Posted on by Staff Report

Winners received their awards at Richard Childress Racing shop

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As hundreds of writers, broadcasters and photographers began the 31st NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway, several of the journalists left the first day with an extra gift in the form of one of the most prestigious motorsports awards.

The Russ Catlin Award for Excellence in Motorsports Journalism recognizes the best motorsports coverage in five categories: Daily and Non-Daily Writing, Local and National Broadcast and Photojournalism. Entries are open to all forms of motorsports coverage.

This year’s winners — the 28th — were Thomas Pope (Fayetteville Observer), Kris Johnson (NASCAR Illustrated), Andrew Doud (WSOC-TV, Charlotte, N.C.), Rosie Barresi (SPEED) and Gary Nastase (National Dragster).

Russ Catlin was one of the best-known racing writers and historians, contributing articles and information to several publications. He was also a pioneer of motorsports public relations and served as publicist for Darlington Raceway during the 1960s. He also guided several influential figures in the motorsports field, including former Charlotte Motor Speedway General Manager Humpy Wheeler, who established the awards in his honor.

The Indiana University School of Journalism judged the award entries. The recipients were honored at a ceremony held at Richard Childress Racing during the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway. Winners received a trophy and $1,000 scholarship from Charlotte Motor Speedway in their names to the school of their choice. 

— Russ Catlin, circa 1960

The 2012 Charlotte Motor Speedway Russ Catlin Awards for Excellence in Motorsports Journalism are as follows:

Writing – Daily

Thomas Pope – Fayetteville Observer
Entry: "Rock of Ages"
Judges’ Comments: The reporter brings Bowman Gray Stadium to life, revealing the culture of grassroots racing with plenty of local color. Whether readers are racing fans or not, they will recognize the passion and connection to place as universal human experiences.
Scholarship: Methodist University

Writing – Non-Daily

Kris Johnson – NASCAR Illustrated
Entry: "Skin in the Game"
Judges’ Comments: This story explores the intersection of gender, fame, sponsorship and legacy through multiple perspectives. The reporter shows the complexity of a controversial issue that has wide-reaching implications.
Scholarship: Middlebury College

Broadcast – Local

Andrew Doud – WSOC-TV, Charlotte, NC
Entry: "Pit Crew Training"
Judges’ Comments: This story has everything a great broadcast feature needs: quality reporting, great interviews and natural sound, effective editing and videography. This report makes clear the importance of teamwork in racing. The audience "walks" in the pit crew’s shoes.
Scholarship: Elon University

Broadcast – National

Rosie Barresi – SPEED
Entry: "Pass in the Grass"
Judges’ Comments: Entertaining story that provides context for multiple elements of NASCAR history: Dale Earnhardt’s legendary status, the coining of a famous phrase, and the role of rivalries in racing. Broadcast on the 25th anniversary of the "pass in the grass," this piece is both timely and timeless, balancing ample research and reporting with humor and good storytelling.
Scholarship: Columbia College Chicago

Photojournalism

Gary Nastase – National Dragster
Entry: "Funny Car Explosion”
Judges’ Comments: An aesthetically pleasing photo rife with visual intrigue and definite "stopping power." Although the situation is not unique, the photographer captured an image that also functions as spot news.
Scholarship: Mt. San Antonio College

   1985   
Print: Clyde Bolton Birmingham News
Electronic Ken Squier CBS Sports
          
   1986    
Print: Sandra McKee The Baltimore Sun
Electronic Mark Allen Sunbelt Video
          
   1987    
Print: Bruce Martin Gaston Gazette
Electronic Bob Hice WBTV-TV
          
   1988    
Print: Ed Hinton The Atlanta Journal
Electronic Randy Pemberton Inside Winston Cup Racing
          
   1989    
Print: Tom Higgins The Charlotte Observer
Electronic Mark Allen Sunbelt Video
          
   1990    
Print: Deb Williams Winston Cup Scene
Electronic Steve Porter On Pit Road Teleproductions
          
   1991    
Print: Deb Williams Winston Cup Scene
Electronic Bill Weber Sunbelt Video
          
   1992    
Print: Joe Siano The New York Times
Electronic Randy Pemberton Inside Winston Cup Racing
          
   1993    
Print: Cary D’Amato The Milwaukee Journal
Electronic Ralph Sheheen Int’l Communications Group
          
   1994    
Print: Rob Sneddon Stock Car Racing
Electronic Scott Dowless Inside Winston Cup Racing
          
   1995    
Print: Bones Bourcier Stock Car Racing
Electronic Randy Pemberton Inside Winston Cup Racing
          
   1996    
Print – Daily: Liz Clarke Dallas Morning News
Print – Non-Daily: Bones Bourcier Stock Car Racing
Broadcast – National: Pamela Branner RPM 2Night
Broadcast – Local: Sean Pragano WCYB-TV
          
   1997    
Print – Daily: Lon Wagner Virginian-Pilot
Print – Non-Daily: Bob Zeller Car and Driver
Broadcast – National: Julie Smith RPM 2Night
Broadcast – Local: Charlie Smith WMUR-TV
Photojournalism: Phil Cavali NASCAR Winston Cup Scene
          
   1998    
Print – Daily: Bill Koenig Indianapolis Star
Print – Non-Daily: Bob Zeller Car and Driver
Broadcast – National: Kathryn Nixon RPM 2Night
Broadcast – Local: Chuck Howard WCNC-TV
Photojournalism: Phil Cavali NASCAR Winston Cup Scene
          
   1999    
Print – Daily: Juliet Macur Orlando Sentinel
Print – Non-Daily: Bruce Martin Circle Track/Stock Car
Broadcast – National: Donald Schick RPM 2Night
Broadcast – Local: Chuck Howard WCNC-TV
Photojournalism: Jim Fluharty NASCAR Winston Cup Illustrated
          
   2000    
Print – Daily: Al Levine Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Print – Non-Daily: Bob Judd Road and Track
Broadcast – National: Mike Massaro Inside NASCAR/TNN
Broadcast – Local: John Roberts & Clint Wiles WBTV-TV
Photojournalism: Will Lester Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
          
   2001    
Print – Daily: Godwin Kelly Daytona Beach News-Journal
Print – Non-Daily: Mike Hembree The Sporting News
Broadcast – National: Ryan McGee Totally NASCAR
Broadcast – Local: Joe Dodd Game Day Productions
Photojournalism: Bill Anderson NASCAR Winston Cup Scene
          
   2002    
Print – Daily: Dave Kallmann Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Print – Non-Daily: Mark Ashenfelter NASCAR Winston Cup Scene
Broadcast – National: Chrissy Pellegrino Totally NASCAR
Broadcast – Local: Chuck Howard WCNC-TV
Photojournalism: Phil Cavali NASCAR Winston Cup Scene
          
   2003    
Print – Daily: Liz Clarke The Washington Post
Print – Non-Daily: Godwin Kelly Racing Milestones
Broadcast – National: Rob Nelson SPEED Channel
Broadcast – Local: Chuck Howard WCNC-TV
Photojournalism: Earl Ma National Speed Sport News
          
   2004    
Print – Daily: Sandra McKee The Baltimore Sun
Print – Non-Daily: Gordon Kirby Road & Track
Broadcast – National: Matt Dillner Totally NASCAR
Broadcast – Local: Jeff Gravley WRAL-TV
Photojournalism: Chuck Yadmark NASCAR Illustrated
          
   2005    
Print – Daily: Nate Ryan Richmond Times-Dispatch
Print – Non-Daily: Mike Hembree NASCAR Scene
Broadcast – National: Mike Massaro ESPN Outside the Lines
Broadcast – Local: Paul Johnson WCYB-TV
Photojournalism: Phil Rider Sports Illustrated
Last Call Writing: Rea White NASCAR Scene
Last Call Broadcast: Paul Johnson WCYB-TV
          
   2006    
Print – Daily: David Poole The Charlotte Observer
Print – Non-Daily: Seth Livingstone USA Today Sports Weekly
Broadcast – National: Mike Massaro ESPN Outside the Lines
Broadcast – Local: Heather Williams WTVC-TV
Photojournalism: Will Lester Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
          
   2007    
Print – Daily: Nate Ryan USA Today
Print – Non-Daily: David Caraviello NASCAR.com
Broadcast – National: Drew Gallagher ESPN, NASCAR Countdown
Broadcast – Local: Blair Miller WSOC-TV
Photojournalism: David Griffin NASCAR Scene
          
   2008    
Print – Daily: Susan Wade Newark Star-Ledger
Print – Non-Daily: Mike Hembree NASCAR Scene
Broadcast – National: Tom Rinaldi ESPN, ESPN NASCAR Now
Broadcast – Local: Kevin Wren WGHP-TV
Photojournalism: Will Lester Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
          
   2009    
Print – Daily: Nate Ryan USA Today
Print – Non-Daily: David Newton ESPN.com
Broadcast – National: Bonnie Larkin ESPN
Broadcast – Local: Brian Tetzler KWGN-TV
Photojournalism: David Moulthrop Gator News
          
   2010    
Print – Daily: Nate Ryan USA Today
Print – Non-Daily: Kris Johnson NASCAR Illustrated
Broadcast – National: Lauren Stowell ESPN
Broadcast – Local: Brian Tetzler KWGN-TV
Photojournalism: Mark Reblias US Presswire
          
   2011    
Print – Daily: Don Coble Morris News Service/Florida Times-Union
Print – Non-Daily: David Caraviello NASCAR.com
Broadcast – National: Justin Burnett SPEED
Broadcast – Local: Alan Cavanna WSOC-TV
Photojournalism: Will Lester Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
          
   2012    
Print – Daily: Thomas Pope Fayetteville Observer
Print – Non-Daily: Kris Johnson NASCAR Illustrated
Broadcast – National: Rosie Barressi SPEED
Broadcast – Local: Andrew Doud WSOC-TV
Photojournalism: Gary Nastase National Dragster

Posted on by Staff Report

Only 600 reserved seats remain

Less than three weeks ago, tickets for the inaugural NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway went on sale. There are now approximately 600 reserved seats left.

On Tuesday, January 29, the track will release 1,000 General Admission tickets at 10 a.m. for the “Mudsummer Classic” at the Rossburg, Ohio track.

Fans are coming from all over the United States, Canada and as far as New Zealand to watch the historic race on Wednesday, July 24.

The last time a NASCAR national series event was held on a dirt track was 1970.

Posted on by Staff Report

Baby makes three with addition of Taylor James Hamlin

Denny Hamlin and girlfriend Jordan Fish welcomed the couple’s first child Sunday evening with the birth of Taylor James Hamlin, according to the driver’s Twitter account.

The birth was a feat of numerology and a nod to the car number of Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Matt Kenseth. Taylor James was born on Jan. 20 at 8:20 p.m. ET (20:20 in military time), and measured 20 inches in length.

The baby girl tipped the scales at 6 pounds, 5 ounces.

Posted on by Nascar

Voting available on NASCAR website, mobile app

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Race fans will be able to determine several competition-related procedures for this year’s Sprint Unlimited, ranging from the breakdown of the race format to the possible elimination of drivers following the second of three segments in the 75-lap event.

Even the design of the fire suit Miss Sprint Cup will wear in Victory Lane is decided via fan vote.

SPRINT UNLIMITED   
Sprint Cup Series kick-off

Fans decide: Vote on format

Mobile experience
New innovations for 2013

Sprint Unlimited content
Event gets an overhaul
New name, same setting
Video: Kyle Busch’s 2012 save

The voting program, details of which were announced Jan. 20, was developed as Sprint took over sponsorship of the season-opening non-points race at Daytona International Speedway.

The Sprint Unlimited At Daytona, previously known as the Budweiser Shootout, officially kicks off the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season Saturday, Feb. 16.

“We are entering our 10th season as the title sponsor of the series and each year we challenge ourselves to improve upon the previous year,” said Kimberly Meesters, manager of Sprint’s NASCAR Cup sponsorship program. “The Sprint Unlimited At Daytona offers both national exposure and an innovative way for us to bring fans closers to the sport.”

Fan vote will be used to determine the following:

• Race Format. The breakdown (lap count) for each of the three segments of the 75-lap event.

Options: 30/25/20 laps; 40/20/15 laps; or 35/30/10 laps.

• Pit Stop. Should there be a required pit stop at the end of the first segment?

Options: No pit stop; Yes, and include a two-tire change; Yes, with four-tire change.

• Elimination. How many cars should be eliminated at the conclusion of the second segment?

Options: None; two cars; four cars; six cars.

Fans may vote by logging onto NASCAR.com, and by downloading the NASCAR Mobile ’13 app. Each vote cast through NASCAR Mobile ’13 will count as two votes.

Previously announced fan elements include the opportunity to serve as grand marshal, honorary starter and trophy presenter during the event. Other opportunities will allow fans to help deliver the trophy to the winner’s circle and participate in pre-race driver introductions.

“This is definitely the most extensive role fans have played in any one race,” said Tim Considine, director of sports marketing for Sprint. “We worked closely with Daytona and NASCAR to develop this concept. We pushed the envelope on a few things and probably got all of us out of our comfort zone, but we were very pleased with the final product.”

Twenty-two drivers are eligible for this year’s race, either by winning a Cup pole in 2012 or as a previous winner of the event. Previous event winners must have attempted to qualify for at least one race in 2012.

Last season’s pole winners:
Carl Edwards
Mark Martin
Kasey Kahne
Greg Biffle

Denny Hamlin
Martin Truex Jr.
AJ Allmendinger
Jeff Gordon
Aric Almirola
Joey Logano
Marcos Ambrose
Jimmie Johnson
Matt Kenseth
Kyle Busch
Juan Pablo Montoya
Tony Stewart
Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Past event champions who meet standards:
Kurt Busch
Kevin Harvick
Bill Elliott
Terry Labonte
Ken Schrader

Posted on by Nascar

After big leap, Bowyer hopes to take another step

Coming off a season in which he finished second in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series points battle, it’s not surprising that Clint Bowyer has high expectations heading into 2013.

Clint Bowyer

No. 15 5-hour Energy Toyota

2012 rank

2nd

Team

Michael Waltrip Racing

Crew chief

Brian Pattie

Biggest change for 2013 is…

Perception. There will be no more flying under the radar for the No. 15 team, which caught a lot of folks offguard in 2012.

Watch out for…

Call it the sophomore jinx. Bowyer and the team established several high marks in their first season together. Can they do it again?

Will win the title if…

His team adapts to working with new car quickly and he can avoid those pesky DNFs.

2012 was…

The team doesn’t suffer a letdown from its 2012 success and Bowyer manages to avoid another four-DNF season.

Bowyer, 33, says he knows what it will take for his Michael Waltrip Racing team to keep contending on a weekly basis, something the No. 15 accomplished last year.

“We’ve just got to continue to improve,” said Bowyer, an eight-time winner in the Cup series. “That was the one think that I felt like (crew chief) Brian Pattie and everybody … did all season long.”

Continued improvement was evident for the group, with Bowyer tallying eight top-10 finishes — including one victory — in the 10-race, season-ending Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

“We picked our program up in a big way and elevated our game,” Bowyer said. “Me in the race car, us working together, our chemistry and Brian calling races. I see that same thing starting out this year.”

After a six-year stint at Richard Childress Racing that produced five Cup wins and three appearances in the Chase, Bowyer departed for MWR, hoping to help elevate that group’s program. Fellow former RCR employee Scott Miller also made the move, taking the role of executive vice president of competition.

The results were telling. Bowyer won a career-best three races, returned to the Chase and was a title contender until the season’s final event.

Likewise, other MWR programs picked up the pace. Teammate Martin Truex Jr. also qualified for the Chase, and the group’s third team — featuring Waltrip, Brian Vickers and Mark Martin in the driver’s seat — finished the year with a combined 16 top-10s.

Starting the 2013 season strong will be crucial, Bowyer said.

“You’ve got to get that confidence and momentum going early,” he said, noting that drivers and teams have only “one opportunity” to win the season-opening Daytona 500 — the Sprint Cup Series’ biggest event — “but also you’ve got to get the season started out right and take care of business points-wise and things like that. It’s crazy you think about that at Daytona, but you do.”

With the introduction of the Generation-6 car, teams have been scrambling to build new cars for a season-opening stretch that features four very distinct tracks, ranging in size from Daytona’s 2.5-mile layout to Bristol’s high-banked 0.533-mile oval. Pattie says the timing is the same for everyone, and he’s confident that by the start of the season, his team will be in good shape.

“Obviously this is the first new car that we’ve had in quite a few years,” he said. “Don’t take that the wrong way; being behind is not a bad thing when you have new cars. It’s just that we’re not where we were 12 months ago as far as prepping for Daytona, but we will be.”

By the time the Daytona 500 is in the books, he said, “we should be in really good shape.”

Bowyer credits Pattie with keeping him “focused and in the game” in 2012.

“It’s just been a great relationship,” Bowyer said. “Our backgrounds are a lot the same. The way we go about things is a lot the same. We both enjoy what we do and we love racing.

“More importantly, when it’s time to get your hands dirty and get to work, we’re both plenty capable of doing that, too. It’s just a great fit and I think it’s only going to get better.”

See the full schedule of our top 12 Sprint Cup Series drivers and read more below:

12. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

11. Martin Truex Jr.

10. Jeff Gordon

9. Tony Stewart

8. Kevin Harvick

7. Matt Kenseth

6. Denny Hamlin

5. Greg Biffle

4. Kasey Kahne

3. Jimmie Johnson

2. Clint Bowyer

1. Brad Keselowski

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Father-son duo set to compete against each other at Eldora Speedway

Ryan and Dave Blaney have competed against each other on the race track just twice, both times last year. One was a charity dirt modified event where the son finished first, and the father second. The other was a big-block modified race at Canandaigua Motorsports Park in upstate New York, where neither driver won but experience outran youth.

Beyond that, the Blaneys don’t usually go head-to-head. “I pretty much know what the outcome is going to be,” Dave said, “so there’s no need to go do it.”

That may change July 24, when Dave and Ryan will both be at Eldora Speedway for a Camping World Truck Series event that will be NASCAR’s first national race on dirt since 1970. They’ll even be running for the same team — Brad Keselowski Racing, which will field Ryan full-time in its No. 26 truck for 2013, and Dave at Eldora in a No. 19 that will feature several different drivers and compete for the owners’ championship.

And for once, 19-year-old Ryan — who last season became the youngest race winner in Truck Series history, and was later runner-up in a Nationwide event — may be at a disadvantage. Dave is something of a legend at the half-mile dirt track, having won six World of Outlaws features there, twice including the King’s Royal, one of that circuit’s biggest events. The elder Blaney last competed in that event in 2010, and has been a regular participant in the Prelude to the Dream charity race that track owner Tony Stewart holds at Eldora.

"… With dirt racing, you just never know what kind of track conditions you’re going to have."

— Dave Blaney

“I’ve turned a million laps there,” said Blaney at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, testing Tommy Baldwin’s No. 7 car — renumbered for this season to honor the owner’s late father — on the Sprint Cup Series. But looking toward Eldora, he’s not sure how much his extensive experience on the dirt track will help.

“Anyone with some dirt experience, it’s going to help them over there. But with dirt racing, you just never know what kind of track conditions you’re going to have,” he said. “It can be wet and have some grip, or it can be dry and be four seconds a lap slower in a half-mile. It can be like ice. It’s hard to tell, so you have to wait and see. But that’s the thing — if you’re a dirt guy, you learn to adapt to huge changes in the track surface. So we’ll see. Hopefully by the end of it, you can maybe guess what the track is going to do, and have the truck right.”

Blaney said BKR general manager Wayne Setterington contacted him about potentially running the Eldora race well before the race was even finalized on the Truck Series schedule. BKR announced last week that its second truck would be divided among Keselowski, Joey Logano, and Ross Chastain, with the elder Blaney making the one start at Eldora.

“It looks like they’ve got funding for the second team for pretty much the whole season, so they can afford to put an old guy in there for one night, you know?” joked Dave, 50. “We’ll see what happens.”

Asked to name his biggest wins at Eldora, Blaney recalls a former event called the Historical Big One that paid $100,000 to win, as well as the King’s Royal, for which the winner receives a crown and purple robe in Victory Lane. “Pictures that my kid makes fun of me for,” he said with a smile. The 1995 World of Outlaws champion, Blaney clearly relishes the chance to get back on the dirt in the Truck Series event, which is called the Mudsummer Classic.

“It’s going to be awesome,” he said. “I saw the video of (Stewart and Austin Dillon) testing, and I was like, ‘Wow, they were going around that place pretty fast.’ But I don’t know if the track will be wet or sticky. Being able to see concerns me, with the windshields. In the sprint cars, your visor is your windshield. It’s going to be fun to see how it turns out.”

The biggest thrill, though, will be working as a teammate to his son. But this time, dad shapes up as the driver in the family to beat.

“He doesn’t have any dirt experience,” Dave said of Ryan. “It might not play any type of role. You can’t really tell.”

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Scott Cooper earns prestigious Ken Patterson Helping Others Award 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Scott Cooper, vice president of communications for Charlotte Motor Speedway, is this year’s recipient of the Ken Patterson Helping Others Award.

The award, determined by a vote of the National Motorsports Press Association membership, was announced during the organization’s convention and awards ceremony Jan. 20.

The award, presented annually since 2004, is named for former Talladega Superspeedway media relations representative Ken Patterson. It honors a public relations representative in the motorsports industry (track, team or sanctioning body) who has exhibited the exceptional qualities often demonstrated by Patterson.

Talladega Superspeedway will donate $1,000 to the Kenneth Patterson Educational TrustFund in Cooper’s name.

“Scott has always gone above and beyond the call of duty to help ensure that the various needs of the members of the media are met,” NMPA President Kenny Bruce said. “His professionalism and kindness are great assets to Charlotte Motor Speedway.”

Previous winners:
2012 – Scott Cooper, Charlotte Motor Speedway
2011 – Kerry Tharp, NASCAR
2010 – Denny Darnell, Darnell Communications
2009 – Judy Dominick, GM Racing
2008 – Tom Roberts, TRPR
2007 – Ray Cooper, Dodge
2006 – Jimmy White, Camp & Assoc., Inc.
2005 – Dan Zacharias, Ford Racing
2004 – Kristi King, Talladega Superspeedway

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Reigning Sprint Cup champion takes home another award at NMPA banquet

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Brad Keselowski brought new glory to Penske Racing during the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.

Keselowski won five races to earn his first Sprint Cup title, and the first for team owner Roger Penske. For his efforts, he has been named the National Motorsports Press Association Richard Petty Driver of the Year.

It is the first time the membership of the NMPA has voted Keselowski as the winner of the award, which has been given since 1969.

The announcement was made Jan. 20 during the NMPA’s annual convention in Charlotte, N.C.

“It truly is an honor to receive the Driver of the Year Award from the National Motorsports Press Association,” said Keselowski. “They are the voice of our sport. I really feel as though I should be honoring them because many of these individuals are with us every weekend of a long season. I am proud of the mutual respect that I share with this group.”

During the 2012 season, Keselowski earned two of his five wins during the Chase for the Sprint Cup. He earned 23 top-10 finishes, 13 of them top fives.

Also receiving votes were fellow Cup competitor Clint Bowyer and Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series national champion Jimmy Owens.

The award, named in honor of NASCAR’s all-time win leader, is determined by a vote of the NMPA membership. 

Previous winners:
2011 – Tony Stewart
2010 – Jimmie Johnson
2009 – Jimmie Johnson
2008 – Carl Edwards
2007 – Jimmie Johnson
2006 – Jimmie Johnson
2005 – Tony Stewart
2004 – Jimmie Johnson
2003 – Ryan Newman
2002 – Tony Stewart
2001 – Kevin Harvick
2000 – Bobby Labonte
1999 – Dale Jarrett
1998 – Jeff Gordon
1997 – Dale Jarrett
1996 – Terry Labonte
1995 – Jeff Gordon
1994 – Dale Earnhardt
1993 – Rusty Wallace
1992 – Davey Allison
1991 – Harry Gant
1990 – Dale Earnhardt
1989 – Mark Martin
1988 – Rusty Wallace
1987 – Dale Earnhardt
1986 – Tim Richmond and Dale Earnhardt
1985 – Bill Elliott
1984 – Terry Labonte
1983 – Bobby Allison
1982 – Darrell Waltrip
1981 – Darrell Waltrip
1980 – Dale Earnhardt
1979 – Cale Yarborough
1978 – Cale Yarborough
1977 – Cale Yarborough
1976 – Darrell Waltrip
1975 – Richard Petty
1974 – Richard Petty
1973 – David Pearson
1972 – Bobby Allison
1971 – Bobby Allison
1970 – Bobby Issac
1969 – LeeRoy Yarbrough

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Rockingham Speedway benefactor, former driver honored

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Andy Hillenburg, the former racer who turned a dream into reality when he brought NASCAR competition back to Rockingham Speedway, has been named the recipient of the 2012 NMPA/Speedway Motorsports Spirit Award.

The award, determined by a vote of the National Motorsports Press Association, was presented during the NMPA’s annual awards ceremony Jan. 20.

Hillenburg, 49, purchased the legendary Richmond County facility in 2007 after the track’s previous ownership group moved its lone Cup date to another facility and put the 1-mile track on the auction block.

Nearly five years later, and against incredible odds, Hillenburg had successfully lobbied NASCAR for a 2012 date on its Camping World Truck Series schedule.

The Good Sam Roadside Assistance 200 reportedly drew more than 25,000 fans to a track that had hosted Cup races from 1965-2004. This year’s NCWTS event, the Carolina 200, is scheduled for Sunday, April 14.

A two-time Daytona winner in ARCA competition, Hillenburg won that series’ overall championship in 1995. He is one of only a handful of drivers that have competed in the Indianapolis 500 as well as the Daytona 500.

The Spirit Award is designed to recognize character and achievement in the face of adversity, sportsmanship and contributions to motorsports. Each year, quarterly winners are selected, and a yearly winner is determined by a vote of the National Motorsports Press Association membership.

Quarterly Spirit Award winners for 2012 were: Clint Bowyer (first quarter); Hillenburg (second); Brad Keselowski (third) and Ryan Newman (fourth).

Previous winners
2012 – Andy Hillenburg
2011 – Jeff Gordon
2010 – Jim Hunter
2009 – David Poole
2008 – T. Taylor Warren
2007 – Bill France Jr.
2006 – Benny Parsons
2005 – Morgan Shepherd
2004 – Kyle and Pattie Petty
2003 – Bob Latford
2002 – Larry Hicks
2001 – Ricky Craven
2000 – Kyle Petty
1999 – Clay Earles
1998 – Mark Martin
1997 – Dave Marcis
1996 – Dale Earnhardt
1995 – Ernie Irvan
1994 – Ernie Irvan
1993 – Davey Allison and Alan Kulwicki
1992 – Davey Allison Family