Posted on by Lorene King

Lorene King, executive director of the NASCAR Foundation, has done a Q&A with each of the four finalists for the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award. They will appear on NASCAR.com this week.


RELATED: Cast your vote today


As another year comes swiftly to a close, we should all take time for reflection. As a charitable organization, we are thankful for those of you whose volunteer service impacts the lives of others and our communities.


Volunteerism remains strong with one in four adults volunteering in our country. The NASCAR Foundation has established the encouragement and support of volunteerism as one of our major efforts. Through the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award that honors our founder, Betty Jane France, we annually receive and review hundreds of nominees from which four finalists are selected.  


The stories of these four outstanding, everyday champions and the charities they serve are told through special appearances at NASCAR races, our marketing efforts and those of our supporters and sponsors. We are blessed this year that Nationwide has joined us as Presenting Sponsor of the Award and is helping us spread the word about each of our finalists and their work for children.  


This week, we are giving you a more in-depth look at each of this year’s finalists. These outstanding volunteers will touch your heart, so please stay tuned as each of these champions for children share their passion. And you can help — vote for your favorite every day, share these stories through social media, and tune in to the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards at Wynn Las Vegas at 9 p.m. ET on Dec. 4 (NBCSN), to see the winner of this year’s award.


Q: What does it mean to you to be among the finalists for The NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award presented by Nationwide this year?

A: It means the world. Not only is my whole family NASCAR fans, this award will truly help put us on the map and be a game changer for the Stephanie Decker Foundation. The cost of running a camp for amputee kids can be quite high, between scholarships, travel/food for kids, programming, supplies and staffing.


Q: How will being selected as a finalist further your cause?

A: This award provides a large platform to bring awareness to children with missing limbs to an audience that we wouldn’t have reached before. Not only is it an opportunity to obtain sponsorships and form partnerships with other like-minded foundations, but it truly helps to bring awareness to the parents of limb different children, letting them know our organization exists to help.


Q: Why did you choose to work with this organization and/or cause?
A: When I lost my legs and began to get media attention about my survival, I realized that I was given a true opportunity to help make a difference. After experiencing our first camp and seeing the impact on the children we were helping, I knew this was what my family and I were meant to do. We haven’t looked back since. Our foundation helps provide sport opportunities, and sports are huge in our family. Being able to provide kids with confidence, skill, and teach metaphors for life experiences is priceless.


Q: What inspires you and your personal commitment to your cause?

A: When the kids first come into camp they are shy, but then they just blossom and come out of their shell. The truth is, those kids personally give us so much more in return than we can give them. It’s about the kids. They are our “why.”


Q: What has been the most rewarding moment during your work with your charity so far?

A: There was an amazing girl named Ella who never played sports (didn’t think she could) and was so quiet. Through her experiences at camp, she has gained so much confidence. Now she does jujitsu and loves to talk — and her mother said our camp changed her life. Instead of being a victim in other people’s eyes, she is now an advocate for herself and is taking on the world. It is priceless. 

Q: Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you, your charity and your work?  

A: We are so honored to even be considered. It’s important that people know we are an organization that needs some awareness — by voting for our foundation, it’s a true opportunity to make a difference in children’s lives. 


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RELATED: Full race results | Final 2015 standings | Chase Grid

Below is a breakdown of how the full 43-car field fared at Homestead-Miami Speedway:

1. Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing.  Kyle Busch capped his comeback season in dramatic fashion, winning at Homestead and claiming his first NASCAR Sprint Cup championship. The title marks the first for manufacturer Toyota, as well.



2. Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. The 2014 champion led 46 laps — the most of any championship contender.



3. Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford, Team Penske. Keselowski battled back after an early pit road penalty to lead a race-high 86 laps and match his best Homestead result.



4. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford, Team Penske. The outside pole sitter led 72 laps, but was shuffled back after late-race pit stops. He picked up two spots after restarting sixth with seven laps to go.



5. Kyle Larson, No. 42 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing. Larson won Saturday’s XFINITY race at Homestead and put in a strong showing in his third and best Homestead outing.



6. Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. “It’s a happy good day,” Gordon said after exiting his No. 24 Chevrolet. He climbed from 10th to sixth with five laps to go in his Cup finale.



7. Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Kenseth quietly recorded his eighth top-10 at Homestead in his first race back after serving a two-race suspension.



8. Kurt Busch, No. 41 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Kurt Busch fell back to 41st after making contact with the wall early, but resumed running inside the top 10 on Lap 55.



9. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson fought back after having to serve an early penalty when his jackman attempted to manipulate the body near the right-rear wheel.



10. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin rallied from being three laps down after a gear oil leak sent him to the garage early.



11. Carl Edwards, No. 19 Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing. Homestead is typically one of Edwards’ better tracks, and he spent most of the day running inside the top 10.



12. Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Chevrolet, Furniture Row Racing. Truex’s best Cup season ended short of a championship as handling issues plagued him down the stretch.



13. Jamie McMurray, No. 1 Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing. McMurray capped a solid season with his seventh top-15 at Homestead.



14. Austin Dillon, No. 3 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Dillon and his team chased the handling of the No. 3 Chevy with minimal success. With 100 laps to go, Dillon reported the adjustments weren’t helping as his car was sliding through the corners.



15. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford, Roush-Fenway Racing. Biffle took the wave-around late in Sunday’s race to resume running on the lead lap in 17th.



16. Ryan Newman, No. 31 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Newman sustained some right-side damage after getting caught up in the oil laid down by Denny Hamlin early in the race. The damage later triggered a tire rub. 



17. Ryan Blaney, No. 21 Ford, Wood Brothers Racing. Blaney was strong in his Homestead debut, qualifying sixth and running a decent amount of the race in the top 15.



18. Trevor Bayne, No. 6 Ford, Roush Fenway Racing. Bayne cracked the top 10 on Lap 30, but started to fade thanks to a loose-handling condition.



19. Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Kahne saved his car from hitting the wall on Lap 40, but still sustained a blown right-rear tire and brought out the third caution flag.



20. AJ Allmendinger, No. 47 Chevrolet, JTG-Daugherty Racing. Allmendinger was running inside the top 15 early in the race when he had a challenging sequence on pit road — he was hit entering pit road and then blocked in his stall after a four-tire stop. 



21. Paul Menard, No. 27 Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing. Menard ran as high as ninth on Saturday, but ultimately couldn’t find the right balance.



22. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 17, Roush Fenway Racing.  Despite getting into the wall early, Stenhouse held on to match his best Homestead finish. 



23. Ty Dillon, No. 33 Chevrolet, Circle Sport. Dillon sustained significant damage after being involved in the multi-car incident on the backstretch on Lap 46.



24. Danica Patrick, No. 10 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Crew chief Daniel Knost took a big swing at adjustments and called Patrick to pit road during green-flag stops on Lap 134.



25. Sam Hornish Jr., No. 9 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports. Hornish sustained damage on Lap 11 after slipping on oil on-track and getting into the wall. 



26. Alex Bowman, No. 7 Chevrolet, Tommy Baldwin Racing. Bowman spent his second Homestead appearance looking for forward bite on the take-off.



27. David Ragan, No. 55 Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing. After pitting to repair damage received during the Lap 46 accident, Ragan later reported a vibration and found himself racing for the beneficiary pass on Lap 171.



28. Cole Whitt, No. 35 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Whitt, in his third Homestead appearance, reported early that he didn’t have any grip in his right-front tire.



29. Tony Stewart, No. 14 Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing. Stewart put handling into perspective saying, “It feels like running Eldora Speedway (a dirt track he owns)” as he tried different lines around the 1.5-mile speedway.


30. Michael Annett, No. 46 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. Early in his second Homestead appearance, Annett hit the wall, prompting a right-rear tire rub.



31. Brett Moffitt, No. 34 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Moffitt requested significant adjustments and had a long stop during the competition caution.



32. David Gilliland, No. 38 Ford, Front Row Motorsports. Handling was an issue for Gilliland, who was running 29th on Lap 124 when he asked his team, “How many more until we pit? I feel like I’m going to wreck every lap.”



33. Michael McDowell, No. 95 Ford, Leavine Family Racing. An early pit road penalty stalled McDowell’s forward progress.



34. J.J. Yeley, No. 26 Toyota, BK Racing. Yeley stayed out during the first caution period to jump from 34th to fifth but couldn’t hold off the competition that stopped for fresh tires.



35. Landon Cassill, No. 40 Chevrolet, Hillman Smith Motorsports. Cassill avoided the multi-car incident on Lap 46, but reported that he thought he ran over debris during Lap 100 green-flag stops.



36. Justin Allgaier, No. 51 Chevrolet, HScott Motorsports. “Something broke,” Allgaier reported as smoke poured from the right-rear with around 100 laps to go.



37. Matt DiBenedetto, No. 83 Toyota, BK Racing. DiBenedetto saved his car — and kept the field green — when he recovered after getting hit from behind by Trevor Bayne with 62 laps to go.



38. Ryan Preece, No. 98 Ford, Phil Parsons Racing. Preece made an unscheduled pit stop for a flat right-rear tire on Lap 64.



39. Josh Wise, No. 32 Ford, Go FAS Racing. Wise scrubbed the wall and blew a tire to bring out the sixth caution flag.



40. Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports. Earnhardt was caught up in the Lap 46 incident and needed significant repairs on pit road before returning to the track.



41. Aric Almirola, No. 43 Ford, Richard Petty Motorsports.  Almirola sustained significant front-end damage and reported to the garage for repairs after being collected in a multi-car incident on Lap 46.



42. Casey Mears, No. 13 Chevrolet, Germain Racing.  Early handling issues were compounded after Mears was collected in the Lap 46 accident.



43. Clint Bowyer, No. 15, Michael Waltrip Racing. Bowyer’s final race with Michael Waltrip Racing came to a disappointing end after his car got loose and he triggered an accident on Lap 46.

Posted on by Nascar

RELATED: Full race results | Final standings

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — To go fast, all Kyle Busch had to do was mash the gas pedal.
 
To go faster, all he had to do was slow down.
 
Had to slow down. No choice there. Busch “got in a fight” with an unprotected, concrete wall at Daytona before the season’s first Sprint Cup Series race. He lost.
 
Sunday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he won. The road to the Sprint Cup title is a curious one.
 
They say the 30-year-old Busch is a “changed” man — actually, the word often used is “matured” — and I hope that’s only partly true.
 
It’s the competitive fire in Busch that pushes him to dance with a race car on the very edge. Occasionally, the results are disastrous; often, though, they are a thing of beauty.
 
Busch didn’t compete in all 36 points races this season, but for reasons out of his control. A broken right leg and a left foot that gave new meaning to the word “fractured” took care of that.
 
For nearly 12 weeks, Busch idled. Idle is not a speed to which the Joe Gibbs Racing driver is accustomed. One doesn’t win 154 races across three series by idling.
 
A bed-ridden Busch had to sit and watch as three other drivers climbed into his No. 18 Toyota. It’s been said that nothing hurts a racer more than seeing someone else in his car. Rehab was painful; sitting on the sidelines was agonizing. Potential wins were slipping by him on the television screen.
 
When he finally did make it back to the track, no one knew what to expect, least of all Busch. Sure, he was confident. His crew chief, Adam Stevens, and car owner, Joe Gibbs, were confident.
 
But no one was certain. No one knew if a broken leg and fractured foot were the only real injuries Busch suffered in Daytona several months earlier. Maybe the “want to” was still there, but the question was, could he? Could he still feel every nuance of the car as it rocketed around a race track? Could he push it to the very edge, find the sliver of an opening that existed only briefly, and charge his way through the field?
 
Not only could Busch still do those things, but in some ways he did them better. Only six weeks after his return, Busch was back in the winner’s circle, victorious at, of all places, Sonoma Raceway. In little more than a month’s time, he won three consecutive races and four of five.
 
Nearly as telling was his performance in the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. The format, tweaked from time to time, has always dealt hefty penalties for miscues with little or no time to recover, and Busch has had his share. This time, he navigated the minefield that stretched from Chicago to Homestead with minimal damage.
 
If Busch has changed, so has his approach, something he called a “just let everything be” tactic. It’s a short phrase that speaks volumes about his confidence in himself and his team.
 
Changed? Maybe. Maybe hitting a concrete wall and starting a family and sitting on the sidelines had an effect on him after all.
 
Slowing down wasn’t a part of the plan. But in the end, that’s what it took. And Busch, the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, is just fine with that.

Posted on by Nascar

Team owner Roger Penske’s NASCAR XFINITY Series operation last won the driver’s championship in 2010 with Brad Keselowski, but the organization’s No. 22 team has gone undefeated for three consecutive years when it comes to the owner’s title.


Ryan Blaney, Sprint Cup Series drivers Keselowski and Joey Logano and road racer Alex Tagliani each piloted the No. 22 Ford this season, collecting seven of the organization’s eight wins in the series.
 
“I think it’s an investment,” Penske said of the XFINITY Series program. “It’s an investment on pit road for building guys over the wall, point number one, and point number two, to take a young driver like Blaney and get him in a car.
 
“The top driver is just not available when you need him, so you’ve got to build him. You’ve seen what (Jeff) Gordon and (Jimmie) Johnson and all the great drivers (have done).”
 
The No. 22 team ended the season with 1,308 points, 117 ahead of Joe Gibbs Racing‘s No. 54 Toyota entry and 118 ahead of the No. 60 Ford of Roush Fenway Racing.
 
Roush Fenway Racing driver Chris Buescher clinched the 2015 driver’s title.
 
JGR finished second to Penske in ’13-14 in the battle for the owner’s title as well.
 
Blaney has split his time between the XFINITY Series and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this season, competing in Sprint Cup with Wood Brothers Racing. The No. 21 team will run the full 36-race schedule next season. Team Penske and the Wood Brothers outfit have a technical alliance.
 
“From the standpoint of sponsorship, Discount Tire has been with us almost from the beginning,” Penske said. “They like the XFINITY Series. They think it gives them exactly what they want. To me we’ve got a good sponsor.
 
“We only run one car, occasionally we run two maybe at Watkins Glen, but to me I think it’s an important part of our organization. Running two Cup cars and having the ability to work with the (Wood Brothers) I think helps us build that team, and we can move people back and forth, and then of course with the XFINITY, it’s really the early stages of young guys that are coming into the sport and people that can make a difference.
 
“You know, there’s just no question that the people have moved up (to Sprint Cup). Everybody that’s at the top level today in our Cup cars have won and worked in the XFINITY Series, so I think that that’s amazing when you think about it.”

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The No. 18 Toyota of Kyle Busch had been good all day, but with 10 laps to go in Sunday’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway a caution came out and the hopes for a championship rested in the arms of the pit crew. It was written in our earlier assessment of the final four pit crews that the No. 18 team had been the best in the clutch in the last five years — and they proved it again.

The No. 18 came in the pits in third place and left in second. Why is that such a big deal? Because it put him on the front row racing Brad Keselowski for the lead and in clean air as opposed to being in the second row with fellow Championship 4 driver Kevin Harvick right behind him.

When you get in traffic, anything can happen and Harvick could have used that traffic to try and maneuver past Busch. But by gaining the one spot on the last stop it helped Busch get on the front row and win his first championship in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

For the record, we timed that stop at 11.21 seconds. Congrats to all the No. 18 car personnel and especially the pit crew:

Pit Coaches: Mike Lepp and Paul Alepa
Front Changer: Josh Lesley
Front Carrier: Brad Donaghy
Jack Man: Jeff Fender
Rear Changer: Jake Seminara
Rear Carrier: Kenny Barber
Gas Man: Tom Lampe

For more pit crew news, visit PitTalks.com.

Posted on by Holly Cain

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — The two Most Popular Drivers were absolutely suited for NASCAR’s big awards.


Second-generation NASCAR mega-talents, both Chase Elliott (XFINITY Series) and John Hunter Nemechek (Camping World Truck Series) absolutely earned the distinction and the nod in Monday awards presentation.


Elliott, who will drive the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevy next year in the Sprint Cup Series — replacing the retiring Jeff Gordon — was typically low-key and humble about the whole NASCAR XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series awards evening.


But he was eager to get going in his Cup career after a championship and second place finish (2015) in the XFINITY Series. Earning the Most Popular Driver Award for the recent season must have felt very appropriate for the son of Bill Elliott, who took the Cup Series vote a record 16 times. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has won it the past 12 years.


“I think we have definitely a lot of work to do to catch Dale in that sense,” a smiling Elliott said. “But I’m very appreciative of the support I’ve had, especially the past two years and I’ve noticed it. I don’t think people realize how much that means to a driver when they see you wearing their T-shirt. It goes a long way for me. Seeing them do that means a lot.”


Elliott conceded he and his father, a NASCAR Hall of Famer, haven’t discussed this honor’s impact even though he is touched to receive it.


“We really haven’t talked about that,” Elliott said. “Fortunately he (his dad) had a big following and some of those people are following me. Can’t look past that. Dale has an obviously great following and I’m a Dale fan too.”


Nemechek, 18, was equally as excited to be recognized on the Camping World Truck Series side. A second-generation racer who won his first major race this season, Nemechek was obviously moved by the honor.


“It definitely can’t hurt to win the Most Popular Driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, ” Nemechek said. “It’s definitely an honor for me and my family, but more importantly, hopefully it’ll help us gain some reputation on selling some sponsorship for the seasons tocome. Can’t thank all of the supporters enough that voted, and all the friends and family as well.”


Nemechek is the second family member to be honored with the award. His father, Joe Nemecheck — a former XFINITY Series champion and four-time Cup winner.


“Yeah, he won I think in 1992 and ’93, so it’s awesome to be able to win an award that he’s won,” Nemechek said. “I beat him to something.


“I wish he wouldn’t have won most popular so I could’ve beat him to that. We’re very competitive, but to get my first truck win when he didn’t was very special as well. He wants one bad.”


With Elliott moving into the Cup series and Nemechek hoping to continue his rise in the NASCAR ranks in 2016.


“It definitely is special to hear how good you’re doing with the equipment that you have,” Nemechek said. “We utilize our resources to the absolute max that we possibly can. We try and get our trucks as good as we can. There’s a lot of late nights and hard work put in with just a few people. Finding the funding to get a few more people and not have to work as late and getting some free time to work on some other projects could even make us better, but it was definitely a good year. Getting our first win and finishing in the top five so many times, all the hard work did pay off.


 “We’re still working on trying to find funding. Nothing is set in stone yet. It’s all kind of up in the air right now, so still trying to find those possible partners to sit down, sign a deal with, hopefully for years to come.”

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Full race results | Miami race recap
SHOP: Champion gear


Tuesday: Media Day 2

Early Tuesday morning, Busch made appearances on “FOX and Friends” and “Live! With Kelly and Michael.”


“Rowdy” caught up with Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan and discussed his wild year: injuries, his 2015 championship and 6-month-old son, Brexton.





Kyle also made a stop at SiriusXM and is heading to Facebook and ESPN later today. 


Monday: Media Day 1

After securing his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title Sunday night at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Kyle Busch is making the media rounds to talk about his epic victory and comeback from injuries sustained at Daytona in the XFINITY Series opener.


Busch capped off his Monday appearances by taking in the Monday Night Football game between the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium.



Prior to that, the 30-year-old taped an appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” that aired Monday night on CBS.

The Sprint Cup champion and Colbert engaged in a Pinewood Derby race, titled “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Cinnamon Toast Crunch 400.” Watch the video to see who won.

Busch also taped a promo spot for “The Late Show” disclosing a different type of personal dream.


Earlier Monday, Busch joined “The Dan Patrick Show” Monday morning to chat — from his airplane somewhere “over Washington, D.C.” nonetheless — about the celebration, which started for him about seven hours after the checkered flag fell.



“We did all of our photos; that takes quite a long time,” Busch said. “I’m glad the race was actually over around 7, 7:30 because we were still taking photos and finally got done about 2 a.m. or so. My team guys were having a good old time. They were lit up a little bit so I joined them for a little while and continued on with them for some more celebration before getting a couple hours of sleep to get on an airplane this morning.”



Busch’s long road to recovery certainly helped him flex his focus muscle — but he did get a little help from something else in the closing laps of Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400.



“The last 60 laps or so, I kept thinking to myself … ‘oh, man, this is going to be cool; this is awesome.’ But then I was like, ‘dude, you’ve got 60 to go; stop thinking about it.,’ ” Busch said. “So I just had to start singing a child’s song. One of my kid’s (Brexton) favorite TV shows, it’s a 3-minute little skit … it’s called ‘Vocabulary’ and I was just kind of singing the intro song to that in my head and just trying to make laps.”



Busch’s tour on Monday also included appearances on ESPN’s SportsCenter, FS1 RaceHub and NBCSN’s NASCAR America.

Early Tuesday morning, Busch made appearances on FOX and Friends and Live! With Kelly and Michael. And will be making stops at SiriusXM, Facebook and ESPN.
Early Tuesday morning, Busch made appearances on FOX and Friends and Live! With Kelly and Michael. And will be making stops at SiriusXM, Facebook and ESPN.
Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Drivers, crew chiefs on the move

One day after the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season ended, the first official move of the offseason came down courtesy of Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.

 

The team announced that Chad Johnston has been named crew chief for Kyle Larson and the No. 42 Target team. Johnston will assume the role effective immediately to begin preparation for the 2016 season, replacing Chris Heroy. Heroy had been Larson’s crew chief for his first two years at NASCAR’s highest level.

 

“I’m excited to get to work with Chad and to start doing what needs to be done to get the team to Victory Lane next year,” Larson said in a team release. “As a team, I think we are very close and the addition of Chad should help move our program forward for many years to come. Lastly, I would also like to thank Chris for all he did to help me grow in my first two seasons in the Cup series.”
 
Johnston joins the No. 42 team from Stewart-Haas Racing, where he has been the crew chief for Tony Stewart and the No. 14 Chevrolet since the 2014 season. Johnston also served as crew chief for Martin Truex, Jr. and the No. 56 at Michael Waltrip Racing from 2011-2013. Johnston has one career Sprint Cup race win as a crew chief (2013, Sonoma) and helped guide Truex Jr. into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup during the 2012 season.

The announcement from CGR means Stewart will have a new crew chief in his final Sprint Cup Series season in 2016.
 
Johnston has also worked in NASCAR as a race engineer at Morgan-Dollar Motorsports, Evernham Motorsports, and JTG Daugherty Racing before serving as a crew chief. He graduated from Indiana State University with a major in mechanical engineering, and briefly worked in the aerospace industry before his passion for motorsports brought him to NASCAR and the Camping World Truck Series in 2004.

 

“I am very excited for the opportunity to be joining Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, and the opportunity to work with Kyle Larson,” Johnston said in a team release. “The organization has a great reputation in numerous forms of racing, and I’m looking forward to adding to that reputation in NASCAR. Kyle is certainly a unique talent, and I’m eager to get to work with him and the team as we look to build a foundation of success.”
 
Larson will begin his third full-time Sprint Cup season in 2016. The 2014 Sunoco Rookie of the Year is coming off of a season that featured two top-five and 10 top-10 finishes. In 75 career Cup starts he has accumulated one Coors Light Pole Award, 10 top-five and 27 top-10 finishes.

Posted on by Zack Albert

RELATED: Watch Jones’ award speech

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — One night after Kyle Busch took a bow as a first-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, he helped to toast the youngster who brought him his first driver’s title as a team owner.

 

With milk.

 

On a night for honoring new champions, Erik Jones and Chris Buescher took center stage at the NASCAR XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series Awards at the Diplomat Resort and Spa. For Buescher, it marked the 23-year-old’s first national series championship in just his second full year in the series. For Jones, the title march coincided with a Sunoco Rookie of the Year campaign.

 

Busch was missing from Monday night’s awards, occupied with the media duties and obligations that came with winning his first premier series title at Homestead-Miami Speedway. His wife, Samantha, attended on behalf of Kyle Busch Motorsports, which claimed the team owners’ title for the third straight year.

 

With Busch making the rounds with the Sprint Cup trophy, Ed Laukes, Toyota’s vice president of marketing communications and motorsports, provided an assist in toasting Jones’ stellar season. But the raised glass for the 19-year-old was full of milk, a half-joking homage to Dale Earnhardt’s toast of first-time champion Jeff Gordon in 1995.

 

“I wish Kyle would’ve been there to see his creation come to life, I guess you’d say,” said Jones, who won three races and five pole positions in his first full season. “I think he had a good excuse to miss it, but that was funny. That’s definitely a Kyle thing he would do, especially to me.”

 

Buescher’s coronation on the XFINITY tour came after a two-win season with hallmark consistency — 20 top-10s in 33 races. Monday night, he took his place with his Roush Fenway Racing team at the head table, saying that he showed a slight case of nerves in the Great Hall’s gala setting.

 

Jitters notwithstanding, the experience capped a stellar 48-hour period full of well-wishes from his peers.

 

“The coolest thing is just having so many different people come up and say congratulations and we’ve seen what you’ve done to work for this and it’s awesome to see you here,” Buescher said. “Stuff like that means that all those years working up to this point were well worth it. It’s been countless hours, many all-nighters to make sure we could get to the next ARCA race at night. We’ve done so many things to try and get to this point, and to finally be here, it’s special. It’s very humbling.”

 

Chase Elliott, the driver who preceded Buescher as series champion, took Most Popular Driver honors with him as he transitions to the Sprint Cup Series next year, replacing Jeff Gordon in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 Chevrolet. NASCAR Next driver John Hunter Nemechek was voted Most Popular Driver in the Camping World Truck Series.

 

Daniel Suarez, another product of the NASCAR Next program, was named Sunoco Rookie of the Year in the XFINITY Series.