family: Emotions are beginning to bubble to the surface for team owner Rick Hendrick ahead of Johnson’s final full-time start in the No. 48 Chevrolet. READ MORE

VIDEOS

— Johnson honored at Phoenix: Jimmie Johnson was honored at Phoenix Raceway with a pace lap ahead of the field. Watch as the seven-time champion saluted the fans in his final race as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver. WATCH VIDEO

— Favorite Jimmie Johnson memories: As fast as they race and as close as they race, and heck, as much as they race, everyone has a run-in or a rivalry with someone else. But we asked drivers for their favorite Jimmie Johnson memories, and while the stories flourished, not one of them remembered ever being mad at Jimmie. WATCH VIDEO

— Face morph: Clean-shaven, stubbly, marathon-tested and, well, you get the picture. Watch Jimmie Johnson’s face change through the years. For fun, hit pause on the video and see which look you get. WATCH VIDEO

GALLERIES

— Photos from Phoenix: Check out the best pictures from Jimmie Johnson’s final race as a full-time driver at Phoenix Raceway. SEE PHOTOS

— Jimmie Johnson’s career in photos: From his early start on dirt to his seventh championship and all the way to the Boston Marathon and everywhere in between, see photos of Johnson in his best and most revealing times. This includes a look at some of the cool tributes tracks have done for him down the stretch. SEE PHOTOS

— 48 reason to love ‘Seven-Time’: Steve Luvender celebrates Jimmie in a fun way that only he can, reaching far back into that mind of his to pull out some gems like Charlie Meatball, “Boom Confetti,” as well as cameos on Superstore and Herbie: Fully Loaded. One thing is for sure, Johnson has led a very cool life. SEE PHOTOS

— All he does is win: Like we said, there are 83 Cup victories, and you can enjoy them all from the first in 2002 at his hometown track of Auto Club Speedway to the most recent in 2017 at Dover International Speedway to tie Cale Yarborough for sixth place on the all-time win list.  | READ MORE

THE ESSENTIALS
— Jimmie Johnson driver page
— Shop: Jimmie Johnson gear
— Hendrick Motorsports team page
— Racing Reference: Career stats

Posted on by Press Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 5, 2020) – Today, The NASCAR Foundation announced that Charlene Greer, a lifelong NASCAR fan and nine-year volunteer with Boys & Girls Clubs of Volusia/Flagler Counties, is the winner of The NASCAR Foundation’s 10th annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award. Greer received the award — along with a $100,000 donation to Boys & Girls Clubs of Volusia/Flagler Counties — during a celebration live-streamed on NASCAR.com from the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America at Daytona International Speedway.

Greer, from Daytona Beach, Florida, is one of four finalists who are all longtime NASCAR fans. Greer grew up spending weekends at the track with her father, a motorsports mechanic. Some of her fondest memories are witnessing Bill Elliott go from being known as “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville” to “Million Dollar Bill” with his win at Darlington in 1985 over Labor Day weekend and her first time attending the DAYTONA 500, now her home track.

RELATED: Learn more about The NASCAR Foundation

This year, The NASCAR Foundation chose to celebrate each finalist with a small celebration in their race markets. Finalists include Daryl Farler representing Amputee Blade Runners celebrating at the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation with Nashville Superspeedway; Larry Jordan representing Angel Flight Soars, Inc. at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta; and, Rich Langley with the Roc Solid Foundation celebrating with the team at Richard Childress Racing Museum. Each of the three finalists receives a $25,000 donation to their charity and with it being the 10th year of the Award, an additional $5,000 gift to honor the occasion.

“This year’s finalists are all stand outs. Their NASCAR spirit is behind the incredible work they do to improve the lives of children in our communities each and every day,” said Mike Helton, chairman of The NASCAR Foundation. “What a year this has been and our fans rallied around this award like never before. We are very proud of all the finalists and particularly proud to present the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award to Charlene Greer, a very deserving recipient, to honor the work she’s doing in NASCAR’s hometown of Daytona Beach.”

The award honors the philanthropic ideals and vision of The NASCAR Foundation’s late founder and chairperson, Betty Jane France, and is annually presented to a NASCAR fan who is an accomplished volunteer championing children’s causes. This year marks the 10th annual presentation of the award impacting 354,647 children to date while recognizing 40 finalists with a total of $1,770,000 in contributions to the causes they represent.

Greer’s win will help change the lives of children living with disadvantaged circumstances. The resulting $100,000 donation will cover the costs to transport all of the organization’s more than 1,400 children safely to the eight Boys & Girls clubs after school utilizing bus transportation. With 87 percent of its members on free or reduced lunch and the club’s motto to never turn any child away for their inability to pay, this would help the children to realize their full potential.

“Being a finalist for the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award has been overwhelmingly humbling,” stated Greer. “I cannot thank The NASCAR Foundation enough for giving us the platform to talk about the life-changing works that our staff and volunteers at The Boys and Girls Clubs of Volusia/Flagler Counties facilitates every day. Being able to represent the incredible team of people that stand beside me serving the mission and the passion for our kids has been an honor. From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU!”

Greer lends nearly 120 hours each month in her support of the Boys & Girls Clubs including operational funding, and her vision and execution of special activities that directly benefit the students. She mentors children which is her favorite role, participates in board meetings and advocates for the cause while meeting with local elected officials and community leaders. Her fundraising efforts are likely the most widely recognized as her support wholly funds the Clubs’ annual Honor Roll Banquet and Christmas party.

To learn more about The NASCAR Foundation’s programs, including the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award and Speediatrics Children’s Fund, please visit NASCARfoundation.org.