Posted on by Holly Cain

Banquet attendees share laughs and memories in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS – A NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony that started out with fireworks from host Jay Mohr culminated with a consensus and heartfelt appreciation for NASCAR family and fans and a huge nod to the historic and Hall of Fame path set forth by the night’s honoree, six-time Cup champ Jimmie Johnson, who closed out the program quoting the late Nelson Mandela.

Before Johnson took the stage Friday night at the luxurious Wynn Las Vegas  – a good three hours into the evening program – rocker John Mellencamp opened the night’s championship celebration with a pair of classic hits giving way to the former Saturday Night Live cast member Mohr, who proved no one was off limits from his pointed humor.

The comedian took shots at everyone from future Hall of Famers Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon to this year’s rookie candidates Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and even NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Perhaps the biggest laughs came as Mohr used Gordon’s late addition 13th spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup as a recurring joke on the night. After suggesting that apparently NASCAR literally can’t have a Chase without Gordon, he noted there were more Chase drivers this season than members of the Kardashian family.

Mohr pretended to get updates throughout the program. First, he joked that Gordon had also been added to the BCS championship game and would play against top-ranked Florida State. Then, he joked that the four-time Cup champ was a late addition to the Academy Awards Best Picture category. And finally that there was going to be a 13th month added to the calendar, "Gordon-ary."

Gordon was good natured about the kidding, saying "As long as the people at home are laughing. … because some of those jokes are true." During his speech, however, Gordon insisted, "We may have been a late addition but I knew in my heart we belonged in the Chase. We proved that week after week."

Acknowledging immediate backlash on social media about his jabs on Patrick, Mohr backed off his initial monologue. Camera breakaways to Patrick and her boyfriend Stenhouse, showed the couple was less than amused by the jokes Mohr made at their expense.

"I know you aren’t used to being this close to the front," Mohr said of Patrick’s table toward the stage.

And after further shots about them wrecking with another, Patrick seized the opportunity to speak out upon accepting a Sprint Fan Choice Award for winning the pole position for the Daytona 500.

"I’m so fortunate to have so many fans, but it’s pretty safe to say Jay Mohr is not one of them," Patrick said.

When Mohr returned to the stage, he admitted his Twitter feed had been blowing up about the Patrick wisecracks.

Insisting he wanted to set the record straight, Mohr said, "I could not be a bigger Danica fan. I love Danica Patrick, so save your tweets, haters."

Later Clint Bowyer encouraged reporters, "you better get your cameras out because Danica may kick his ass."

As the evening went on, the laughs gave way to poignancy. It understandably turned to more serious and respectful tributes to Johnson’s impressive sixth championship run in the last eight years.

Johnson’s team owner Rick Hendrick congratulated his "hero" Roger Penske for Nationwide Series owners’ championship and called Gordon his "biggest recruiter" for urging him to hire Johnson .

Championship runner-up Matt Kenseth joked that Johnson should, "seriously contemplate retirement. Take up new hobbies! Enjoy yourself! We’ll all chip in."

Johnson would say later that he always gets nervous making speeches, but you would never know based on his delivery Saturday night.

He was truly humbled by the kind and hefty words directed toward him throughout the evening from series sponsors, NASCAR executives and his competitors. When spoken of in the same stratosphere of the only other six-time champions, Hall of Famers Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhardt, Johnson was truly moved.

"To do something only those two have done is crazy and wild and truthfully we’re all indebted to them," he said.

Then after thanking his team, Hendrick, crew chief Chad Knaus (who sat with Johnson’s three-year old daughter Genevieve at the head table), the fans and his family, Johnson tapped into an inspirational quote from South African President Nelson Mandela to close out the festivities and punctuate the night.

"Sport has the power to change the world it has the power to inspire, it has the power to unite people in a way little else does," Johnson said.

"That’s true. And that’s NASCAR."

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Posted on by Staff Report

Popular event returns for 2014 with tickets on sale starting on Dec. 7

Tickets for the second annual NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at the Eldora Speedway dirt track go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. Eastern time.

FULL SERIES COVERAGE

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This past year’s event, won by Austin Dillon, was NASCAR’s first national-series race on dirt in over three decades. The half-mile track in Rossburg, Ohio, is owned by three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart, who Thursday in Las Vegas won the prestigious Myers Brothers Award for outstanding contribution to stock-car racing. The success of the inaugural Mudsummer Classic race at Eldora, which became one of the year’s signature moments, was a large reason why Stewart received the award.

The 2013 Truck Series event at Eldora sold out of grandstand seating in less than a month. The track has 17,700 reserved grandstand seats, and with hillside seating can accommodate around 20,000 fans.

The 2014 race is set for July 23, and tickets are available at eldoraspeedway.com.

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Posted on by Staff Report

Fifth straight year of Champion’s Week in Vegas culminates with Friday night’s awards show

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards have proven the adage that what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas … for at least five years.
 
Whatever stock-car racing spin one places on the old saying, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week kicked off Tuesday for its fifth installment in the desert, marking a major milestone of celebration in Las Vegas. Four days of glitz and fan-friendly activity with the 13 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup postseason drivers were scheduled, culminating Friday with the feting of six-time champion Jimmie Johnson at the Wynn Las Vegas.
 
"Las Vegas has been home to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards for five years, and each year it grows bigger, better and more entertaining for our fans," Steve Phelps, NASCAR chief marketing officer, said in May when the dates for the annual banquet were announced. "Undoubtedly, this milestone Champion’s Week will continue — and heighten — that tradition.”
 
Coverage of the awards takes place Friday from 9 p.m. to midnight ET on FOX Sports 2 and NASCAR.com. Radio coverage on MRN affiliates and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET.
 
Plenty of build-up and insider-style access — with many events free to the public — was scheduled before the black-tie and evening gown gala:

Tuesday — "NASCAR Live" with Eli Gold hosted Johnson in an hourlong, audience-participation radio show from 7-8 p.m. ET (4-5 p.m. PT) at the Wynn Sports Book. The Motorsports Marketing Forum presented by SportsBusiness Daily/Global/Journal kicked off for the first of two days, providing a comprehensive look at the business of the NASCAR industry.

Tuesday recap
Rebuilt Daytona could host soccer, football
Jeff Burton bound for NBC broadcast booth

 
Wednesday — The red carpet was out for all 13 Chase drivers in the Fanfest presented by Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a free event also in its fifth year. Beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. PT) at the Fremont Street Experience, the drivers engaged in a game-show style face-off with a prize of two tickets to the Friday night awards banquet available for fans. The day also included a reception for this year’s four finalists for the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award at the Wynn from 7:30-8:30 p.m. ET (4:30-5:30 p.m. PT). Fan voting is closed, but look for the winner to be announced later this week.

Wednesday recap
Rick Allen named lead announcer for NBC

Also Wednesday, NASCAR.com hosted Coca-Cola Racing Family drivers Greg Biffle, Joey Logano and Ryan Newman for a live chat. Watch that video below.

 
Thursday — One of the busiest days of the week in Vegas began with the annual NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon (2 p.m.-5:30 p.m. ET, video live streamed at NASCAR.com) in the Encore Ballroom at the Wynn. The awards ceremonies were followed by NASCAR Victory Lap at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. PT), when the top 10 Chase drivers offered a taste of the race-day experience with burnouts and a rumbling drive down Las Vegas Boulevard. NASCAR After the Lap presented by Ford and Coca-Cola concluded the day at the Palms Hotel & Casino Hotel with an offbeat, unfiltered roundtable involving every Chase driver. Fans can read and watch the highlights:

2 p.m. ET: NMPA/Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon (Read recap)
6 p.m. ET: NASCAR Victory Lap (Watch highlights)
8 p.m. ET: NASCAR After the Lap (Watch highlights)

More from Thursday:
Brian France address
Hall of Fame changes
Stewart wins Myers Brothers Award
Junior ‘most popular’ for 11th year in row
Holly Cain rides with Jimmie on burnout
 
Friday — Johnson and the rest of the top 10 drivers in the final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings will be honored, marking the official close of the 2013 season. Drivers, celebrities and other special guests will all walk the red carpet before the celebration begins.

9 p.m. ET: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony (Watch live)

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Myers Brothers Award

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Posted on by Nascar

Champion’s Week comes to a close as Johnson is honored 

LAS VEGAS – Jimmie Johnson capped off a long day, a long week and a long season Friday night, accepting accolades as NASCAR celebrated the Hendrick Motorsports driver for the sixth time as its Sprint Cup Series champion. 

It was fitting that the night ended much as the season began, with Johnson out front at day’s end. In late February, he won the series’ season-opening race, the Daytona 500. On this night, he was feted as its best for the season.

"Buddy, I’m in awe of what you’ve accomplished," team owner Rick Hendrick said in his remarks on stage at the Wynn Las Vegas. "Your focus, dedication and talent is second to none. You’re one of the best ever. It’s not only that you’re a great champion, but you’re a great role model."

Rehearsals for the evening’s event kicked off the final day’s activities to Champion’s Week 2013 for Johnson and the No. 48 team. Receptions, photo opportunities, more receptions, more photos and a red-carpet arrival followed. And finally, the familiar seat at the head table.

Still, the night was young. Nine others were honored for their respective finishes. Entertainment, a meal and accolades of one sort or another filled the space until finally it was time. 

Time for Johnson to make his way to the podium, time for the champion to be honored. 

It should be old hat for the El Cajon, Calif., native by now. He’s had his share of practice. The nerves remain, however. 

"That’s a terrifying … five or six minutes," a relieved Johnson said afterward. "It seems like 60 minutes. 

"It’s only terrifying because you want to be sure and thank everyone … and not miss anyone." 

Only two others have won the Cup title more often – Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, both seven-time champions. Johnson had said he hoped to draw something, perhaps, from the two when they won their sixth titles to give substance and weight to his own celebration.

"To my surprise, they didn’t have a banquet back then," Johnson said of Petty’s sixth championship season, which came in 1975. "There wasn’t television coverage like we have today … so I really couldn’t find anything on the King’s speech." 

It was easier to unearth video of Earnhardt’s acceptance effort, which occurred in 1993.

"He was just as nervous up here as the rest of us," Johnson said. "… To be honest with you, to do something that only those two men have done is crazy and wild and humbling. … We’re all indebted to them for their contributions to our sport." 

Fellow driver Greg Biffle, a championship winner in the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series, said the difference in those drivers seated in the audience and the guy at the head table was having "the right cars, the right organization, (making) the right calls." 

And when they aren’t, the Roush Fenway Racing driver said, "you have to find ways to overcome what might be a bad day. … That’s how championships are made, by overcoming adversity." 

Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon, a four-time champion, said Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus are "individually … the best at what they do, but together, they’re just this dominant force and it’s hard to beat that." 

If there’s a difference this time around, Johnson said, it’s that he’s taking the time to enjoy the experience much more. 

"It’s soaking in far more than any other … I’ve had," he said. "I can’t quite identify why … some of it’s due to being a parent now and changing a lot in the last three or four years. … That part of it, letting it in and enjoying it, feeling the applause and respect." 

It is, he said "slightly embarrassing" to have others talk about you, even when those comments are high praise.

"It’s very nice to have the spotlight on you … but through those five years I wonder if I was a little, embarrassed isn’t the right word … I’m letting it soak in now at the end of the day and it’s pretty cool to experience it that way."

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READ: Stewart wins NMPA’s
Myers Brothers Award

READ: Dale Jr. nabs
Myers Brothers Award

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key issues in season wrap
Posted on by Staff Report

Relive the speeches made by the top 10 drivers at the Awards Ceremony in Las Vegas

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony has come and gone, but the speeches of the top 10 drivers in this year’s final standings remain.

You can relive all of the speeches from the ceremony here.

Jimmie Johnson

Matt Kenseth

Kevin Harvick

Kyle Busch

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Jeff Gordon

Clint Bowyer

Joey Logano

Greg Biffle

Kurt Busch

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Six alterations announced to selection process

LAS VEGAS — Mark Martin won’t have to wait three years to be eligible for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Thanks to changes in the selection process announced Thursday, the veteran driver will be up for consideration beginning with the class of 2015.

And he’s not alone — Bill Elliott, Terry Labonte, Ken Schrader, Geoffrey Bodine and Ron Hornaday Jr. are also among those drivers who could find themselves up for enshrinement due to eligibility changes that promise to broaden and modernize the pool of available candidates, and especially benefit drivers who competed on the track into their 50s.

NASCAR unveiled six procedural changes to the Hall of Fame selection process in a Champions Week announcement, and the most impactful involves driver eligibility. Currently, drivers who have competed in NASCAR for at least 10 years and been retired for three are eligible for nomination to the Hall of Fame. While that will not change, moving forward, drivers who have competed for a minimum of 10 years and reached their 55th birthday on or before Dec. 31 of the year prior to the nominating year are also immediately eligible for selection.


National series drivers impacted by new NHOF driver eligibility:

• Norm Benning: 61 years old
• Geoff Bodine: 64 years old
• Derrike Cope:55 years old, 31 seasons
• Rick Crawford: 55 years old
• Bill Elliott: 58 years old, 37 seasons
• Bobby Gerhart: 55 years old
• David Green: 56 years old
• Mike Harmon: 55 years old
• Ron Hornaday Jr.: 55 years old
• James Hylton: 79 years old, 30 seasons
• Terry Labonte: 57 years old, 36 seasons
• Mark Martin: 31 seasons
• Butch Miller: 61 years old
• Ken Schrader: 58 years old, 30 seasons
• Mike Skinner: 56 years old
• Morgan Shepherd: 72 years old, 36 seasons

Also, any competitor who has competed for 30 or more years in NASCAR competition by Dec. 31 of the year prior to the nominating year is automatically eligible, regardless of age. The changes will benefit drivers like Martin, 54, a 40-time race winner who likely competed for the final time in the Sprint Cup Series this past season after 31 years on the circuit. Elliott, 58, is a former champion who competed as recently as 2012 and raced over 37 seasons. Two-time champion Terry Labonte, 57, competed in five events this past season, his 36th in the series.

Drivers may also now continue to compete after reaching any of the aforementioned milestones without compromising eligibility for nomination or induction. The changes to the selection process reflect an era when many drivers are proving competitive well beyond what was once considered retirement age, and will almost certainly add more contemporary names to the pool of drivers eligible for enshrinement.

"It wasn’t a goal on specific drivers," said Brett Jewkes, NASCAR’s chief communication officer. "… That was not the goal. There wasn’t ever really a goal. The discussion came to, our sport is different. We have guys that compete for 20, 30, 35 years. It just makes sense. If they have a Hall of Fame résumé, the voters will determine that. To put more emphasis on the drivers, our sport has always been about the driver, and anything we can do to get more drivers in that discussion is where we wanted to go."

NASCAR chairman Brian France added that the changes will result in "stronger nominees" being put up for consideration. Martin, Elliott, Labonte and the other newly-eligible drivers will now be in the mix when the Hall of Fame’s nominating committee determines the slate of candidates for the 2015 class, the first stages of which will begin in February of next year.

NASCAR formally announced five other changes, including the addition of the reigning Sprint Cup champion to the following year’s voting panel, a move first unveiled in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. That means Jimmie Johnson, who captured his sixth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship this season, will be included in the selection meeting and cast a vote for the class of 2015 on voting day, Wednesday, May 21, 2014.

Also, beginning with the 2015 class, a new award called the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR will be initiated to honor significant contributions to the sport’s growth. Potential recipients could include competitors or those working in the sport as a member of a racing organization, track facility, race team, sponsor, media partner or being a general ambassador for the sport through a professional or non-professional role. Award winners will remain eligible for Hall enshrinement.

Five nominees for the Landmark Award will be selected by the Hall’s nominating committee, and then be voted upon by the voting panel. To win the award, an individual must appear on at least 60 percent of the ballots and no more than one award will be presented annually. Voting for this award will occur immediately following the voting for the Hall of Fame class and be monitored by the same independent accounting firm that oversees voting.

Also, for the first time, the nominating committee will meet in person to create the ballots for both the Hall of Fame and the Landmark Award. Previously, the committee submitted nominees via mail to an independent accounting firm which totaled the nominations in order to create the final Hall ballot. The nominating committee will meet during Speedweeks at Daytona on Friday, Feb. 21, 2014, and the nominees for both ballots will be announced later that day.

Moving forward, the nominating committee will also select five fewer members for enshrinement, with the number dropping from 25 to 20 beginning with selection for the 2015 class. And any member of the nominating or voting panels who appeared on the previous or current year’s ballot will now be recused from participation in the nominating or voting process for as long as they are up for consideration. That latter change most directly affects Jerry Cook, the former modified great who has been a voter as well as a nominee.

The number of new Hall of Fame members selected each year, five, remains unchanged. The Hall of Fame’s 2014 class, which will be comprised of former drivers Dale Jarrett, Tim Flock, Jack Ingram, and Fireball Roberts as well as former engine builder Maurice Petty, will be enshrined at the downtown Charlotte, N.C., facility on Jan. 29 of next year.

"The Hall of Fame is a treasure. It’s a treasure for our sport. It’s a treasure for the community of Charlotte," Jewkes said. "These guys that are going to be there are treasures for all of us for a long, long time. Anything we can do to put more focus on the drivers, bring more people into the conversation and then make this process as crisp as possible. My biggest belief out of this whole thing … is, this makes the responsibility to be a voter much more difficult, in my opinion. It puts a lot of responsibility on them to make some tough calls. That ballot is going to be tighter. "

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NASCAR Chairman and CEO hits on Richmond scandal, Iowa purchase, possible qualifying changes

LAS VEGAS — NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France touched on several topics in NASCAR’s season wrap-up session with the media. In addition to changes to the NASCAR Hall of Fame process, France discussed:

• The Richmond scandal. The NASCAR chairman said he was personally "pissed off, to be honest" over the events in the regular-season finale that led to heavy penalties against Michael Waltrip Racing for race manipulation, and altered the face of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. But the chairman stands by the way NASCAR handled the controversy, which involved the unprecedented step of adding a 13th driver — in this case, Jeff Gordon — to the Chase.

"I was very angry about it," France said. "But I also knew that … if we dealt with it really straight on, that we wouldn’t have a long‑term blemish. It was going to be really tough, especially for the teams that got penalized, losing sponsors. That was no fun for anybody. But I knew that our credibility would be preserved if we did the right thing and we acted swiftly. So I wasn’t ever worried about that. But of course we were disappointed. But that’s just the nature, I guess, of competitive sports. You’ve got human beings trying to do their best, and sometimes they cross lines they shouldn’t cross."

• Iowa Speedway. NASCAR last week announced it had purchased the track that has hosted NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events since 2009. The facility had gone through ownership changes, France said, and NASCAR’s ownership gives the track some stability.

"It’s an attractive asset in a region of the country that is very NASCAR-centric, and they run multiple events for multiple series, they’ve had a lot of success," France said. "The public companies that are in the space, for various reasons, the timing wasn’t right for them, but the time was right for us. So from a NASCAR standpoint, we’ll get to give some stability to a facility that needs that, number one. We’ve got a lot of talent through our system that we’ll be able to deploy to promote, run, operate and execute that facility, and we’ll try to do our best to position it."

• Qualifying changes. France reiterated that NASCAR is continuing to examine potential changes to the qualifying format. In a meeting with competitors earlier this season, NASCAR said it was looking at moving away from single-car qualifying in favor of group formats like those used on road courses.

"It’s the one format that we will deal with, because it’s not part of the race‑day event. And our goal is to make that a little more exciting, a little more interesting for the fans," France said. "The track operators have certainly wanted that for a long time, and they’re right. So we’ve been working on some ideas, and there will be something pretty shortly on that, and it will make it more exciting."

• The Sprint Cup schedule. Many have wondered if NASCAR will use the kickoff of the sport’s new television deal in 2015 as an opportunity to revamp the Sprint Cup schedule, but France said he doesn’t foresee that happening.

"Most tracks with a couple of exceptions don’t like to give up a date that’s worked for them, and so on, that they’ve had for a long time," France said. "So there might be a change or two, but I wouldn’t predict any significant changes."

• NBC’s return. The peacock network will return as a NASCAR broadcast partner in 2015, and this week unveiled a talent lineup that includes Rick Allen as lead announcer and Jeff Burton as analyst. France said he can already sense that within the NBC portfolio, NASCAR will be a priority.

"Right away, we’re going to get a lot more attention simply because it’s their focus," he said. "They’re going to use the assets within the (NBC) Universal platform, the E Channel, things that we don’t think about every day, to cross-promote day in and day out. And when you create interest levels that hopefully go up, we match that with even better racing than we have today, (that’s) our goal."

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Posted on by NASCAR Official Release

Stewart makes a surprise appearance and takes home Myers Brothers Award

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 5, 2013) – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ driver Tony Stewart’s reaction to being named recipient of the 2013 NMPA Myers Brothers Award was emotional and heartfelt.

“This is crazy,” said the three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion. “What an honor. It’s very humbling.”

Stewart was honored by the National Motor Sports Press Association (NMPA) during Thursday’s annual Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon at Wynn Las Vegas for a variety of reasons – as a fierce competitor, championship team owner and race track promoter.

“But he’s also helped others on many occasions; quietly and without recognition,” said NMPA President Kenny Bruce. “The stories of our winner’s big heart have gotten around; much to his dismay, I’m sure. Trust me, they’re endless.”

Bruce’s introductory remarks were echoed by master of ceremonies and FOX Sports broadcaster Mike Joy. “What he does for the sport makes him one of a kind.”

The Myers Brothers Award is presented in the names of pioneer NASCAR competitors Billy and Bobby Myers. Past recipients are a virtual who’s-who of the industry – drivers, owners, track operators, sponsors and members of the media – and include nearly every current member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Stewart was cited for a longtime body of work – and specifically for his role in taking NASCAR back to its roots. He and his staff at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, produced the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series “Mudsummer Classic,” the sanctioning body’s first national points competition on a dirt surface in more than four decades.

“I’d always joked around that having a dirt race on the schedule would be really great,” Stewart said.

Stewart, however, prefers to credit others – specifically NASCAR Senior Vice President of Racing Operations Steve O’Donnell and Eldora Speedway manager Roger Slack – for the ultimate success of the “Mudsummer Classic.”

Stewart’s 2013 season was cut short by a broken leg suffered in a sprint car accident in early August. He crossed the stage on Thursday without the aid of crutches to accept his award and should be ready to battle for his fourth NASCAR Sprint Cup title when the 2014 season opens with February’s Daytona 500.

“It was hard sitting on the sidelines watching,” he said addressing his 13 fellow drivers who competed in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™. “It’s given me a different perspective.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was named the NMPA NASCAR Most Popular Driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for a record, 11th consecutive season. He matched Bill Elliott’s mark a year ago although the 1988 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion continues to hold the overall record of 16.

Earnhardt said many things motivate a driver to compete at a high level.

“None impacts us more than the fans,” he said. “This year we feel like we were giving them a lot to cheer for on the race track and paying them back for all the years they’ve voted for us to win this award.”

In the end, more than one million votes were tallied for 39 eligible drivers with Earnhardt collecting in excess of 700,000 votes.

A complete list of awards presented during Thursday’s NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon can be found at the end of this release.

Brian France, NASCAR chairman and CEO, addressed the media prior to the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon calling the just-concluded season “a good year.”

“Obviously, there’s some business things we’ve got accomplished like getting our media rights secured for the next decade,” he said. “That’s tremendous for the industry; great visibility. NBC is going to do a really good job (beginning in 2015).”

France pronounced the roll-out of the Gen-6 Chevrolet SS, Ford Fusion and Toyota Camry successful.

“There were some fair questions and expectations – would we get that right and in ‘08 (with the Car of Tomorrow), we didn’t,” he said. “I think we changed that in a big way getting the car manufacturers, the teams and others all on the same page and we have a better racing product, which is the center of it for all of us.”

The premier series’ three manufacturers were named joint recipients of the 2013 Buddy Shuman Award for their role in creating race cars styled to better connect the sport with the pride of car ownership shared by millions of North American consumers.

The 2013 season also saw the emergence of future – and diverse – stars such as Kyle Larson in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and Darrell Wallace Jr. in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Larson is the first Asian-American to win a Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award in one of NASCAR’s national series. Wallace was the first African-American driver to win a NASCAR national series race in nearly 50 years.

“You saw a mix of things coming in the future,” France said. “They’re going to be with us; Kyle Larson being one, at the Cup level beginning next year. Darrell Wallace had a bit of a breakout year for himself.”

Despite cooler than normal temperatures, thousands of fans lined The Strip – Las Vegas Boulevard – as the top-13 drivers celebrated the conclusion of the 2013 season with the fifth annual Victory Lap. Engines rumbled and smoke from burnouts filled the air during the popular event that started and finished in front of the Miracle Mile Shops on Las Vegas Boulevard.

Additional events Thursday included the NASCAR After The LapTM sponsored by Ford and Coca-Cola at the Pearl Palms Concert Theater inside the Palms Casino Resort, a “tell-all” driver-fan interaction that lived up to its promise as one of the most sought after off-track tickets.

MORE:

WATCH: Drivers and fans
play the odds in Vegas

READ: Stewart wins NMPA’s
Myers Brothers Award

READ: Dale Jr. nabs:
Myers Brothers Award

READ: France discusses
key issues in season wrap
Posted on by

Manufacturers honored for collaboration on Generation-6 car

In a testament to the effective collaboration of competitors toward a common goal, the three auto makers involved in NASCAR Sprint Cup racing — Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota –shared the Buddy Shuman Award, presented annually by the Champion brand to individuals and organizations that have played key roles in the growth and development of stock car racing.
 
The three automakers worked closely with NASCAR and with each other to speed the development of the Generation-6 race car introduced into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this season.

"I don’t know whether or not you could get three insurance companies to come together and work together, but the fact of the matter is we’re not afraid of one another," said Ed Laukes, vice president for marketing communications and motorsports for Toyota.
 
"We compete on the race track, we compete in the showroom, we compete in auto shows, we compete everywhere all year round. I don’t know whether that could happen in any other industry. It’s really special for the automotive industry."
 
Chevrolet Vice President of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports Jim Campbell suggested a fourth recipient of the Shuman award might have been appropriate.
 
"I really felt like, in addition to the three manufacturers, they should have had somebody from NASCAR up there — Robin Pemberton (vice president of competition and racing development) and his team," Campbell said. "Without that work, it would have never happened."
 
Tim Duerr, motorsports marketing manager at Ford, said the advent of the Gen-6 car and its heightened brand identity was helping Ford achieve its primary goal of selling cars.
 
"Fusion sales are at a record pace," Duerr said. "We’re very proud of what the new Fusion has done from an appearance, quality and performance standpoint. To put that car out on the track every weekend in front of the 75 million NASCAR fans is just a great benefit to Ford Motor Company."

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Gen-6, NASCAR Next also in the NASCAR Motorsports Marketing Forum spotlight

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — As Scott Atherton put it, Brian France’s presence at the 2013 NASCAR Motorsports Marketing Forum at the Aria was lost on no one.

France, NASCAR chairman and CEO, kicked off the session on the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship by affirming his unqualified support of the racing series formed by the merger of the GRAND-AM Road Racing and American Le Mans Series.

"The results are tremendous, what we’re seeing with our OEM participation getting bigger and better, our sponsorships getting bigger and better. Interest in the combined schedule for 2014 has never been stronger. You can feel it." — NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France on TUDOR United Sports Car Championship

"A couple of years ago, we looked at sports car racing, which we had our own position in with Grand-American," France said. "It was very obvious that two separate sports car racing series would never achieve what we needed to.

"There were lots of difficulties in pulling that together, but we did. In 2012, we announced that, and then we went on in 2013 to integrate those two companies. The results are tremendous, what we’re seeing with our OEM participation getting bigger and better, our sponsorships getting bigger and better. Interest in the combined schedule for 2014 has never been stronger. You can feel it."

Atherton, president and chief operating officer of the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), the sanctioning body for the new series, concurred that enthusiasm for the merged series is building rapidly.

"Sept. 5, 2012, was when we went public with the announcement of the merger, and since that time, it has been the most incredible process I’ve ever been involved with," Atherton said. "There’s a large group of people that deserve a lot of credit for pulling this together…

"Next we had to define a new brand and a new name — United SportsCar Championship, and then the decision to put it all under the umbrella of IMSA as the sanctioning body of record. So, GRAND-AM as a brand and as an entity — gone. American Le Mans Series, brand and entity — also gone, replaced by IMSA."

According to Atherton, the new entity promises more racing for more drivers at historic venues, starting with the Rolex 24 At Daytona in late January.

"For years, we all took a sheet of paper and said, ‘OK, write down your dream schedule,’ and frankly, 2014 represents that," Atherton said. "To open up with the Rolex 24 At Daytona, followed by the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, followed by the Long Beach Grand Prix…

"You name the track. If it’s a historically significant major-market sports car history venue, it’s on our calendar."

In addition to the attractive schedule, the series debuts with a five-year commitment from TUDOR, a division of Rolex that previously has marketed the brand primarily in Asia.

"We have this heritage in motorsports," said Russell Kelly, brand manager for TUDOR. "Rolex has supported motorsports and had a relationship with the France family since 1959. It’s no secret that we have a love of motorsports.

"TUDOR has just come back to the U.S. market in September of this year. It’s important for us because, first of all, the sports car racing series is defined by time. It’s not defined by distance. It’s not defined by the number of laps. It’s defined by time.

"More important, it helped us to reach a demographic where we wouldn’t otherwise have an audience… The TUDOR United SportsCar Championship really gives us an opportunity to come here, with a great schedule in two key markets for us, and speak to the local, domestic customer."

Atherton also revealed a new technology that will facilitate keeping track of the running positions of all cars in all series, an aspect of sports car and endurance racing that had the potential for confusion in the past.

Those who follow the sport will recall leader lights on the front-running cars. Now fans will be able to see the positions of every car on the track.

"Beginning in 2014 with the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, every car is going to have a digital panel on it, still color-coded to each class, but every position, regardless of where the car is, will be displayed in brilliant color that’s visible in the brightest of sunlight," Atherton said.

"So you can go away, have a lunch break, do whatever you do, come back, and within one lap you’re going to know every car’s position in every class simply by watching the cars go by in front of you. So we’re tackling some of the Achilles heels in sports car racing."

STRONG SEASON

France prefaced his introduction of the merged sports car series with a synopsis of the past season in NASCAR racing, referring notably to the introduction of the new Gen-6 race car to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

"We had a couple of things we had to get right," France said. "One of them was launching the Gen-6 race car at the Sprint Cup level. Understand that we didn’t have a very good track record. If you go back to ’08 (with the introduction of the Gen-5 as the ‘Car of Tomorrow’) — I take a lot of responsibility for this — we didn’t have the cooperation of the OEMs and the rest of the industry, and we didn’t get the proper launch of our product, which is a key thing we have to get right…

"So high expectations from us to get this right, get the OEMs back where they were positioned better with us, get the drivers and the teams liking the cars — how they drive and how they race — and the fans ultimately liking what they see on the track. After all, that’s the heart of what we do."

France referenced the upcoming testing (Dec. 9 at Charlotte Motor Speedway) and review as part of the continuing process in improving the performance of the Gen-6 car on intermediate speedways.

"I’m pleased to say that we got all that right, for the most part," France said. "We’re still working on one significant part of that. And one part of that is our competition review that we’ve been doing, knowing that the stated goal of NASCAR is very simple: to have the closest, most competitive and safest racing in the world."

FANS FIRST

In one of the early-morning sessions, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Racing Operations Steve O’Donnell spearheaded a discussion about creating the ultimate fan experience.

Much of the focus dealt with the influx of new young talent through NASCAR’s touring series and the concerted effort to make the young drivers household names to the fan base.

"What you’ve seen, by investing in the NASCAR touring series, by investing in the NASCAR Next program, you’ve got Ryan Blaney coming up, you’ve got Chase Elliott coming up, Kyle Larson, names that people have now heard of who are winning — Austin Dillon, Ty Dillon, Daniel Suarez out of Mexico," O’Donnell said.

"So I think that we have really taken the initiative to not just look at Cup, but all the way down to the touring series."

During a panel discussion focused on attracting new fans to motorsports, NASCAR Vice President of Marketing Kim Brink noted that the sanctioning body had expanded the scope of its advertising to underline the drama and danger inherent to the sport.

"Steve Phelps, our CMO was making a presentation," Brink said. "And he said, ‘What our drivers do day-in and day-out; it’s dangerous; it’s hard; it’s intense.’ So I said, ‘Steve, we have a body of (advertising) work, and we’re not showing that. Can we have the latitude to really be able to show that intensity?’

"We’re always really careful not to show anything where a fan is hurt or a driver’s hurt… With those parameters, we showed it to Brian (France) and to Mike (Helton, NASCAR president) and to Steve, and there was absolutely no hesitation."

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