Posted on by Holly Cain

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On a cool Friday evening in uptown Charlotte, the NASCAR industry celebrated its heroes, industry inspirations and champions at the Charlotte Convention Center for the first time in the sport’s modern era.

Race teams, drivers and fans gathered to watch these 2024 victors receive their trophies and to see the sport honor those whose careers impacted NASCAR not only this season but for years and even decades.

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Cup Series champion Joey Logano began the afternoon celebrating his third title with the iconic Goodyear Gold Car given to each year’s champion and then later being feted by the sport at the tuxedo-and-gown banquet that will be televised on The CW Network on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.

The 34-year-old’s three titles in the No. 22 Team Penske Ford are now the most among all active drivers, and he is one of only 10 competitors in the history of the sport to have ever earned a trio of championship trophies.

Logano thanked his team and team owner Roger Penske, and the father of three gave a special nod to his wife Brittany, who he praised for taking care of their young family and home — allowing him to maintain championship focus. He thanked his family, who was also in the audience, “remembering when I was a kid and got a go-kart for Christmas and now I’m sitting here a three-time Cup champion, it’s just truly incredible.”

“To me, we did get a lot of opportunities, and life’s really all about what you do with the opportunities, you don’t know when they are going to come your way, but are you ready to take advantage when they do,” continued Logano, who received a full-room standing ovation when introduced by NASCAR President Steve Phelps.

Logano, whose four wins in 2024 gave him 36 total, was noticeably sentimental, reflecting on his career and season’s accomplishments.

“If you take the opportunity that God’s given us to talk to people, to inspire others to live a life of generosity, that’s when these scenarios of just driving in circles aren’t just driving in circles anymore,” Logano said, noting the sport’s huge push to help Hurricane Helene victims in Western North Carolina.

“That, to me, is something I’m most proud of in this industry and being part of that,” added Logano, who has personally helped raise money and deliver supplies to the affected regions.

“I’m proud of winning. I’m proud to be part of this team, but what I’m probably most proud of is the heart of this sport.”

Joey Logano speaks during the 2024 NASCAR Awards.
Jonathan Bachman | Getty Images

Logano’s team owner, NASCAR Hall-of-Famer Penske, has now earned five NASCAR Cup Series championships, including the last three consecutively between Logano (2022 and 2024) and Ryan Blaney (2023).

“From my perspective, Joey Logano was a winner when he came to our team in 2013,” Penske said in his remarks on stage, adding, “We’re so proud of all our teams. Racing is a common thread through our businesses. It’s teamwork. It’s pressure. It’s integrity. It’s transparency. And this has built the Penske brand. And we’re thrilled to be here.”

Beyond the Logano-Penske dominance, it was a night of emphasizing highlights across all NASCAR series — those in supporting roles in the pits and beyond.

The Xfinity Series and its first-time champion, popular veteran JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier, along with Craftsman Truck Series first-time champion Ty Majeski and his ThorSport Racing team, were celebrated.

Allgaier’s team co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. was visibly excited to honor his longtime driver.

“I’m normally not this kind of person, but I knew we were going to win it. I’m normally the kind of person who thinks about the odds and wonders how we might lose a race or what are the obstacles in front of us,” Earnhardt said. “But for some reason, I just felt like the universe owed Justin, and we were going to collect when we got to Phoenix.”

“Man did he get up on the wheel, all those restarts, those were classic, classic moments and if you just watched that seven-car work all night long you could see how bad Justin wanted it,” Earnhardt continued. “He carried the whole company on his back that night. Just proud of him and so thankful to be able to see Justin celebrate this tonight.”

The sport also celebrated Earnhardt’s good friend, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr, the 2017 Cup Series champion, who retired from full-time competition at the end of the 2024 season and also marked the distinction earned by a former Team Penske champion as well in Brad Keselowski, who claimed his first victory (at Darlington Raceway) as a driver-owner of Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing.

Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott, the 2020 series champion, was named the sport’s Most Popular Driver for the seventh consecutive season.

“First and foremost, thank you to the fans,” said Elliott, 28, who won at Texas Motor Speedway this season. “When I look at this award, regardless if I win it or not … I’ve always viewed it as an opportunity to honor and appreciate the legacy my family has set up for me.”

MORE: Red carpet photos | Best shots from awards ceremony

Former Craftsman Truck Series and Xfinity Series champion Greg Biffle was recognized as the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Myers Brothers Award winner. Biffle, an avid pilot, flew rescue missions and dropped supplies to the residents in Western North Carolina following the devastating damage from Hurricane Helene in October.

“I thought, if I didn’t go, who’s going to go,” said Biffle, who said he received 12,000 messages for help and flew supplies into the area for 14 consecutive days after the storm hit.

“I didn’t do anything any different than anyone in this room would have,” a humble Biffle added.

In other awards presented on the night, David Wilson, the longtime president of Toyota Racing Development (TRD) was presented the Bill France Award of Excellence for his contributions to the sport. Wilson is retiring after leading the Toyota racing effort in NASCAR for 30 years — a tenure that included Toyota’s first Cup Series championship in 2015 and two more in 2017 and 2019.

Legacy Motor Club driver Erik Jones was named the Comcast Community Champion Award winner for his work in promoting cancer screenings, raising money for breast cancer patients and longtime literacy advocacy, reading books to school children as he travels around the country racing.

The NASCAR Foundation formally announced Judy Simmons, of Axton, Virginia as the 2024 winner of the prestigious Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award. Simmons received a $100,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation to her God’s Pit Crew non-profit organization, which provides disaster relief help to families.

The evening, hosted by Jamie Little, Adam Alexander and Kim Coon, concluded shortly after 8 p.m. ET with the hosts reminding the crowd and fans that NASCAR racing resumes with the NASCAR Clash exhibition at the venerable Bowman Gray Stadium on Feb. 2 (8 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The Daytona 500 opens the points season Feb. 16 at Daytona International Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on by Zack Albert

Carson Hocevar inherited a ride that finished the 2023 season 33rd in NASCAR Cup Series, so the expectations as he entered his first big-league campaign were measured. A Victory Lane visit would probably be a long shot, but steady improvement and building a foundation with his Spire Motorsports No. 77 Chevrolet team were realistic targets. One other goal stood out.

“For us to be Rookie of the Year, that was the thing like, ‘OK, well, we can win this, right?’ ” Hocevar said before the Cup Series finale at Phoenix Raceway. “Everything else would be a bonus.”

Hocevar secured Sunoco Rookie of the Year recognition in his first Cup Series season, joining fellow first-year drivers Jesse Love in the Xfinity Series and Layne Riggs from the Craftsman Truck Series as 2024 honorees. Hocevar’s total was good enough for a 21st-place finish in the Cup Series driver standings, outdistancing the two other full-time rookies on the circuit — Stewart-Haas Racing’s Josh Berry (27th in final points) and Spire teammate Zane Smith (30th).

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Hocevar’s final points position was the best for a Spire driver since co-owners Jeff Dickerson and T.J. Puchyr began fielding Cup Series entries in 2019.

“I feel like teams spend a lot of money to gain two or three spots, right?” Hocevar said. “So to be the highest finishing Spire car ever for their tenure — I think their highest ever is 26th — that’s what I’m probably most proud of is 21st is really good, I thought. Twentieth was about where I really wanted to be. To be really close there is really important. But Rookie of the Year is obviously the only thing you can’t win (later), and I missed out on it my truck year and obviously didn’t run Xfinity, so ideally it’s the last time I can really do it unless I somehow end up back in Xfinity. But yeah, happy to at least have a Rookie of the Year something in my NASCAR tenure.”

Hocevar’s first season showed glimmers of potential, improvement that has been backlit by Spire’s rapid and recent growth. Two of his six top-10 finishes came during the Cup Series Playoffs — a career-best third at Watkins Glen, plus a ninth-place effort at Homestead-Miami where the 21-year-old stood out as a non-playoff driver in a stacked postseason field.

The upswing was offset by his under-caution swipe at fellow driver Harrison Burton at Nashville, a move that drew a $50,000 fine from NASCAR officials and criticism from Cup Series veterans, plus some late-season bumper ruffling at Martinsville. Any youthful aggression was balanced by his consistency elsewhere — he tied for 17th among full-time Cup drivers in average finish (18.3) and absorbed just two DNFs.

“To do that was big for us to have the consistency of it,” Hocevar said. “I think a lot of people would have guessed that I would be in really big highs and lows, and I felt like we’ve been kind of the most consistent of our rookie group. So that’s been fun to do, but we’ve had some really good runs last half of the year, too.”

MORE: Cup Series 2025 championship odds

The other two rookie award recipients managed to reach Victory Lane in their respective series, with Love clinching an Xfinity Series Playoffs berth by notching a breakthrough win in April at Talladega Superspeedway. Love finished eighth in the Xfinity standings, just missing out on a Championship 4 slot. The 19-year-old will be back for Year 2 with the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevy group in 2025, with Whelen Engineering returning as a primary backer.

“I don’t think you ever want to be fully satisfied if you’re not the champion,” said Love, the 2023 ARCA Menards Series champion. “But at the same time, for me, it was one of those deals where I didn’t expect the world, because I know how I am as a rookie is not super-splashy. Again, I think way too much to kind of fly by the seat of my pants. So once I figured out how to drive the cars and figure out what my balance needs to be and figure out how to communicate better, obviously it got a lot better. So that’s kind of my biggest thing was it was pretty much right on track with how I wanted the year to go. So next year is where I feel I put the pressure on myself and figure out how good I’m going to be.”

Riggs, 22, rallied from an early points deficit and came up just short of making the 10-driver playoff field in his first Craftsman Truck Series season, but he made up for the miss by winning the first two playoff races — Milwaukee and Bristol. He created an unintentional highlight after his first victory, separating his shoulder as he pumped his fist atop his No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford. He took extra care in avoiding injury with his Bristol celebration.

Riggs arrived Friday morning in Charlotte for media interviews with his right arm in a sling, the result of surgery eight days earlier. He said he would begin physical therapy next week and anticipates a full recovery for the start of the season.

“To get our first win there, it kind of made everybody put their eyes on it and realize what was going on,” Riggs said. “I think I made TMZ, I think a couple other places were like, ‘NASCAR driver dislocates shoulder during celebration.’ They didn’t say truck driver, they didn’t say anything, so it got a lot of publicity, got a lot of press. I think my name got heard and seen by more people than it would’ve if it didn’t happen, but definitely wasn’t on purpose. But definitely something memorable, and it’s not going to be a tradition, that’s for sure.”

Posted on by Staff Report

A pair of familiar faces prevailed as the 2024 National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver Award winners as Chase Elliott earned the honor in the NASCAR Cup Series and Justin Allgaier won in the Xfinity Series. Rajah Caruth earned his first Most Popular Driver Award in the Craftsman Truck Series.

The 28-year-old Elliott has won the award for a seventh consecutive season, while Allgaier earned the Xfinity honor for the fifth time in the last six years.

RELATED: Every NMPA MPD Award winner

Elliott, the 2020 Cup Series champion, is one of only five drivers at the Cup level to win the award five times or more, joining Richard Petty (eight), Bobby Allison (six), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (15) and Chase’s father, Bill Elliott (16). Chase additionally won the Most Popular Driver Award twice in the Xfinity Series (2014-15).

“Thank you to the fans,” Elliott said during the awards banquet. “The fans have meant so much to myself, my career, my family and beyond. When I look at that award, regardless whether I won it tonight or not, I’m grateful for the fans across the country and around the world for what they do for me, but I’ve always looked at it as a little bit of just an opportunity to honor and appreciate the legacy that my family has really set up for me. I think at the end of the day, I’ve always just tried to carry myself and represent that as they would want me to and try to make them proud.

“As I look at my fans and the people that genuinely want to see us do well, I just see a lot of dedication and people that are willing to spend their hard-earned money on T-shirts and hats and to come to the races and support us. I see a lot of that at the race track, and I don’t want anyone to ever think that I take any of that for granted.”

Allgaier, 38, saw his three-year streak snapped in 2022 by Noah Gragson before winning the Xfinity award the last two seasons. A JR Motorsports driver has won the Xfinity honor every year dating back to 2012.

The 22-year-old Caruth took home the Truck honor in the season where he became just the third Black driver to win a NASCAR national series race when he took the checkered flag in March at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Formed in 1965, the National Motorsports Press Association consists of qualified media members who report on the sport of auto racing through affiliations with print, radio, television and/or Internet news-gathering organizations. In addition to the NMPA Most Popular Driver Award, the NMPA presents an array of auto-racing honors, including the Richard Petty Driver of the Year Award, the Myers Brothers Award, the NMPA Pocono Spirit Award and the Wood Brothers Award of Excellence.

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Greg Biffle has been named the 2024 recipient of the prestigious Myers Brothers Award.

Biffle, 54, receives the honor after his extraordinary efforts to aid mountain communities in Western North Carolina after the devastation of Hurricane Helene left its mark especially on remote towns.

This recognition, named after two of NASCAR’s earliest competitors Billy and Bob Myers, is awarded by the National Motorsports Press Association. The Myers Brothers Award celebrates “individuals and/or groups who have provided outstanding contributions to the sport of stock car racing.”

Named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023, Biffle used his personal helicopter to help rescue groups from trapped enclosures and deliver others’ vital supplies like EpiPens, insulin, formula and other necessities.

“It started on a Saturday morning when I got a phone call for somebody in need of assistance,” Biffle said Friday night. “And what I thought was one family turned in to be, a pretty devastating event and just escalated one thing after another. And I thought, you know, I’ve got the resources, and if I don’t go, who’s going to go? So that day, I drove to the airport. Power was out, so we used the tug to get the hanger door open, got my helicopter out, put fuel on and tried to go rescue that family.

“And what turned out to be 4,000 messages after that just turned into 12 days of flying, sun up to sun down. We feel good about what we did. And then over 100 helicopters joined the effort, a lot of guys from this room. So it was a great effort and I’m glad that I was part of it.”

During his consecutive days flying toward and back from the Blue Ridge Mountains, Biffle was quick to credit those around him who made these deliveries possible.

“I mean, the list goes on. I don’t want to leave anyone out,” Biffle told NASCAR.com in an October interview. “Team guys are up there on their days off with trucks, trailers, chainsaws. They said, ‘We just drove up there and found a road that was blocked, and started cutting and moving trees out of the way. We got miles in and found people, and they had food and water and supplies.’ So it’s just real cowboys, coming out of NASCAR and helping, and it’s great to see that. But it makes me proud to be a part of that community.”

Past recipients of the award include seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champions Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty in addition to Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Rick Hendrick, former MRN lead announcer Barney Hall and former NASCAR president Mike Helton.

Posted on by Zack Albert

David Wilson, the head of Toyota’s motorsports wing, was named the recipient of the Bill France Award of Excellence.

The honor was presented Friday evening during the annual NASCAR Awards banquet at the Charlotte Convention Center, recognizing Wilson’s outstanding achievements in the sport during his 35 years with the automaker. He announced in August that he planned to retire Dec. 16 as group vice president and president of TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development).

RELATED: Logano honored for third Cup title

The Bill France Award of Excellence is not presented annually. Retiring Goodyear CEO Rich Kramer received the recognition last year, marking the first time it was presented since 2020 when seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson was honored.

Wilson teared up and expressed his surprise at hearing his name announced by NASCAR CEO and chairman Jim France.

“I was well and truly stunned, rocked my world tonight to be called up on stage by my dear friend Jim France and to be recognized,” Wilson said. “As I said, and what I believe and what’s in my heart, is again on my very best day, I am simply a reflection of a wonderful team that’s supported me, that’s trusted me, that’s empowered me to serve and so, yeah, I’m still soaking it in.”

Wilson held many roles with Toyota’s racing division, including the last 11 years as its leader. He worked in a time of significant growth for the manufacturer, which made its NASCAR national-series debut in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2004 and joined the premier Cup Series three years later.

Wilson’s influence was felt in many other forms of motorsports — CART, CORR, Grand-Am, IMSA, Indy Racing League, MTEG, NHRA, SCORE and USAC. When asked in August about his lasting legacy in the sport, Wilson pointed to the company’s increased connection to racing.

“It’s pretty simple,” Wilson said. “I’d like to again believe that TRD is better than when it was when I got here, and I’d like to believe that our sport, and Toyota’s position in our sport, has left NASCAR in a better place. Coming back to when we entered 20 years ago, we didn’t have a relationship with the sanctioning body, and we didn’t have certainly a relationship with our competitors the way we do now, and so much has changed. I’m proud of the way the competitive model that Toyota brought to our sport, we’ve changed the way the sport goes racing, and I love that. I love that, but there’s a lot that I’m really happy about and proud of.”

Succeeding Wilson in the role is Tyler Gibbs, TRD’s current general manager.

Posted on by NASCAR Foundation Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The NASCAR Foundation announced Judy Simmons as the winner of the 14th annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award during Friday’s NASCAR Awards Banquet in Charlotte, North Carolina.

As the award winner, Simmons will receive a $100,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation to God’s Pit Crew, a non-profit dedicated to providing disaster relief services to children and families.

“This award means so much to God’s Pit Crew and me, and it will make a tremendous impact for the children we strive to provide healing to in the midst of disaster,” said Simmons. “With this award, we will be able to provide more hope and comfort to the young lives that need it most.”

Judy Simmons of Axton, Virginia, is a volunteer at God’s Pit Crew, a local non-profit disaster relief organization that works to provide aid and hope to communities all over the country in the face of a major weather event. Judy has been a member of the God’s Pit Crew disaster response team of more than 1,500 volunteers for six years, leading volunteer teams to provide essential needs to families and children in their time of crisis, including Play Pails that contain toys, games and hygiene items for children who have lost everything.

“Judy is an incredible person doing impactful work for families that have experienced hardship due to natural disasters, especially during the difficult times faced in Western North Carolina this year,” said Nichole Krieger, The NASCAR Foundation Vice President and Executive Director. “The $100,000 she won for God’s Pit Crew will allow them to continue providing essential items for kids and families in need in times of major weather event or crisis. Both Judy and her organization are very deserving of this award.”

Simmons earned the most online votes from a pool of nominees, including Tammy Raulerson with the Periwinkle Foundation in College Station, Texas; Carlos Washington with Boys and Girls Clubs of the Pee Dee Area in Florence, South Carolina; and Julie Woolridge with Hope of Mooresville in Mooresville, North Carolina. Each of these charities will receive a $25,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation.

In its 14 years, the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award has recognized 56 NASCAR fans who are dedicated volunteers working for children’s causes in communities nationwide. More than 553,288 children’s lives have been affected by the program with 2.56 million contributed to children’s charities.

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

Posted on by Zach Sturniolo

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Denny Hamlin said Friday he was “shocked” by the news that he will have a new crew chief for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Joe Gibbs Racing announced Friday morning ahead of the NASCAR Awards banquet that Chris Gabehart will become the team’s competition director, vacating the head of the No. 11 team he had led with driver Hamlin since 2019. Chris Gayle will crew chief the No. 11 Toyota moving forward, moving from the No. 54 JGR program where he previously worked with Ty Gibbs.

MORE: Details on JGR’s personnel moves | 2025 Cup schedule

Together, Gabehart and Hamlin won 22 races, propelling Hamlin to a resurgence of success, including 13 victories across the 2019 and 2020 campaigns. The duo and their No. 11 team won three of the first 11 races in 2024 but ended the year without another visit back to Victory Lane. Joe Gibbs Racing went winless after Christopher Bell’s victory in late June at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“I certainly was shocked,” Hamlin said in a media availability. “That’s all I’ll say.”

Hamlin was notified of the change early in the week after the season finale at Phoenix Raceway, the news delivered to him in a 6 p.m. ET meeting at JGR headquarters. He admitted he was surprised to learn that way, but understood the team opted to make a move to improve its overall performance.

“The first few days was a shock, but I’m moving on,” Hamlin said. “There’s nothing I can do to change anything that happened, and JGR is doing what they feel is best for them and I totally understand that. And if all of our program gets better, the 11 car’s gonna run better as well, right? And I think that all of us, all the teams, knew that we needed to have better results than what we had at the end of the year. They feel like this is the change they need to [make] to get that and that the 11 team will benefit from those changes.”

Gayle joins Hamlin’s program after two years atop the box for Ty Gibbs in the Cup Series, but his resume extends much farther back than that. Gayle has served as a JGR crew chief since 2013, collecting 37 Xfinity Series wins with drivers like Gibbs (11), Kyle Busch (20) and Erik Jones. In 2017, Gayle followed Jones to the Cup Series, where they won two races in four seasons. He then went back to Xfinity to lead the No. 54 team in 2021 with Busch, Ty Dillon, Gibbs, Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and John Hunter Nemechek before Gibbs became the full-time driver in 2022.

In total, Hamlin and Gayle have worked together in eight Xfinity Series races, winning the spring 2016 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway before a runner-up effort at Darlington Raceway later that year.

“He’s been with the company for 20 years, and certainly, he knows all the tools that the teams use,” Hamlin said. “He’s really just had rookie drivers for the most part in the course of his Cup career, so I think it’s going to be a welcomed change for him, and welcomed change for me to go out there and try to build a new relationship and obviously win a lot of races. So I think it probably was the easiest choice, considering he was part of the program already.”

Days after his 44th birthday, Hamlin knows he isn’t getting any younger. But forging a new relationship with a crew chief at this stage of his career – ahead of Hamlin’s 20th full year of NASCAR Cup Series racing – isn’t something that worries him.

“Someone of my age, I think the easy answer would say, well, you’re just you’re an old dog. You’re not going to learn new tricks. You’re not going to want to listen to anyone to tell you to do it differently,” Hamlin said. “But I’ve made it very clear to Chris Gayle that I do not want you treating me with kid gloves. You need to tell me when I need to improve in something, or there’s an area that I’m weak in as a driver. I need that feedback, and I think that as long as he’s comfortable with that, we’re going to have a successful relationship. because I am very self-aware and I need someone to hold me accountable to be the best out there.”

On the opposite end is Gibbs, who just concluded his second full-time campaign at the Cup level. A crew chief for the No. 54 team has not been announced, but Gibbs admitted he will miss working with Gayle, with whom he won the Xfinity Series championship in 2022.

“Chris has meant the world to me,” Gibbs said. “He’s been with me through most of the ups and downs of my life. I’ve won a championship with him and (11) or so races with him, so I’ve really appreciated the time I’ve gotten to work with him. I think him and Denny will be a great fit, and I’m excited to see what happens going forward and improving the whole team as a whole organization.”

Gabehart, meanwhile, transitions into a role where he will have leadership and influence over all four of JGR’s entries, which in 2025 will include Hamlin, Gibbs, Christopher Bell and newcomer Chase Briscoe.

“I think he’s got a very good leadership style to him,” Hamlin said. “I think that probably if you’re soft, it’s going to rub you the wrong way. I think if you’re strong-minded and you are willing to take constructive criticism, I think he’s a great leader as far as that’s concerned. So, generally speaking, I think he probably felt like there were changes that needed to happen within the team that he couldn’t do from sitting in his crew-chief seat.”

“I think it will really benefit us,” Gibbs said. “I think he has so many talents and so much wisdom; it’s just a good spot for him to be in. I’m excited to see what happens and I’m excited to see we’re making changes and making improvements on all of JGR. So hopefully 2025 will be a great year for all of us.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Drivers, icons and members of the NASCAR community will come together for the 2024 NASCAR Awards Red Carpet Show, hosted by Jessie Punch and Alex Weaver and streaming live on NASCAR.com, NASCAR’s YouTube channel and NASCAR social media on Friday, Nov. 22 at 5 p.m. ET.

RELATED: Watch Red Carpet Awards Show | Awards 101: Everything to know

The Red Carpet Awards Show will last until 6 p.m. ET at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, kicking off the evening’s festivities.

The 2024 NASCAR Awards will mark the first time the ceremonies have been hosted in Charlotte. The NASCAR Awards are a tradition that dates back to 1981 when the event was held in New York City. It has since relocated to Las Vegas from 2009 to 2018 and Nashville from 2019 to 2023.

Posted on by Team Release

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Joe Gibbs Racing announced a pair of changes in advance of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season. Chris Gabehart, who has served as the crew chief of the No. 11 team for the past six seasons, will become the organization’s competition director while Chris Gayle, who has been the crew chief for the No. 54 team for the past two seasons, will assume the crew chief role for Denny Hamlin.

Both Gabehart and Gayle have been mainstays at Joe Gibbs Racing for a number of years. This season, both led their teams to the Cup Series Playoffs and top-15 finishes in the overall point standings.

“We have a lot of pride in the depth of talent we have throughout our organization,” said Joe Gibbs, owner and founder of Joe Gibbs Racing. “Chris Gabehart will now be an asset across all four of our teams as competition director and we thought it was important to have him transition into his new role immediately. Chris Gayle will bring his own perspective to the 11 team while also maintaining the consistency and continuity they have developed with Denny (Hamlin) over the past several years. While we are still in the process of finalizing the new crew chief for the 54 team, we believe all these moves ultimately make our team stronger as we prepare for 2025.”

RELATED: 2025 Cup Series schedule

Gabehart joined Joe Gibbs Racing in 2012 as a race engineer. He transitioned to a crew chief position with the team’s NASCAR Xfinity Series program from 2016-2018. After three successful seasons where his teams earned nine victories with multiple drivers, Gabehart was promoted to be crew chief of the No. 11 team in 2019. The Hamlin-Gabehart combination proved to be a threat immediately by winning the 2019 Daytona 500 on the way to three consecutive Championship 4 appearances. In six seasons together, Gabehart and Hamlin claimed 22 victories, including a pair of Daytona 500s and the 2021 Southern 500.

“I am very thankful for the opportunities that Joe Gibbs Racing has continued to provide me for my entire tenure here and cannot say enough about how much I have enjoyed and appreciated my time with Denny and the entire 11 team,” said Gabehart. “They have all taught me so much about not only how to race at the top of the NASCAR Cup Series, but also, how to lead a great group of talented professionals. In my next opportunity, I am as excited as I have ever been to work with all our talented drivers, crew chiefs, teams and partners to help focus all our efforts towards making 2025 one of the best seasons Joe Gibbs Racing has ever had.”

Gayle’s resume includes a pair of Cup Series victories, 37 Xfinity Series wins, and the 2022 Xfinity Series championship. He began his time with Joe Gibbs Racing as an engineer in 2003. In 2013, Gayle moved into a crew chief position with JGR’s Xfinity Series team. After a four-year stint from 2013-2016 where his teams claimed 20 victories, Gayle spent 2017 as a crew chief for Furniture Row Racing.

He rejoined JGR in 2018 in the Cup Series with Erik Jones. He led the young driver to his first career win in 2018 and followed that up with a Southern 500 victory in 2019. In 2021, the Little Rock, Arkansas, native guided JGR’s No. 54 Xfinity Series team to 10 wins with four different drivers. The next year, Gayle led Ty Gibbs to seven victories and the series championship before the duo moved to the Cup Series together in 2023. In 2024, Gayle oversaw the No. 54 team’s growth in Gibbs’ second season as they earned eight top-five finishes, 12 top-10s, two pole awards, and 417 laps led.

“Denny is obviously a first-ballot Hall of Famer,” said Gayle. “I’m looking forward to working with him and the guys on the No. 11 team. He and Gabehart have established an incredible culture that is a very good barometer for our other drivers and teams to strive to match. I have all the confidence in the world we can hit the ground running and continue the success that this group is accustomed to in 2025.”

The No. 54 crew chief will be announced at a later date.

Posted on by Team Release

HARRISBURG, N.C. — Hyak Motorsports welcomes in a new era of racing for the iconic No. 47 team with a rebrand, new name and ownership.  Effective immediately, the team will shift from JTG Racing to Hyak Motorsports with Gordon Smith, who became the principal owner at the end of the 2023 season, at the helm. Hyak Motorsports will continue to carry out Smith’s plan to bring a fresh, new energy to the team and show his commitment to advancing the team’s legacy both on and off the racetrack.

The change starts with the name “HYAK,” which means “fast” in Chinook Jargon, which is a trade language of the Pacific Northwest that incorporates terms from Chinook, Chehalis, and many other local languages. The ownership transition promises to fuel Hyak Motorsports with a competitive edge by enhancing its approach to performance, innovation, and fan engagement. Smith is joined by co-owners Brad Daugherty, Mark Hughes and Ernie Cope, who remain dedicated to maintaining the team’s high standards while introducing updated strategies and resources to help bring the team to a new level.

“Becoming the owner of Hyak Motorsports brings an exciting opportunity,” said Gordon Smith, team owner/CEO. “I look forward to building on the team’s accomplishments, investing in its future, and driving toward new successes in partnership with our fans, sponsors, and team members.”

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The team’s commitment to pushing boundaries and delivering thrilling performances will continue in the 2025 season, starting with the NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray on February 2, 2025, at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

“I’m really excited about 2025 as our company continues to evolve,” said Brad Daugherty, one of the four owners of the team. “Our goal is to compete and win races at the highest level of NASCAR. The name change signifies that commitment and desire to be our very best.”

“2025 will begin a new era for this company,” said Ernie Cope, team co-owner. “We’re still committed to being a winning team with Ricky and the entire No. 47 crew. This is just the next step in elevating the team to another level.”

2025 will mark the team’s third season in NASCAR under the current management. The team has scored a win in each of the last two years and plans to continue this trajectory. Its pinnacle Daytona 500 win came on February 19, 2023, with Ricky Stenhouse Jr, who will continue to pilot the No. 47 Chevrolet Camaro next season.

“Rebranding a team can be exciting, said Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver for the No. 47 Chevrolet. “I’m looking forward to continuing building this team up with a lot of the same great crew members we have had here. I’m focused on the competition side and getting our performance back that we had in 2023. We learned a lot in 2024 and we’re ready to get back to the track.”

More updates will follow in the NASCAR offseason as the team works to build upon its foundation and look ahead to the 2025 season.