Posted on by Staff Report

Dale Earnhardt Jr. revealed part of his 2016 XFINITY Series schedule on Monday, noting a return to Richmond International Raceway for the first time in over a decade. 

 

After indicating over the weekend that he currently had two races on the docket for next season over the weekend, the 13-time NMPA Sprint Most Popular Driver tweeted that he “Just figured out I will be running the April 23rd XFINITY race at Richmond International Raceway for Hellmann’s” in the No. 88 JR Motorsports entry.

 

Earnhardt hasn’t said what the other race will be yet — or if he’s looking to add more — so stay tuned as that information becomes available.

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: NBC Sports Live Extra


All times ET

Tuesday, Dec. 8
7 a.m., NASCAR America: The States of NASCAR (re-air), NBCSN
7:30 a.m., NASCAR America: The States of NASCAR (re-air), NBCSN
4:30 p.m., NASCAR The List: Iconic Cars, NBCSN
5 p.m., NASCAR America: Stories of NASCAR #1, NBCSN

Wednesday, Dec. 9
7 a.m., NASCAR America: Stories of NASCAR #1 (re-air), NBCSN
7:30 a.m., NASCAR The List: Dale Earnhardt Sr. Moments (re-air), NBCSN
5 p.m., NASCAR America: Stories of NASCAR #2, NBCSN

Thursday, Dec. 10
5 p.m., NASCAR America: Stories of NASCAR #3, NBCSN

 

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR Nation was buzzing Sunday and into Monday about the results of the 48th annual Snowball Derby Super Late Model Race.
 
Specifically, the chatter was regarding race winner Chase Elliott and the driver who crossed the start/finish line first. The two were not the same.
 
Christopher Bell, who won at Eldora in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in July, took the checkered flag in his Kyle Busch-owned entry before being disqualified less than an hour later for failing post-race technical inspection. That led to Elliott, who finished second to Bell, being declared the official winner — Bell was formally scored 37th, last in the field.
 

 
The 300-lap race on a half-mile oval in Pensacola, Florida, is the Super Bowl of late model races and has launched the careers of several drivers. Elliott won the event in 2011, and Erik Jones — now a rising NASCAR star — turned heads in 2012 when he outdueled Kyle Busch for the win.
 
The event had a distinct NASCAR flavor, with the following drivers also competing in the main event: Dalton Sargeant (fourth), William Byron (eighth), Kaz Grala (10th), Daniel Hemric (11th), Johanna Long (20th) and 2014 winner John Hunter Nemechek (21st).
 
Busch, who won the race in 2009, shared his disappointment and frustration via Twitter.
 

Posted on by Nascar

LAS VEGAS — For 10 weeks, Martin Truex Jr. was the forgotten man, the guy seemingly racing in the shadows, there but not quite there.

 

He wasn’t the defending series champion; he wasn’t the four-time champ seeking to go out on top; he wasn’t the once-broken but far from beaten fellow scripting the most incredible comeback story.

 

Others were battling for a chance at the title. Truex, the Furniture Row Racing driver, was racing to stave off elimination. Or so we thought.

 

He was there but not quite there.

 

Friday night, Truex found himself back in the shadows once more. Which was the biggest shame of all on a night of celebration for NASCAR and it’s Sprint Cup Series.

 

Moments after somehow holding himself together while giving an emotionally-charged speech that touched the hearts of many inside the Wynn Las Vegas, the 35-year-old entered the workroom across the way, ready to address the media for a final time before officially calling it a season.

 

Instead, nearly everyone inside the workroom was focused on the television screen, watching a tearful Jeff Gordon accept accolades from mega-actor Tom Cruise. The annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Awards Ceremony rolled onward.

 

Even Truex seemed impressed, lingering long enough to note “How about Cole Friggin’ Trickle being here? You believe that?”

 

After a brief question or two, he departed, returning to join long-time girlfriend Sherry Pollex back inside the ballroom.

 

Overshadowed once more. There but not quite there.

 

The New Jersey native had much to be proud of — having proven the naysayers wrong by continuing to advance through each round of the Chase to eventually find himself, along with Kevin Harvick, Gordon and Kyle Busch, battling for the championship in the season-ending race.

 

But addressing the crowd that filled the ballroom earlier, Truex eventually spoke of matters much closer to the heart.

 

He thanked team owner Barney Visser (“They said it couldn’t be done out of Denver. You showed them, didn’t you? Good job, buddy.”), and a long list of others, from Chevrolet officials for whom he had driven previously to Toyota partners that will come on board next season.

 

He thanked family members, sponsors, and “especially the millions of fans who watch our sport each week.”

 

Racing is his livelihood, but it’s not his life. There’s much more, matters much more personal that puts what occurs each Sunday in perspective.

 

“Most of us are faced with challenges at some point in our life,” Truex said. “As most of you know, last year my long time partner Sherry was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

 

“As I’m sure you can imagine, the past year has been the most challenging time of our lives. Since Sherry’s diagnosis, our priorities have changed. We’ve learned that life isn’t just about living it’s about being alive. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.

 

“You’ve heard the saying, ‘don’t sweat the small stuff.’ Well,” he said somehow managing a chuckle, “we’re trying not to sweat the big stuff either.”

 

The experience, he said, “has made us both better people,” and truthfully, it’s those of us who have watched the couple that should have been made better, just by the lessons they’ve shown us in dealing with adversity.

 

“It’s made me a better driver and most of all made us thankful for all the people around and try to give back as much as we can,” he said.

 

“So the only advice I have for you tonight is to enjoy every moment, celebrate life, help others, and never give up. …

 

“Sherry, thank you for being my life. You’re my inspiration and I love you very much.”

 

Truex didn’t win this year’s Sprint Cup Series title. He wasn’t lauded, as was Harvick, for his role as the defending series champ. He wasn’t bid a fond farewell, as was Gordon, who retires after a stellar 23-year career. Nor was he celebrated for rallying from injuries to wear the crown of champion, as was Busch.

 

What he and Sherry did was much bigger.

 

And we’re the ones worse off for not noticing.

Posted on by Holly Cain

RELATED: Busch has ‘Hangover’ moment | Photos from the red carpet

LAS VEGAS — In one of the most memorable and moving evenings in its history, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series officially wrapped up its 2015 season with Friday night’s Awards Banquet in Las Vegas featuring emotional tributes and inspiring speeches.

Newly-crowned champion Kyle Busch was feted, retiring four-time champion Jeff Gordon was celebrated and an emotional and exciting season was officially put in the books in front of a black-tie crowd at the Wynn Las Vegas and a national television audience.


Television star Drew Carey hosted the affair. Singer Andy Grammer entertained. Late night host Jimmy Fallon did a special comic bit about the series. Dale Earnhardt Jr. collected his 13th Most Popular Driver Award. And young, 22-year old Jeff Hanson was given the prestigious $100,000 Betty Jane France Award for his charitable work with the Children’s Tumor Foundation.



Even actor Tom Cruise was a part of the special night, surprising the crowd and even the man he was there to honor, the retiring Gordon.



“So, look, I’m honored to present a legend, one who has meant so much to the sport over the last two decades and will continue to do so even outside of a race car,” Cruise told a stunned Gordon. ”We are happy for him but sad to see him go.”



Well after the banquet had concluded, Gordon conceded he was totally shocked to see Cruise there and moved by the entire evening.



“I was just trying to hold back my emotion because I knew it would be tough, then when Tom walked out there, I was done,” Gordon said. “I’ve known Tom a number of years and how passionate he is about NASCAR. …. I was like, really, Tom Cruise? That messed me up, I’ll be honest. That got me good.”



Even Busch, who has been celebrating his first Cup title in his hometown all week, feted Gordon while speaking about his own first championship. But he was clearly enjoying the evening and honored to share time with one of his racing heroes as he celebrated his last season.



Accompanied by his wife Samantha, Busch entered the stage carrying his nearly 7-month-old son Brexton — both Kyle and Brexton wearing sunglasses in a comical nod to the popular Las Vegas-based movie, “The Hangover.”



“Brexton was ready to rock and roll,” Busch joked afterward.



The new champ was also quite sentimental about his first title — a challenging and emotional accomplishment coming only nine months after he broke his leg and foot in a frightening accident in the season-opening XFINITY race at Daytona International Speedway.



Busch missed the first 11 Cup races of the year but returned to win four times — including the prestigious Brickyard 400 — and qualified for the Chase. He put a huge exclamation point on his season with a win for the title at the Miami finale.



“I guess you’ve heard that old saying ‘Break a leg,’ ” Busch said in his champion’s speech. “In the world of theater, it means good luck. As I stand here today, I can say that breaking a leg works just as good in racing.



“One day I was focusing on winning races, the next I was worrying if I’d be able to walk into the delivery room with Samantha.



I could never do this without the love of family. … Since that day in February I have to believe that everything happens for a reason. I believe my family and I were reminded of many valuable lessons along the way. … Sometimes being (so focused) on something hinders our ability to see what God has in store for us.”



Busch also honored and thanked his team owner Joe Gibbs.



“I can’t believe you took a chance on that brash young man back in 2008, but man, it’s certainly an honor to be your driver,” he said.



“You probably have better legs than half your drivers. You’re our leader, you’re a role model in life, both personally and professionally. Thanks for believing in me through all the years. I’ll never be able to fully repay you for everything you’ve done for me, but hopefully this is a good start.”



It was certainly a night filled with emotion.



In addition to Busch overcoming injury and Gordon making a championship run in his final season, Martin Truex Jr. spoke about his longtime girlfriend Sherry Pollex, who is battling ovarian cancer.



Truex made his first appearance in The Chase’s final round and finished a career-best fourth place in the championship, driving for the single-car Furniture Row team. He concluded his speech reminding people, “We’ve learned that life isn’t just about living, it’s about being alive.



“That’s exactly what we’re doing. You’ve heard the saying, ‘Don’t sweat the small stuff.’ Well, we’re trying not to sweat the big stuff, either. … The only advice I have for you tonight is to enjoy every moment, celebrate life, help others and never give up.”



There was plenty to smile about in the midst of the emotion.



Clint Bowyer, who finished 16th in his final year with Michael Waltrip Racing, joked afterward that he had never seen an actual “16th Place” trophy before.  



In accepting his Most Popular Driver award, Earnhardt joked that he thought Matt Kenseth had actually wrapped up the title after an on-track incident with Joey Logano earned him a two-race suspension late in the season.



The emotional night concluded with Busch’s speech. And he fittingly ended it with a huge smile.



“See ya in Daytona,” he said, raising his arms.

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 5, 2015) — Picture this: a remarkable young artist whose talent sprang from the challenges of a childhood fight against cancer is the 2015 winner of The NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award presented by Nationwide.

Jeff Hanson, 22, from Overland Park, Kansas, emerged from an elite group of four finalists after two months of online fan voting on NASCAR.com. The voting ended Thursday night; the fifth annual award was presented on Friday night during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Awards at Wynn Las Vegas.

The Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award was established in honor of the foundation’s chairwoman emeritus and founder Betty Jane France, for her longstanding charitable and community service efforts. Since its inception, the award has benefited more than 52,000 children nationally.

Hanson will receive a $100,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation for the charity he represents, the New York-based Children’s Tumor Foundation, in addition to a 2016 vehicle from Official Car Sponsor, Ford.

“Jeff Hanson’s story is inspiring and his accomplishments are impressive,” said France, who presented the award Friday night. “This is a resilient and immensely talented young man we have become proud to know — and even more proud to have as our fifth annual award winner.”

“Nationwide would like to congratulate Jeff for winning the 2015 Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award,” said Terrance Williams, chief marketing officer for Nationwide. “Jeff’s impact has been an inspiration to us all and we look forward to seeing him continuing his amazing work.”

Hanson was only six years old when he was diagnosed with optic glioma, a tumor that was attacking his optic nerve. The tumor was caused by the rare genetic disorder neurofibromatosis (NF). After undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments, he was legally blind at the age of 12.


During chemotherapy treatments in 2005, Hanson began painting with bright colors suited for someone with limited vision. In 2006 he turned his paintings into a fundraising platform for the Children’s Tumor Foundation, selling them from his family’s driveway. He raised $15,000 that summer — and then, continued to paint.

His paintings have now raised more than $250,000 for the Children’s Tumor Foundation and more than $1.3 million for charities worldwide.


“What this means to me … is I’m thrilled, I’m honored,” Hanson said. “It means so much to me, that I can help the Children’s Tumor Foundation with a $100,000 donation.

“Being recognized by such a well-known name as NASCAR is a win for the Children’s Tumor Foundation and for neurofibromatosis, helping to raise awareness of a disorder that affects one in every 3,000 people. The money that we receive from The NASCAR Foundation will be used to launch an exciting new research program aimed at improving the lives of people like me who live with NF and help us get a little closer to finding a cure.”

This year’s award finalists also included Charlotte, North Carolina’s Bob Bowler of Special Olympics North Carolina; Sellersburg, Indiana’s Stephanie Decker of the Stephanie Decker Foundation; and Dunedin Florida’s Carl Flatley of the Sepsis Alliance. All three will receive $25,000 donations from The NASCAR Foundation for their respective causes.


“As always, we consider all of our finalists to be winners in their own right,” France said. “All four have first-rate credentials, resulting in extremely close competition this year.”

Posted on by Nascar

LAS VEGAS – It always began in Daytona, before the start of a new season, eventually unfolding in the Plaza Hotel in Daytona Beach, Florida.
 
But in 1981, NASCAR officials packed up and moved the premier series’ annual awards ceremony to the bright lights and the big city, New York City in fact, and specifically the historic Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and the Starlight Roof.
 
Friday night, for the seventh consecutive year, the season-ending affair will take place here, at the Wynn Las Vegas, its home since 2009. Home of the Strip, miles and miles of neon and what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
 
“It was unbelievable, the difference between the two (venues),” three-time series champ Darrell Waltrip told NASCAR.com earlier this week when asked about the move from Daytona to New York City.
 
Waltrip, now a race analyst for FOX Sports, was the first champion to be honored in the Big Apple when he captured the 1981 title. Two years earlier, he had finished second.
 
“You’d go to Daytona and they had the ceremony down in the basement of the Plaza,” Waltrip said. “No media, no people, anything like that. Just all the guys that finished in the top 10 in points.”
 
But Bill France Jr., son of NASCAR founder William H.G. France, had bigger plans for the program. France wanted to make a statement for a sport once seen as a regional oddity but on the fast track to becoming a national phenomenon.
 
And New York City was just the destination France Jr. had in mind.
 
“Bill Junior wanted to take NASCAR out of the backwoods and put it not just on Main Street but on Wall Street,” said Waltrip. “Having the dinner in New York was a huge step up. It was making a statement. This wasn’t just a backwoods sport, a bunch of good ol’ boys; these guys are professional race car drivers and this would change the image of the sport. And it did.”
 
For the next 28 years, from 1981 through 2008, the season-ending ceremony was held at the Waldorf. The program quickly outgrew the Starlight Roof and moved into the Grand Ballroom after just three years. (“Like going from coach to first class,” Waltrip said.)
 
Concluding his first speech as series champion, Waltrip succinctly noted the wisdom behind the move, saying “We’re not intruding here; we belong here.”
 
He was the perfect ambassador during that time for the growing sport. He was well-spoken, attractive and perhaps most importantly not the least bit shy in front of a microphone.
 
“I wasn’t afraid to go on TV shows, all those morning shows I did in New York that first year,” he said. “All those things were fun for me. I loved it, I enjoyed it; I thrived on it.”
 
As much of a boost as the move gave to the series, there were issues that eventually arose. The hustle and bustle of a city of millions proved to be a significant hurdle for fan-friendly events held outside. The weather could be a factor. And the New York media was often less than receptive.
 
“They’d give out $10 (million)-$15 million and there wouldn’t be anything about it in the paper the next morning,” Waltrip noted.
 
Trimmed out in holiday lights for the season, New York City proved to be a memorable venue. But eventually the hassle and the hustle became too much to try and overcome.
 
Since ’09, the season-ending celebration has grown into a nearly week-long affair in this oasis in the desert, with numerous fan-driven events and opportunities leading up to the final night’s awards program.
 
New York vs. Las Vegas, Waltrip said, showed the “incredible contrast” between France Jr.’s vision for the sport and that of his son, current Chairman and CEO Brian France.
 
“I think I will always be partial to New York,” Waltrip said. “There’s nothing wrong with Las Vegas. It’s a fun place to go and fun place to have an event. Just a difference in times, I guess.”
 
Several of today’s competitors say the move to Las Vegas has been good for the series. Fan Fest, Victory Lap and After the Lap programs are tailored for fans, and the more laid back pace of the vacation destination suits the drivers as well.
 
“While I do miss certain aspects of New York, at the same time I do think that Las Vegas is a great fit for us,” four-time Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon said Thursday. “To be able to do what we do on Las Vegas Boulevard with the cars and the burnouts, to have the entertainment value of what the banquet is now for TV, I think it suits us very well.
 
“I personally like New York a lot and I like to be there. But I can also remember … trying to move from the hotel six blocks and it would take you 45 minutes; the snow and just a lot of things … were real challenges.
 
“Would I still like to go there from time to time? Yeah. Because I like New York and I had great memories there and I like the city even more so now than when I was going there for the banquet. But I think it makes sense here.”
 
Teammate Jimmie Johnson celebrated championships in New York as well as Las Vegas. Like Gordon, the Hendrick Motorsports driver, a six-time champion, admitted he enjoys New York. But for the post-season awards, he said, “it wasn’t fun.
 
“It was great to be in New York during the holidays and I think New York was an awesome spot to have our event, but from a social side and enjoyment side it wasn’t a lot of fun. It was a lot of work,” Johnson said Thursday.
 
“You come here (to Las Vegas) and the earliest thing we have is today at 11 o’clock. That’s pretty awesome. Clearly people were up all night having fun.
 
“So from a social and entertainment side, this is a great fit for us.”

Posted on by Nascar

LAS VEGAS — Kyle Busch didn’t make the trip to Las Vegas the last time NASCAR was in town for a Sprint Cup Series race.
 
He returned this week as a champion.
 
Friday night, Busch will be honored as the series’ 31st winner of the title, a hometown hero feted and fawned over, and rightfully so.
 
Inside the Wynn Las Vegas, Busch, along with wife Samantha, car owner Joe Gibbs, crew chief Adam Stevens and a handful of other principals affiliated with the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team, will take their seats and look out over a room full of industry folks, fellow drivers and crew chiefs, sponsors and media.
 
But the spotlight will be on Busch, literally as well as figuratively, at the Sprint Cup Awards show on Friday from Las Vegas (9 p.m. ET, NBCSN).
 
Those who have been there know what lies in store for the 30-year-old.
 
“It’s a little awkward in one way because everybody is staring at you,” four-time series champion Jeff Gordon said Thursday. ” … At the same time everybody is looking at you because you’re the champion and wishing they were up there. ‘How do I get there? I want to be up there. That’s cool.’
 
“It’s an amazing experience. As a race car driver and team there is just no greater accomplishment than earning that right to sit up there on that stage.”
 
Kurt Busch, older brother of Kyle and winner of the 2004 series title, remembers the sensation. He called it “an incredible, nervous accomplishment of genuine hard work.”
 
“At the same time,” the elder Busch said, “the only thing I kept remembering was all the people that helped me get to that point. I just kept sitting there reminiscing on my own. I might have looked like I was in la-la land but I just had different snapshots in my mind of different Southwest Tour races or different car owners or different sponsors, crew members, volunteers. (Memories) of good races and bad races, what I learned from them and how I applied them.”
 
It’s been more than a decade since Matt Kenseth sat at the head table, “so you’d have to get somebody a little more current,” the JGR driver and teammate of this year’s champion said Thursday.
 
“You want to be up there for that night; for that season you’re the man and that’s the team, those are the guys. Everybody wants to be there looking out at everybody else instead of … looking at you sitting there.”
 
For someone as successful as Jimmie Johnson, one might think sitting in front of a room full of people, sharing a meal and accepting accolades for winning the championship would become almost second nature. No big deal. No surprises.
 
But that’s not the case, the six-time series champion said.
 
“No. 1 you’re very uncomfortable up there eating with the spotlight on you,” the Hendrick Motorsports driver said. “… It just becomes real. You’ve heard and seen the success and everything that’s happened to you, the interviews, but that’s really the moment that you take it all in.
 
“You’re recognized by many and little stories pop up, make your mind wander and think about other aspects and things.
 
“It all builds to what was the most stressful part for me — when you had to give your own speech.”
 
Busch missed the season’s first 11 races due to injuries suffered in the season-opening XFINITY Series race at Daytona International Speedway. He returned and over the summer won four out of five races, including three straight in July. He advanced through the 16-team Chase to earn one of the four championship berths in the season-ending race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
 
A victory at Homestead — he beat defending series champion Kevin Harvick, Gordon and Martin Truex Jr. — cemented one of the most incredible comebacks in the history of the series.
 
Friday night, Busch and his team will be honored for what they were able to overcome and accomplish this season.
 
“It’s a fun night,” Johnson said, “and really the moment that pulls it all in.”

Posted on by Nascar

LAS VEGAS — Dale Earnhardt Jr. collected his 13th consecutive NMPA Sprint Most Popular Driver award Friday during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ annual Awards Ceremony held at the Wynn Las Vegas.


Earnhardt is the only driver to have won the award since 16-time winner Bill Elliott was named the recipient at the conclusion of the 2002 season. Earnhardt was awarded the trophy and the National Motorsports Press Association will donate $10,000 in Earnhardt’s name to the charity of his choice.


“They work tirelessly to support our team, not only in voting for the Most Popular Driver but throughout the whole year,” the Hendrick Motorsports driver said. “They’re at the race track every week supporting us. I knew that they were going to fight hard to get us a 13th in a row, but you just never assume anything.”


NASCAR fans cast 410,000 votes during the year’s 11-week voting window that ended with the Sprint Cup Series finale race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 22.


“I’m floored,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “It makes me happy to be able to see that support and feel that love. It motivates our team, it really does. … I think their support and motivation has a direct effect on the performance of our team. When I see and feel their enthusiasm, when you talk and react on social media (or) whether it’s at the race track in the grandstands before the race, it fires me up and I work harder. I try to go give the best I can with that motivation that they give and it does affect how we race.


“I appreciate it, especially when the chips are down. When the chips are down it makes you work harder because you know you’ve got a lot of people counting on you. If you didn’t have a lot of people in your corner it would be easy to give up when the chips are down. But it helps me push harder when things aren’t going our way to try to find a way to make things work. I really appreciate it. You never take it for granted.”

The NMPA Sprint Most Popular Driver award completed its 63rd season, making it one of the oldest awards presented in NASCAR. The fan-driven contest is the only major award in NASCAR determined solely by race fans.


“NASCAR fans are the greatest in all of sports,” said NMPA President Brian Nelson, “and I’m delighted that Sprint and the NMPA have given them an opportunity to voice their support. The fans spoke loud and clear, and it’s obvious they support Dale Jr.”


Voting totals increased 14 percent over 2014 in spite of a shorter voting window, and more than 40 Sprint Cup Series drivers received one or more votes this season. Race fans were encouraged to vote daily online and using the NASCAR Mobile app.


“It is our duty as an organization to provide NASCAR fans with the best possible platform in which to participate, and to provide them with the best possible experience,” said Nelson.


The award is sponsored by Sprint, the entitlement sponsor and official wireless partner of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Posted on by Holly Cain

GALLERY: Red Carpet at NASCAR Awards Show



LAS VEGAS — Jeff Gordon appeared as amazed and surprised as the rest of the people filling the massive banquet hall when actor Tom Cruise walked on stage at Friday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Banquet to introduce the retiring driver and reflect on the four-time champion’s storied career.

Gordon, sitting in the audience with his wife, Ingrid and two young children, looked completely stunned as Cruise took the stage at the Wynn Las Vegas. And he got steadily emotional from there.

“When you are treated to excellence every day for 23 years, that doesn’t go away easily,” Cruise said to Gordon.

He talked about “transcendence” and how Gordon has made that happen in his career and in the sport.

“He felt as comfortable discussing a championship with George Bush as breaking down Homestead with Kyle Busch, as at-ease with discussing SNL skits with Jimmy Fallon as racing door-to-door with Jimmie Johnson,” Cruise said. “And with that, he brought joy to millions, used his immense and deserved popularity for the betterment of the world both at home and abroad. 

“Transcendence. Few reach it. He did.

“And although many of us want to say we’ll miss you, what we really mean is we thank you.”

After Cruise’s inspiring tribute, NASCAR Chairman Brian France came on stage to present the 93-time winner with the special and rarely bestowed, “Bill France Award of Excellence” for a spectacular career. Gordon’s time in the sport has truly been both of those things.

Interestingly enough, the last time the award was presented was to Gordon’s team owner Rick Hendrick in 2009.

As Gordon took the stage, he and Cruise embraced and shared a fairly lengthy private conversation before Gordon approached the microphone for his final speech as a NASCAR driver. He had clearly been crying. And there would be more to come.

“I knew that it was going to be a rough night, but that made it tougher,” Gordon said.

Absorbing the adoration in the room, Gordon succinctly summed up his certain and imminent Hall of Fame career, “It’s been absolutely amazing.”

Gordon then thanked a litany of people that launched, sustained, bolstered and punctuated his career before pausing and tearing up again as he looked at Rick and Linda Hendrick — the only Cup team owner he has ever had.

“Thank you so much for choosing me as your driver,” a tearful Gordon said. “I’m so proud to say I drove for one car owner, the best car owner, my entire Sprint Cup career.”

After thanking his parents, acknowledging the fans and smiling widely as he recognized his family in the audience, Gordon finished his impassioned final speech asking, “Am I going to miss it? There’s no doubt.”

And then the good-natured, wildly popular competitor spoke about the things he wouldn’t miss as a driver — the 90-degree daytime practices for a night race, being the last car on old tires and finally he shared, “debris cautions.”

But NASCAR’s modern era master promised that as a broadcaster beginning next year, he promised to raise all those issues.

“Thank you,” he said in closing and received a lengthy standing ovation.