Charlotte, NC — November 18, 2021
As the NASCAR Post-Season excitement begins to wind down there is still one big event on the calendar to wrap up 2021. The industry prepares for a return to Nashville from Nov. 30 through Dec. 2 to host its annual Champion’s Week celebration.
NASCAR Awards
The NASCAR Awards held on Dec. 2 at the Music City Center will formally crown this season’s champions, as fellow drivers, industry luminaries, and celebrities descend upon the heart of downtown Nashville for the first time in two years to celebrate a memorable 2021 season.
In addition to the Cup Series Champion, NASCAR will honor the Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series champions in the largest Awards Show to date. Also, the champions of the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, ARCA Menards Series West, and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, as well as the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champion, have been invited to the NASCAR national series events in Nashville to celebrate their titles.
During the week the streets of Nashville will once again host the “Burnouts on Broadway presented by DoorDash” on Wednesday, Dec. 1 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. CT, an event where all drivers will look to leave their mark – literally – on lower Broadway under the neon-lit streets.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to return to Nashville to celebrate the champions of our sport,” said Pete Jung, SVP, Chief Marketing Officer at NASCAR. “Although we weren’t able to celebrate in person in Nashville last year, we saw the city’s energy and passion for motorsports on full display when we came to Nashville Superspeedway earlier this year. Nashville welcomed us with open arms in 2019 and we’re looking forward to another unforgettable Champion’s Week in Music City.”
The formal postseason Awards is a tradition that stretches back to 1981 when the event was held in New York City. It relocated to Las Vegas in 2009 and then called Nashville its home for the first time in 2019.
For more information on Champion’s Week, including a more detailed schedule and more, please visit www.nascar.com/championsweek
Sunoco Rookie of the Year
Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 Ford Racing Performance Racing School Ford Mustang, was named the Sunoco Rookie of the Year for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season. That completed a sweep of sorts as Briscoe also won ROY in the NASCAR Camping World Truck and NASCAR XFINITY Series as well.
Chase shared his thoughts on winning the Rookie of the Year Award. “It’s super special. I wish that there were a lot more guys going for it this year. There were only two of us, but it’s still special to win it. For me, I think I put something out after the race, where I never in a million years thought I would get to run one Truck Series race let alone win the Rookie of the Year now in all three. It’s super humbling. It’s super special to be able to be one of the few guys that have won it in all three is really special as well. I’m glad that the first year is over. There was definitely a lot of growing pains and things to learn, but hopefully, this is just the first of many years in the Cup Series and something that I can continue to do.”
Bob Jenkins Named Squier-Hall Award Winner
Longtime NASCAR broadcaster Bob Jenkins has been named the winner of the 2021 Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence. He is the 10th recipient of the prestigious award named after Ken Squier and Barney Hall.
Jenkins served as the lead lap-by-lap announcer for NASCAR broadcasts on ESPN and ABC from 1981-2000. He passed away in August at age 73 after a battle with brain cancer.
“The voice of Bob Jenkins is synonymous with the many great NASCAR moments he called over two decades,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France. “The broadcast team of Jenkins, Ned Jarrett, and Benny Parsons is one of the most memorable in NASCAR history, it is fitting to see Bob honored in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.”
Jenkins will be honored during NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony festivities on Friday, Jan. 21, 2022, and featured in an exhibit in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Tickets and more information on the weekend’s events are available at www.nascarhall.com.
Jenkins was an original at ESPN, joining the network in 1979. In addition to announcing more than 400 NASCAR races, he spent 15 years as host of ESPN SpeedWeek, from 1983-1997.
Beyond his NASCAR work, Jenkins lent his iconic voice to various other forms of motorsports. The Indiana native had a special bond with Indianapolis Motor Speedway, serving several different roles over four decades including TV announcer, radio announcer, and turn reporter, and public address announcer.
Jenkins won the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence (then known as the Henry T. McLemore Award) in 2001 and the Bob Russo Founders Award in 2008.
NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2021 Induction Slated for January 21
Inductees Dale Earnhardt Jr., Red Farmer, Mike Stefanik, and Landmark Award recipient Ralph Seagraves will be honored as part of a weekend full of activities and events.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame and NASCAR are pleased to announce that the Class of 2021 Induction Ceremony will take place in Charlotte on Friday, January 21, 2022. The Ceremony was originally scheduled for February 5, 2021, but was postponed due to the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19.
“We are thrilled to celebrate these legends’ significant accomplishments and contributions to NASCAR alongside their families, friends, and fans,” said Winston Kelley, Executive Director of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. “The decision to postpone was very difficult but the right thing to do. With the planned evolution from five to three inductees with the Class of 2021, NASCAR and the NASCAR Hall of Fame teams saw an opportunity to take a fresh look at our schedule of events for Induction Weekend and are excited about what we have created. It’s always a special time for each honoree and their families and friends and will be a truly memorable weekend for our fans and guests alike.”
To celebrate the Class of 2021, the NASCAR Hall of Fame will again have three days of special events and programming – including an exclusive insiders experience, a brunch event with NASCAR Hall of Famers, and behind-the-scenes looks at pieces of racing history.
Tickets are currently on sale, for more information visit online the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
About the Class of 2021
The Class of 2021 will be the 12th class inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s since its inception in 2010. The first class with three members instead of five, it is comprised of:
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: A third-generation NASCAR champion in a family synonymous with the sport, Earnhardt Jr. is among the most popular drivers in NASCAR history. In addition to his 26 Cup Series wins and two Xfinity Series championships, Earnhardt Jr. served as the face of NASCAR for many years with 15 consecutive Most Popular Driver awards.
Red Farmer: Part of the original Alabama Gang, Farmer’s exact win count is unknown – but it’s more than 700 and counting. Named one of the 50 Greatest Drivers in NASCAR’s first 50 years in 1998, Farmer’s immeasurable passion for the sport has kept him racing for decades, even as he approaches 90 years of age.
Mike Stefanik: Atop the list of all-time NASCAR championships with nine sit two men: NASCAR Hall of Famer Richie Evans, and Mike Stefanik. In 2003, Stefanik was named one of the Modified Tour’s 10 Greatest Drivers, and he holds the all-time series record in wins, poles, top fives and top 10s.
Induction of this class brings the Hall’s total number of racing legends to 58. Additionally, Ralph Seagraves will be honored with the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.
Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award
The NASCAR Foundation announced Louisville, KY native Jeff Harmon as the winner of the 11th annual presentation of the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award. As the award winner, Harmon secured $100,000 from The NASCAR Foundation to Down Syndrome of Louisville.
“I’m so excited and humbled to win this award”, said Jeff Harmon when he first received the news. “The other three finalists were all deserving as well, I’m blessed, what an honor. The $100,000 will go a long way in helping Down Syndrome of Louisville grow and expand to help even more kids. Thank you to The NASCAR Foundation and all who voted!”
Harmon, who has served, supported, and uplifted Down Syndrome of Louisville and the surrounding communities for 18 years, earned the most online votes from a pool of volunteers, including: Erin Collins of the Dallas Hearing Foundation, Jaeleen Davis of Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan, and Beverly Hodson of Richie McFarland Children’s Center, all of whom have impacted a combined number of 6,330 kids through their continual service. Each of these organizations has each earned a $25,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation in recognition of their nominated volunteers’ achievements.
“We’re very proud to present this award to Jeff Harmon, he has been doing extraordinary work for Down Syndrome of Louisville and exemplifies the values of Betty Jane France,” said Mike Helton, The NASCAR Foundation Chairman. “Our fans had a tough decision because all four are passionate people who devote hours of their time to help their respective organizations. We’re delighted to present this recognition to Jeff to honor the work he’s doing in the Louisville community.”
Throughout the 11 years of its existence, the Betty Jane France Award has highlighted 44 different individuals who have served and uplifted children in their local communities. The NASCAR Foundation, through this program, has acknowledged 622 years of combined service from these community heroes who have touched at least 374,763 children’s lives overall.
2021 NMPA Most Popular Driver Voting Open
Voting for the 2021 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Most Popular Driver Award presented by Hooters is now open. Fans can cast a vote for a single driver once daily at www.nascar.com/mostpopulardriver or on the NASCAR Mobile app. Votes shared by fans on Facebook and/or Twitter count double.
To be eligible, drivers must have declared for series points and be in the Top-32 in NASCAR Cup Series points by the start of the voting. Voting closes for the NMPA Most Popular Driver Award on Wednesday, December 1, at noon ET. The 2021 NMPA Most Popular Driver will be announced during the NASCAR Cup Series Awards program on Thursday, December 2. NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM will provide coverage of this year’s program.
The award was first presented to Curtis Turner in 1949 at the completion of NASCAR’s inaugural season. It has been administered by the NMPA and presented annually by the organization since 1983 and remains the only major NASCAR award determined solely by fan vote. Twenty drivers have received the award at least once since the program began. NMPA Hall of Fame member and 1988 Cup Series champion Bill Elliott holds the record for most popular driver award wins with 16—1984-1988, 1991-2000 and 2002. Dale Earnhardt Jr., elected to the NMPA Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2020, won
the award 15 consecutive seasons from 2003-2017.
Chase Elliott, son of Bill Elliott and driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, has received the honor for the past three years.
