Bleacher Report - 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Tony Stewart Stirs the Stuff With His Third Annual Stewie Awards

David Yeazell — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:07:26 -0500

Tony Stewart and Matt Yocum took to the Sirius Satellite air waves in Las Vegas Thursday night to present winners of the third annual Stewie Awards.

The star-studded event kicked off at the Rio Hotel and Suites and featured guest appearances by Robin Leach, serving as show announcer, Carrot Top and 10 of this year's Chase drivers, including four-time champion Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus.

Up for grabs were awards in nine categories, with winners in each decided by fan voting.

This year also featured the first time a sitting U.S. President was nominated for an award. It also featured two special awards, one for lifetime achievement given to Rick Hendrick and the Golden Stewie Award was given to David Pearson.

Rolling through the two-hour comedic award show with the grace of Vanna White and the physique of Drew Carey, Stewart seemed humbled after hearing his name announced for the "Best Vocal Performance" award.

Stewart's “in awe” comments about Jeff Gordon at Kansas beat out Michael Waltrip, President Barack Obama and Kyle Busch, who was nominated in a record five categories.

Juan Pablo Montoya’s comments about NASCAR screwing him at Indianapolis bested four other nominees for the award in “Driver2CrewChatter” category. Montoya's domination of the race, leading by as much as seven seconds at one point, came to an abrupt end with a pit road speeding penalty on his final stop, all but handing the win to Jimmie Johnson.

Chad Knaus’ offer to kiss Jimmie Johnson on the lips after qualifying on the pole at Phoenix was conveniently left off of this year’s nomination list.

Jeremy Mayfield’s final opportunity to salvage something from this year’s season was stifled by none other than Kyle Busch.

Busch won the “Bonehead Move of the Year” award for smashing the one-of-a-kind Sam Bass guitar after winning the Nationwide race at Nashville.

According to voters, Carl Edward’s spectacular ride on the last lap at Talladega in the spring race was good enough to win him the award for “Best Stunt Sequence.”

Given the other three nominees in this category, Kasey Kahne and Sam Hornish Jr. at Watkins Glen, Joey Logano at Dover and Ryan Newman at Talladega in the fall, this award should really be changed to “Best Supporting Roll Cage.”

Other notable awards for the night were: Mark Martin, “Best Original Drama;” Denny Hamlin vs. Brad Keselowski, “Best Original Comedy;” Kevin Harvick, “Feels Like the First Time;” Marcos Ambrose, “I Got Dumped;” and Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson, “Best Engineering and Special Effects.”

The Annual Stewie Awards celebrate the strangest and funniest moments during the year of NASCAR racing. Be sure to nominate and vote for your favorite moments in the 2010 season.

Read more 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series news on BleacherReport.com

NASCAR: Who Gains and Who Loses When NASCAR Changes Its Sprint Cup Schedule?

Dustin Parks — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:10:42 -0500

What makes a good NASCAR race? Is it the television ratings? Is it the amount of tickets sold?

Those are factors, but what makes a good race overall is the actual action on the track. It's the side-by-side driving, the close calls, and photo finishes that make for a good race.

In the Sprint Cup Series, a majority of the tracks have provided us with those moments. But, there are some tracks that some fans consider to be "boring" or "lackluster."

Many of these same fans have been asking for NASCAR to consider making changes to the schedule. Adding a new track or taking away one race from another are some options.

But, what should be looked at before making such changes?

One of the biggest factors to be looked at is the attendance. Tracks such as Richmond and Bristol pack their stands every race and are some of the hottest tickets to get.

Places such as Atlanta, Texas, and Darlington are among the most popular races to attend every year.

However, some tracks on the schedule show obvious signs that their attendance is not what it has been.

The most obvious of these tracks is the Auto Club Speedway in Southern California. As many fans who watch on television can see, there are many empty seats for each of their events.

This has been a common occurrence since the track has gotten two races when the schedule realigned in 2004.

At a track that has a seating capacity of 92,000, the speedway has averaged only about 80,000 fans. Some races the track is closer to the 70,000 mark.

Both races are still on the schedule for 2010, but should NASCAR consider removing one of those races and giving it to another track?

All signs point to yes, but the question then becomes "What track do you replace it with?"

There has been some consideration to give another race to Kansas, but this may not be a good idea. The track is 1.5 miles in length, just like a strong majority of the tracks already on the schedule.

Having another race on a so called "cookie-cutter" track could hurt more than it would help. There are already nine races on the 1.5-mile tracks, or 25 percent of the schedule.

Putting another one on the track would not look good to the fans, nor would the drivers like the idea.

One idea could be to add another short track onto the schedule. Between Martinsville, Bristol, and Richmond, there are only six short-track events for the Sprint Cup Series.

These events are often the most exciting and produce some of the hottest moments of the season. Adding one more such race could provide a great boost to the sport.

The competition to get a Cup date would be a good one. Given the races put on by the Nationwide Series, Iowa would be a good choice.

The competition on the track, combined with a near sell-out crowd, really boosted the reputation of the new speedway. A Cup race at the track could be just as exciting.

One other idea that could be debated is giving a second date to a track such as Darlington. Following the 2004 season, Darlington lost its second date due to the realignment. The only event they had was held on Mother's Day weekend.

However, the following four races at the track were complete sellouts, with this year's just short of capacity. The drivers have praised the track for being one of the premier events of the year, and have a great respect for its history.

Giving this track a second race will go directly along with the notion of NASCAR's "back to basics" idea that was started this year. The action is always intense at the "Lady in Black," and the fans are some of the best in the country.

The debate can go on and on, but the fans can all agree that the schedule should have some tweaks and changes. Nothing much changed for 2010, but the questions of what can be done for 2011 have already begun.

Change is needed, and more often than not, change is good.

Read more 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series news on BleacherReport.com

NASCAR Issues "Rules" for Vegas Victory Lap

Mary Jo Buchanan — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 07:15:58 -0500

With the move of the championship banquet from New York City to Las Vegas, NASCAR has announced the return of the Victory Lap as part of Champion's Week celebration. The top 12 drivers in the final points standings will take a Victory Lap along Las Vegas Boulevard on Thursday, Dec. 3 from 3:15 - 4:00 PM.

The procession of the Champion and his 11 merry followers will begin at the MGM Grand and continue along Las Vegas Boulevard to Spring Mountain Road. The Victory Lap will include a Burn Out by the Champion and also a pit stop for all of the cars participating in the event.

"Mr. Las Vegas" Wayne Newton will have the honor of waving the green flag to start the Victory Lap event. Newton is celebrating 50 years on the strip with his show at the Tropicana entitled, "Once Before I Go."

With the return of the Victory Lap, NASCAR also announced several rule changes applicable to the event. First, NASCAR advised that there will be no bump drafting, especially in the corners of the intersection of the Boulevard and Spring Mountain Road.

NASCAR requires that the officials at least see daylight between each and every race car throughout the Victory Lap. Any driver bump drafting or racing too closely will have to go to the tail end of the cars on the lead lap.

While NASCAR has suspended the double file restart for the Victory Lap in celebration of the champion Jimmie Johnson, they will permit Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon to use the guns he won in his only victory at Texas to make sure any restarts are "shootout style." NASCAR has, however, warned Gordon that he may not point the guns at Johnson at any time.

NASCAR has granted special dispensation to the sport's elder statesman and runner-up Mark Martin so he can assist his fellow AARP recipient Wayne Newton with the drop of the green flag. Special accommodations have been made to ensure that the aerobic activity of waving the flag will not be detrimental to anyone's health during the Victory Lap.

While a Champion's burn out is part of the Victory Lap, NASCAR has advised Jimmie Johnson that he may emit only two seconds of burn out smoke in order to comply with the new "greening" of the Las Vegas Strip.

NASCAR has already called both Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya to the NASCAR hauler to ensure the "disagreements" between the drivers will not carry over from the regular season into the Victory Lap. Both drivers have received written warnings and will be suspended for the rest of the season if there is any trouble on the Boulevard.

NASCAR has allowed Kasey Kahne special dispensation. He can put whatever motor he can find left at Petty Motorsports into his car for the Victory Lap.

NASCAR has also announced that any missed lugnuts on the required pit stops during the Victory Lap may be used by teams and fans as skipping stones in the Bellagio fountain. There is a limit of two per person, however, to ensure that no pipes become clogged.

For the Victory Lap only, all drivers will be permitted two posts to their Facebook pages and a maximum of five twitters. NASCAR has warned Juan Pablo Montoya that they will especially be monitoring his Twitter activity.

NASCAR has also granted Kurt Busch's request, made at the Charity Roast of champion Jimmie Johnson, to put Chad Knaus' name into a hat. A special drawing will be made prior to the drop of the green flag and whoever pulls Knaus can have him as their team's crew chief on the box for the Victory Lap.

NASCAR will allow Carl Edwards to do whatever victory celebration he so chooses if he wins the Victory Lap on the strip. Back flips and somersaults are acceptable, however, NASCAR has drawn the line about stripping off the fire suit and any bare-chested activities of any kind.

NASCAR has also warned Chase driver Denny Hamlin that he is not permitted to veer off the Victory Lap course in any way. That includes not veering off the Boulevard even if Brad Keselowski is standing on the sidewalk.

NASCAR has issued a blanket advisory to all competitors, as well as fans, to report any sighting of Sam Hornish, Jr., Michael Waltrip, or Robby Gordon to NASCAR as soon as possible. The sanctioning body is committed to no spin outs or other disruptions during the Victory Lap.

President Mike Helton encourages all fans and competitors to enjoy the resurrection of this special Champion's Week celebration, the Victory Lap in Vegas. He reminded all of the Chase finalists and the Champion that whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

Read more 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series news on BleacherReport.com

Christmas Shopping For a NASCAR Fan: What's On Your List?

Dustin Parks — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:45:57 -0500

Black Friday officially started the holiday shopping season. People rushed to the stores to get those first big bargains. Some waited as long as 30 hours just to get through the doors.

This start of holiday shopping got me thinking, what exactly do people shop for when they are looking for gifts for the NASCAR fan in their life?

With such a diverse fan base that NASCAR has, the ideas for the perfect gift are quite different. Does he or she want to always wear their gift, or maybe display it for all to see? Do they want to use it everyday, or break it out for that weekend trip?

Not to worry, there are plenty of gifts that can satisfy the NASCAR fan in your life. Here's a few ideas that are sure to please.

Without a doubt, the most popular item for the fans are the die-cast cars. Motorsports Authentics has done an incredible job of getting every detail accurate in their collectibles. They continue to be the leading manufacturer in collectibles, and continue to come up with new finishes.

Starting price of the 1:24-scale cars is about $60. Local dealers will have a lot of the "standard" paint schemes in stock, but for many of the specialty paint schemes, it is best to order on-line. However, the die-cast market has become a high-end collectible with the addition of specialty finishes.

QVC, based in West Chester, PA, has many exclusive deals with Motorsports Authentics to produce die-casts with gold, polished, gun metal or the most popular finish, color chrome. The Color chrome cars usually start at $96, while the others can go up to $200.

For the collector in your life, a die-cast is a sure-fire bet to put a smile on his/her face.

But, there are some people that would rather show their driver pride on a more regular basis. For that fan, something to wear on the back or head is the best way to go.

One of the most popular pieces of apparel every year is the twill uniform jackets. Selling for $101 on NASCAR.com, these jackets are made to look like your favorite driver's firesuit.

But, they also are extremely comfortable and will keep you warm during these upcoming winter months.

For those that don't want to spent that amount of money, the ever reliable driver t-shirt is a good substitute. But, even that can be a tough decision.

There are the "total print" shirts, big number tees, long sleeves, customized shirts, and so many other options. The shirt area both on-line and in stores is so vast, there could be many that could make great gifts.

To complement that new shirt, a hat would be a good choice. It's one of the easiest ways to show other people which driver is the one they cheer for.

Many different designs are available for each driver, including the new championship gear that has come out for Jimmie Johnson. Whatever the choice is, the clothing options for Christmas are quite diverse.

Possibly clothing isn't exactly what you're looking for, maybe something a bit different or unique. One of the biggest things to hit the market in recent years have been the "Fatheads," the huge vinyl wall decals that won't leave residue.

These decals can practically take up an entire wall, drawing in the attention of everyone once they come into the room. Although they can be a bit expensive, ranging from $40 to $100. But, the price does reflect the quality.

The final item on my list of items to get this year is photos, but not just any driver photos. If you want to really wow that special fan, get them a very cool framed photo.

The company Mounted Memories works close with NASCAR to bring some very unique collectibles. Not only do they include photos, sometimes they include part of the track, car or even the flag.

Ranging from as little as $20 to as much as $300, and available for many of the sport's most popular drivers, they are truly a mounted memory.

Whatever your idea is for a gift to a NASCAR fan, the most important part is that it is given with love. No matter the price tag or the item, that is what matters.

There is less than a month until Christmas, so time to get out and buy that special fan in your life that perfect gift.

Read more 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series news on BleacherReport.com

Jimmie Johnson Be On The Lookout; Carrot Top Is Coming For You

Mary Jo Buchanan — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:26:02 -0500

Jimmie Johnson, four-time NASCAR Cup Champion, best be looking out for his next big challenge. Comedian Carrot Top, an avid NASCAR fan, will be gunning for Johnson next in an inaugural charity event prior to the banquet in Las Vegas.

The well-known comedian will be on hand to toast and roast the Champion, as well as the eleven other Chase contenders in a charity event dubbed "Chasers for Charity Fanfest". The day-long event will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 2 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The event will begin that morning, when the gate to the Neon Garage opens at 10:00 AM. There will be entertainment by a country group called Tabor Dame, an interview session with NASCAR legend Dale Jarrett, autograph sessions with the Sprint Cup girls, and ride-a-longs with the Richard Petty Driving Experience.

ESPN's Jamie Little will host the events for the day. At around 2:00 PM, the Chase contenders will walk the "red carpet" of the Neon Garage. A reception will follow, giving credentialed fans the opportunity to mix and mingle with the elite drivers of NASCAR's 2009 season, including the likes of Jeff Gordon, native Las Vegas son Kurt Busch, Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya.

The "Chasers for Charity Fanfest" will culminate in the roast, hosted by Carrot Top, which will take place in the Black Jack Club. Admission to the reception and roast is a $250 donation which will benefit Speedway Children's Charities.

"One of the key elements to bringing NASCAR Champion's Week to Las Vegas was creating an event for race fans," said Las Vegas Motor Speedway president Chris Powell.

"This event will bring the drivers and the fans closer together and raise money for charity in the process," Powell continued. "We're very appreciative of NASCAR's efforts to make this a special fan event that we hope becomes a tradition during Champion's Week."

Carrot Top is well-known for his NASCAR fandom, attending many races, as well as his zany comedy, wild props and wild inventions. Jimmie Johnson and friends, as well as the race fans, are forewarned to come prepared to be dazzled and razzed by the comedian dubbed, "Entertainer and Comedian of the Year."

Fans interested in attending this first-ever "Chasers for Charity Fanfest" should log on to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway's website at lvms.com or call them at 1-800-644-4444.

Read more 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series news on BleacherReport.com