Posted on by Reid Spencer

RELATED: Champion’s Week schedule | Full coverage

LAS VEGAS – Matthew, a sixth-grader, took a long look at the hero card.

Then he glanced up at Martin Truex Jr.’s face and made the connection.

“Wow!” exclaimed Matthew, a pediatric patient at Sunrise Children’s Hospital, as he recognized the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion.

Truex smiled back, happy to provide a moment of pleasure to a stricken child whose every step is accompanied by an IV machine.

A knot of reporters and photographers followed Truex on his visit to the hospital, but the champion’s appearance — during a week set aside to celebrate his accomplishments on the track, culminating in his first series title — had a much deeper meaning to the veteran driver than a mere photo opportunity.

MORE: Pollex discusses championship | Truex arrives for Champion’s Week

Truex’s girlfriend, Sherry Pollex, has been battling ovarian cancer. And even before Pollex was diagnosed in 2014, she and Truex had been active in children’s causes through the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation. Their “Catwalk for a Cause” fashion show has raised more than $550,000 in the fight against childhood and ovarian cancer.

“It’s definitely an honor to do it,” Truex said of the visit. “For them to ask us to come here, and for NASCAR to schedule it and put it all together … it’s such a grounding process when you go in there. It’s a constant reminder, when you see those kids, of just how lucky we are to do what we do, and not only that, to wake up and be healthy every day.

“It’s just so unfair to see them, and it breaks my heart to see how much pain they’re in and how tired they are. It’s a tough thing to figure out how to talk to them, what to say and try to just maybe cheer them up a little. It’s definitely humbling to come here and maybe help just a little bit.”

In the children’s playroom, Truex sat at a small table with four children. In front of them at the center of the table were two Pinewood Derby-style wooden cars decorated by the patients. One car bore the markings “MTJ 78.” The other read simply “Champion.”

Truex signed large hero cards and gave them to the children. Before he left the playroom, Truex and several of the children raced the wooden cars on a long, inclined track.

Through his frequent visits to the Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina, Truex has interacted with many pediatric patients, but the appearances are never routine. Pollex’s battle against cancer makes them even more poignant.

“That’s why we do it at home,” Truex said. “We’re going to Levine’s in a few weeks to give out Christmas presents, to do the same thing — to try to shed a little light and a little happiness for them. I can’t imagine what they’re going through and how they must think and feel.

“It’s just a reminder of how lucky we are. That’s the biggest thing, I think.”

Visits like the “Giving Tuesday” trip to the Sunrise Children’s Hospital are emblematic of the way Truex hopes to represent the sport as its champion.

RELATED: NASCAR Foundation takes part in #GivingTuesday

“I love NASCAR. I love racing,” Truex said. “That’s what I grew up with as a childhood dream of mine. So I’m going to do the best job I can and try to represent the sport well. There are a lot of great champions who have come before me, and hopefully I’ll be able to hold up my end of the deal.

“I’ll try my best. I’m probably a little different than most have been, I would say, but hopefully I’ll bring something to the table that will help the sport.”

If you were to ask the children at Sunrise Hospital, he already has.

Posted on by Staff Report

SHOP: 2018 LVMS Races
RELATED: Full schedule | More info on Champion’s Week

The NASCAR world descends upon Las Vegas for its annual Champion’s Week. The 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion Martin Truex Jr. will be celebrated on Thursday evening during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards. Before that, there is an Appreci88ion event with Dale Jr., the Myers Brothers Awards, Victory Lap where drivers do burnouts in the streets of Las Vegas and NASCAR After The Lap, which will include a live episode of the “Glass Case of Emotion” podcast with Ryan Blaney, Kim Coon and Chuck Bush. Keep up with all that happenings during Champion’s Week here.

LATEST NEWS
— Champion Martin Truex Jr. honored at award show
— Cain: Dale Jr., Truex Jr.: Friends, competitors, champions in so many ways
— Cole Pearn picks up unique souvenir
— Best quotes from the 2017 Monster Energy Series Awards
— Blaney, Elliott discuss ‘learning curves’ as young drivers
— Kenseth reflects on emotional win at Phoenix
— Johnson, Hamlin share 2018 expectations
— Kyle Busch jokes about inheriting ‘Junior Nation’
— Dale Jr. wins 2017 NMPA Most Popular Driver Award
— Julian Maha wins 2017 Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award
— Red Carpet Photos: 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards
— Las Vegas playoff race reveals name for 2018
— Watch the full replay of the star-studded ‘Glass Case of Emotion’
— Johnson passes down champion’s journal
— Kurt Busch confident he’ll be back at SHR in 2018
— Dale Jr. to serve as 2018 Daytona 500 grand marshal
— Hamlin on Elliott: Rules of engagement established for 2018
— Austin Dillon: Championship 4 the goal in 2018
— Martin Truex Jr., Sherry Pollex receive Myers Brothers Award
— Cole Pearn takes home Champion Crew Chief Award
— Dale Jr. presented with Chevrolet Lifetime Achievement Award
— Kyle Larson named Mobil 1 Driver of the Year
— No. 18 crew honored as Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award
— Bruton Smith receives Buddy Shuman Award
— Erik Jones accepts Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award
— FOX Sports, NBC Sports honored with 2017 NASCAR Marketing Achievement Award
— Dancing with Dale? Earnhardt says ‘that’s never going to happen’
— Stars come out to salute Dale Jr. at Appreci88ion event
— Appreci88ion: Behind the scenes with Dale Jr.
— Hospital visits hits home for Truex Jr.
— Larson, Credit One Bank expand sponsorship relationship
— Scenes from 2017 NASCAR Champion’s Week
— NBCSN reveals lineup for 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards
— Eventful Champion’s Week, driver appearances on tap for Las Vegas

Posted on by Holly Cain

RELATED: Career stats for Kyle Larson

LAS VEGAS – Kyle Larson wasted no time making NASCAR’s Champion’s Week in Las Vegas a cause to celebrate Tuesday afternoon with his Chip Ganassi Racing team formally introducing Credit One Bank as a primary sponsor for the No. 42 Chevrolet in 2018.

The bank, which is also the Official Credit Card of NASCAR, will be the team’s largest sponsor and most prevalent logo on the car for multiple races. Exact details of the agreement weren’t disclosed. It will begin its multi-year association with the 2018 Daytona 500.

“It’s great that Credit One Bank will be expanding their partnership with our team next season,” said Larson, a four-time 2017 race winner and playoff driver. “It’s been cool to see their excitement and interest in our team and NASCAR grow throughout this year. We’ve had some exciting races with them on board and hopefully there’s more to come next year.”

For the past four seasons, Target had been Larson’s primary sponsor, but the retail company decided to move to other interests after the 2017 season.

“Our sales people at the shop with our team were never worried,” Larson told NASCAR.com. “They felt confident in the relationship they had with Credit One, and for Credit One to step up shows how much they appreciate our team and I know how much we appreciate them.”

Credit One will also appear as an “associate sponsor” on the No. 1 Chevrolet of Larson’s teammate Jamie McMurray next season, the same car its brand debuted with in 2016. 

The partnership between Larson and Credit One comes just weeks after Larson, 25, was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 in Sports 2018 List. He had a breakout year in NASCAR’s premier ranks scoring an impressive eight runner-up finishes in addition to his four victories – two of the second-place showings came with Credit One on the hood.

RELATED: Larson makes prestigious Forbes list

“Credit One Bank is thrilled to continue our partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing and the No. 42 team and Kyle Larson by becoming the leading team sponsor,” said Laura Faulkner, Vice President of Marketing Communications for Credit One.

The bank’s increased sponsorship of Larson caps a significant year in sports for the company, which is also a sponsor of the NHL’s expansion Vegas Golden Knights team located near a brand-new 154,000-square foot corporate headquarters in Las Vegas and opening in December.

Posted on by

RELATED: Full Champion’s Week schedule | Champion’s Week events, more

STAMFORD, Conn. – November 28, 2017 – NBCSN commemorates the conclusion of the 2017 NASCAR Season, with complete coverage of the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards, this Thursday, November 30 at 9 p.m. ET. A special two-hour edition of NASCAR America kicks off the evening at 7 p.m. ET, with on-site red carpet coverage from the Wynn Las Vegas, in Las Vegas.

NASCAR on NBC’s Krista Voda (@KristaVoda) and Rutledge Wood (@RutledgeWood) host Thursday evening’s award ceremony honoring 2017 Monster Energy Series Champion, and driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota, Martin Truex Jr. Coverage will include a special tribute to Dale Earnhardt Jr., as NASCAR celebrates the final season for motorsport’s most iconic driver of his era. In addition, the show will feature the announcement of the National Motorsports Press Association’s Most Popular Driver award, won by Earnhardt Jr. for the past 14 years.

Carolyn Manno (@carolynmanno) will anchor Thursday’s red-carpet edition of NASCAR America. Manno will be joined on set by NASCAR on NBC analysts Kyle Petty (@KylePetty) and Parker Kligerman (@pkligerman), from NBC Sports Group’s headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut. NASCAR on NBC pit reporters Kelli Stavast (@KelliStavast) and Marty Snider (@HeyMartysnider) will contribute on-site from the NASCAR Awards red carpet at the Wynn Las Vegas. Highlighted by exclusive interviews with all 16 NASCAR Cup Series playoff drivers, Thursday’s special pre-awards edition of NASCAR America will also include interviews with NASCAR legends and the many celebrities in attendance.

Posted on by Steve Luvender

MORE: 2017 season review in GIFs

2017 was such a

season for racing. It’s a bummer that

and

, but at least we can look forward to 2018 when

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.

Before the season started, I predicted this was going to be

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I was hoping to see a

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rivalry heat up, but it never happened. I think

should be banned because of his/her antics, because I am

.

Out of the Championship 4, I was really pulling for

to go all the way, since he’s

. In my opinion, of all the Playoff drivers, it’s just not fair that

didn’t win the championship because

.

Anyway, it’s time for the off-season, which means

. If 2018 is anything like 2017, I’m going to

.

Posted on by Pat DeCola

Twitter was buzzing Tuesday morning after a Hollywood Life report emerged saying newly-retired Dale Earnhardt Jr. was high on the list of stars being considered for a spot on the upcoming, all-athlete season of “Dancing with the Stars.”

Could NASCAR’s most popular driver become the next stock car star to appear on the hit show, following in the nimble footsteps of Michael Waltrip?

MORE: Recap Waltrip’s time on DWTS

For a quick second, NASCAR Nation was all like …

But then Earnhardt responded to Adam Stern of Sports Business Daily’s tweet linking to the report.

And emphatic fist pumps quickly turned to …

Welp, so much for that.

Here’s to hoping that Matt Kenseth is second on producers’ list.

Posted on by Staff Report

MORE: Bud Moore, NASCAR Hall of Famer, passes away at age 92

NASCAR Hall of Famer Bud Moore passed away at the age of 92.

A decorated member of America’s “Greatest Generation” who went on to win NASCAR championships as car owner and crew chief after serving in the military during World War II, Moore had been the oldest living member of the Hall of Fame.

NASCAR Nation offered condolences to the late American hero on Twitter after the news broke.

RELATED: Bud Moore through the years | Hall of Fame speech


Posted on by Staff Report

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s involvement with Nationwide Children’s Hospital will continue into his retirement as he and wife Amy announced the creation of the Dale and Amy Earnhardt Fund at the hospital via Twitter on Tuesday morning.


Earnhardt has been visiting the Nationwide Children’s Hospital for the past three years, making five trips to the Columbus, Ohio-based facility through his partnership with Nationwide. He most recently made a trip to the hospital in July, ahead of the tripleheader race weekend at Kentucky Speedway. As a retirement present, the track presented him with a special jukebox that would be given to the hospital.

RELATED: Earnhardt finds, gives comfort at Nationwide Children’s Hospital

The hospital also named an area of the facility the Dale and Amy Earnhardt Activity Room last season.

“We will continue to go,” Earnhardt said in a press conference after his July visit. “We will be connected to that place forever. Can’t wait to go back. Can’t wait to take a whole planeload of people with me that have never seen it before so they can see what is going on.”

 

Posted on by

RELATED: See Moore’s Hall of Fame speech in 2011

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Walter “Bud” Moore Jr., a decorated member of America’s “Greatest Generation” who went on to win NASCAR championships as car owner and crew chief, has died at the age of 92.

Moore, a Spartanburg, South Carolina, native who won the NASCAR premier series title in 1957 as crew chief for Buck Baker and car owner titles in 1962-63 with Joe Weatherly, had been the oldest living member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. He was inducted in 2011.

After graduating from high school, Moore joined the military in 1943 at the age of 18 as a machine gunner, assigned to the 90th Infantry Division which landed on Utah Beach in France on D-Day, June 6, 1944. His unit was attached to General George W. Patton’s “Third Army,” which pushed to liberate Europe. In recognition of his heroism, Moore was decorated with five Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars (the second with clusters).

Auto racing was a destination for many returning veterans. NASCAR was born in 1948 and Moore, as a South Carolinian who enjoyed fixing cars, would make the organization his life’s work. Referring to himself as “a country mechanic who loved to make ’em run fast,” Moore stood more than six feet tall and couldn’t be missed in the garage – or in Victory Lane where his cars won during parts of four decades beginning in 1961. In all, Moore won 63 times as an owner.

Moore and Weatherly proved to be a virtually unstoppable combination. The duo won eight times in 1961 and 12 times during their back-to-back championship seasons. Weatherly died in early 1964 during a race at the old Riverside (California) International Raceway, ending what could have been a dynasty rivaling that of Petty Enterprises and other top teams of the era.

RELATED: Bud Moore’s journey through NASCAR

Moore’s team would not win another title but came close with such top drivers as NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt and Bobby Allison, and NASCAR Hall of Fame nominees Buddy Baker and Ricky Rudd. Each managed to finish among the top 10 in the championship standings at least once, with Allison the runner-up in 1978.

“Bud was special,” Buddy Baker told The Gaston (N.C.) Gazette in 2000. “He’s kind of like Bill France. He’s been here since day one. The first time they threw up a handful of dirt, Bud ran through it. Of all the people I ever drove for, he was the boss more so than anybody.”

Allison won the 1978 Daytona 500, a feat not previously accomplished by Moore or Allison.

Moore’s final NASCAR premier series victory came in May 1993 at Sonoma Raceway.

NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France issued a statement following news of Moore’s passing: “Many choose the word ‘hero’ when describing athletes who accomplish otherworldly sporting feats. Oftentimes, it’s an exaggeration. But when detailing the life of the great Bud Moore, it’s a description that fits perfectly.

“Moore, a decorated veteran of World War II, served our country before dominating our sport as both a crew chief and, later, an owner. As a crew chief, Moore guided NASCAR Hall of Famer Buck Baker to a championship in 1957. As an owner, he captured consecutive titles in 1962-63 with another Hall of Famer, Joe Weatherly. Those successes, along with many more, earned him his own spot in the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2011.

“On behalf of all of NASCAR, I offer my condolences to Bud’s family, friends and fans. We will miss Bud, a giant in our sport, and a true American hero.”

RELATED: NASCAR community expresses sympathy

The NASCAR Hall of Fame echoed France’s sentiments, in a statement issued by its executive director, Winston Kelley.

“Walter ‘Bud’ Moore was truly a hero in every sense of the word. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary describes a hero as: ‘A person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities.’ Many may fit one of these categories but very few fit into each,” Kelley’s statement read. “Bud left an indelible mark on NASCAR. We are humbled that he considers his crowning achievement as his induction in the second class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, one of our first 10 inductees. That alone speaks to the magnitude of his accomplishments and contributions to NASCAR as both a championship owner and crew chief.”

Moore called his enshrinement with the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s second class an honor. After offering his appreciation during his induction speech for those who supported him during his many years in stock-car racing, Moore recounted his response to his daughter-in-law’s question about how he wanted to be remembered.

“The answer is simple: One who made many contributions to building the sport, one whose handshake was as good as any contract, who always gave a straight answer and would never sugar-coat it, either,” Moore said. “Most of all, to be remembered as a man who loves his family, his country and the sport of racing.”

Moore is survived by sons Daryl (wife Carol), Brent (wife Nancy) and Greg (fiancé Roberta), grandchildren: Melissa Moore Padgett (Tommy), Candace Moore Glover (Tommy), Benjamin Moore (Kristen), Thomas Moore, and Brittany Moore, along with seven great-grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren.

He is also survived by brothers, Ralph, William, and Richard Moore and sister, Ann Moore Elder.  He was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Betty Clark Moore, and his brothers, Charles, Cecil and Donald Moore and sisters, Edith Moore Gregory and Helen Moore McKinney.

Services and arrangements will be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to: Victory Junction, 4500 Adam’s Way, Randleman, NC 27317; Wounded Warrior Project, 4899 Belfort Road, Suite 300; Jacksonville, FL or Hearing Charities of America, Hearing Aid Project, 1912 East Meyer Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 64132.

Contributing: Staff reports

Posted on by H.A. Branham

RELATED: How you can help

Amid the typical celebrations that are central to Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion’s Week from Las Vegas, today offers celebration of a different sort. It’s called #GivingTuesday, a worldwide day of giving fueled by the strength of collaboration and the power of social media.

Although a relatively new initiative – it debuted in 2012 – #GivingTuesday has quickly built a budding tradition, annually held on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and increasingly being viewed as the “kick-off” to what is considered the “charitable season” running parallel to the end-of-year holidays.

The NASCAR Foundation, NASCAR’s charitable arm, is getting involved with its “Operation Speedy Bear Brigade” is taking place across the country. Employees from NASCAR and various race tracks are delivering the foundation’s signature stuffed animal mascot to children in hospitals – or preparing “comfort kits” to deliver to children at a later date.

Today, newly crowned Monster Energy Series champion Martin Truex Jr. – along with this year’s four finalists for the foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award presented by Nationwide –delivered bears to young patients at Sunrise Children’s Hospital in Las Vegas.

The award winner will be announced on Thursday night during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards at Wynn Las Vegas.

On Tuesday, however, everyone was a winner.

MORE: Donate a Speedy Bear today!

“Having our champion join our award finalists made an already special day even more special,” said The NASCAR Foundation Executive Director Nichole Krieger. “These types of visits were begun by our late founder, Betty Jane France, who wanted to ease the stress that children experience when they’re in the hospital.

“That was only part of her vision, however. She wanted to have The NASCAR Foundation truly involved in enhancing the delivery of medical care to children throughout the country. That led to the establishment of the Speediatrics Children’s Fund in the fall of 2016 that has given our organization a national footprint.”

That footprint translates to 55,000 children impacted thus far through the fund, in approximately 15 different markets.

NASCAR fans are encouraged to donate $25 to The NASCAR Foundation to send a bear to a child in the hospital. NASCAR is matching all donations on #GivingTuesday, up to $25,000. Click here to donate.