Tag: Ryan Blaney

Blaney ready for 500 in spite of still feeling effects of Duel crash

Ryan Blaney will be ready to climb into his Team Penske Ford Mustang Dark Horse for the Daytona 500, but the reigning series champion will be working through continued soreness. The Pesnke driver took a hard hit into the outside wall in the trioval …

Ryan Blaney will be ready to climb into his Team Penske Ford Mustang Dark Horse for the Daytona 500, but the reigning series champion will be working through continued soreness.

The Pesnke driver took a hard hit into the outside wall in the trioval at Daytona International Speedway during his qualifying race Thursday night. He was hooked in the right rear by William Byron, who had been knocked out of shape by Kyle Busch in the draft. It was the second time Blaney crashed at Daytona in six months, nose-first, from a right rear hook.

“I’m sore that’s for sure,” Blaney said Saturday morning. “I’m probably more sore today than yesterday. I feel like the second day is always the day of more soreness – the neck area, all down the back, just muscles getting strained. That’s kind of the biggest thing. Everything else felt fine, just all of your muscles down your shoulders and stuff gets pulled in weird areas that you’re not used to, so that’s the most sore today.

“I’ve been trying to be ginger with it. Everything else I felt fine with, mentally and stuff like that, so that was good. I’ll be fine to go. Hopefully, if we were to run tomorrow, I’d be good to go then. If I get another buffer day, if we run Monday, I’ll be even better. Just a little sore, but that stuff will pass.”

A physical therapist from the Team Penske camp will be back at Daytona before the race. The group went home after the Duel races, so Blaney hasn’t had much work done for the soreness but will use that resource if he’s still hurting before the Daytona 500.

The frustration has since passed, but Blaney remains adamant about such crashes not happening again. It was the third consecutive race at Daytona that Blaney felt he’d been put in that position, and Thursday night he didn’t shy away from criticizing his fellow drivers for the “awful pushes” that create the crashes.

Blaney revealed the hit Thursday night was a 55G impact. In August, when he was sent nose-first into the outside wall in Turn 4 when he was hooked in the right rear by a spinning Ty Gibbs, it was a 70G impact. The data comes from the data mouthpiece Blaney wears, something he began doing after hitting an unprotected wall nose-first at Nashville Superspeedway in late June.

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“I feel like the Nashville hit was by far the hardest hit I’ve ever taken,” Blaney said. “The mouthpiece data has been really good for us to see because you have the black box data from the car, but that’s just showing the car g-load and impact. The important one is what does the driver feel and take? It’s a huge part of the equation and that’s how you separate, ‘OK, the car took this impact. The driver takes this impact.’ I didn’t have a mouthpiece in Nashville. I’ve been wearing it every week since then just to make sure, because you never know when it can happen, and it’s good to have that data.

“Wake Forest has done a good job of really working hard at that and those folks are great, so I don’t know what Nashville would have been. It felt way worse and I look at the mental side of it. Mentally, I was way more messed up after Nashville than I was at these two hits at this racetrack, but Nashville was by far the hardest one. The best data I have to go off of is these two.”

A week after the Nashville crash, Blaney admitted he’d suffered from concussion-like symptoms. Before competing at the Chicago street course, the race after Nashville, Blaney worked with Dr. Micky Collins, who founded the sports medicine concussion program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Collins has experience working with concussed drivers, most notably doing so with Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Blaney has dealt with the immediate soreness and recovered from the multiple hard hits he’s suffered over the last year, but he hasn’t given much thought to the cumulative toll all of those have taken.

“It’s more than I’d like to take, but that’s part of our sport,” Blaney said. “You understand that you do this for a reason, and you understand the risks of it, and it’s just what we do. I don’t ever think about the bad side of this. If you’re ever worried about strapping in the car of like, ‘I hope I don’t take a big hit again,’ that’s just not a mentality of anybody. All you try to do is find out how to win the race, and you understand when you sign up, I understood when I signed up for this thing watching dad race that there’s dangers of it and things are going to happen.

“I don’t really see that it’s taken a toll on me personally. It stinks sitting around being sore and having a hard time moving around the next morning, but you just get over it and take Advil and figure it out. That’s all you can do, but that’s why we love it and why we do it. You never think of the negative side of it. You just try to figure out when those things do happen, ‘Hey, did we do all we can to make sure I was as safe as possible?’ And if the answer is yes, awesome. We checked that box. We did a great job and, if not, you try to work on things to get it better, and that’s all you can do. There’s only so much you can do.”

WATCH: Ryan Blaney takes massive hit during Duel No. 2 at Daytona

Watch Ryan Blaney’s massive crash at Daytona International Speedway during the second qualifying duel.

[autotag]Ryan Blaney[/autotag] may have the most momentum entering 2024 after his NASCAR Cup Series championship; however, that came to a screeching halt. Blaney was running in the top 10 spots during the second Daytona 500 qualifying duel but crashed out after Kyle Busch gave William Byron a nasty bump. Blaney then went straight up the track into the wall.

Below, you can watch Blaney’s massive hit at Daytona. The driver of the No. 12 car exited under his own power and walked to the ambulance.

The second Daytona 500 qualifying duel is continuing on FOX Sports 1. Alongside Blaney, Busch, Brad Keselowski, William Byron, Bubba Wallace, Noah Gragson, Riley Herbst, and B.J. McLeod were also involved.

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Champion patch on firesuit ‘meant a lot’ to Blaney

Ryan Blaney appreciates having a visual reminder of his NASCAR Cup Series championship accomplishment every time he prepares for a race this season. “That meant a lot; it did mean a ton,” Blaney said of his new firesuit featuring the champion patch. …

Ryan Blaney appreciates having a visual reminder of his NASCAR Cup Series championship accomplishment every time he prepares for a race this season.

“That meant a lot; it did mean a ton,” Blaney said of his new firesuit featuring the champion patch. “It was one of those things that was like a month removed from all those celebrations, and it’s in the new year — you get the trophy, you get the Goodyear car, you get the ring, and then once the banquet is done that stuff is over. You’ve got all of that stuff, but then it’s a nice little refresher for the new year when you pull out the firesuit from the bag and you see the ‘champion’ logo beneath the NASCAR logo. That part was nice.

“You look at that every morning, at least I will on race day. You look at it, and it’s one of those little things you notice. It’s kind of a nice little reminder.”

It’s a detail that began appearing on a driver’s firesuit around the 2010s and one that has become something the reigning series champion has looked forward to seeing for the first time. If a driver wins additional championships, the patch is updated to reflect 2X champion, 3X champion and so on.

Blaney wore it for the first time in competition at the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, where he finished on the podium after starting last.

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The third driver to win a Cup Series championship with Roger Penske, the triumph felt like a long time coming for Blaney. As a driver just beginning his NASCAR national series career in 2012, Blaney watched teammate Brad Keselowski celebrate a championship. Joey Logano has since won two championships (2018, 2022).

“I was just getting to the organization when Brad won his in ’12, and it’s nice to walk around,” Blaney said. “You’re like, ‘Man, I feel like I’ve done something really nice for the whole company and organization, for Roger Penske and everyone working there.’ I don’t want to say you feel validated in being there because everyone always believes in you, but it’s just like a personal confidence booster.

“It’s nice to feel part of that champion group that’s won for (Roger), so it personally makes you feel a little bit better and a little bit more certified in being there and racing for the cause each week.”

The season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 18 starts Blaney’s title defense. Blaney has never won the sport’s biggest race and would love nothing more than to be the fourth driver to accomplish as much for Penske.

“You’ve got to win the 500,” Blaney said of the attitude at Team Penske. “You need to have a shot at winning the 500. That’s what’s next. Try to just keep getting milestones for Roger Penske and try to win historic races and bring more championships and stuff like that. That’s just the main goal.

“Them winning the (Rolex) 24 was great, but now it’s like we have to do it again in Daytona here in a couple of weeks. We’re usually fairly decent at trying to continue to stack on big wins from the other race teams that he has, so that’s top of the list right now.”

From last to Clash podium for Blaney

Ryan Blaney made the most of the provisional he needed for a spot in the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, earning a place on the podium alongside winner Denny Hamlin and runner-up Kyle Busch. Not typically a thing in NASCAR, the winner’s podium …

Ryan Blaney made the most of the provisional he needed for a spot in the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, earning a place on the podium alongside winner Denny Hamlin and runner-up Kyle Busch. Not typically a thing in NASCAR, the winner’s podium with its medals for the top three was a salute to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum’s history as an Olympic venue.

The reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion was not fast enough to earn a spot in the field on his qualifying speed. Blaney needed to be in the top 22 to lock himself into the event, but he wound up 26th on the chart. The Clash field, however, has 23 drivers, and the final spot goes to the driver highest in points from the 2023 season who is not yet locked into the race.

Blaney took the provisional and started last. A methodical drive to the front put the Team Penske driver in position to contend for the victory when the final caution flew with 10 laps to go. Blaney restarted second on the outside of the front row before ultimately settling for a third-place finish.

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“The plan was not to take a provisional,” Blaney said. “Our group was pretty slow. I guess we just couldn’t go, so we were lucky that we got in the race and then we did a good job all night. We just kind of stayed clean, and our car was fast, too, to just kind of drive up through the field. A couple of restarts went our way to where our lanes went.”

It took time for Blaney to get there, and his average running position through 150 laps was 13.3. The race’s first half nearly went caution-free until a spin one lap short of the break halted the action. Blaney was running 15th midway through the race.

However, clocked as the fastest driver on restarts, Blaney charged into the top 10 when four cautions occurred in the race’s second half. He also took advantage of the choose rule, lining up fourth with 10 laps to go and then second on the final restart.

Blaney pulled himself into contention in the closing stages but third was the best he could manage. Motorsport Images

“I had a shot,” Blaney said. “I got a terrible restart on the last one, but I probably wouldn’t have won anyway. We came from a long way back, so it was fun. I think every time I’ve been here, I’ve been spun backward two or three times, so it’s nice not to have that at the last one. It’s good.”

It is the best finish Blaney had earned in a Clash event and his first top-five finish in three starts in L.A. It is also the first time since 2020 in a Clash event that Blaney has finished inside the top 10.

Saturday’s race was moved up by a day and condensed because of severe weather expected in the area for the remainder of the weekend.

“The demographic and the way that they kind of pulled the trigger on today trying to get it in, I think that was really smart by NASCAR,” Blaney said of the third edition of The Clash in L.A. “Maybe it doesn’t show in the stands just because of what it was, but it gets a lot of support, and you also have the NASCAR Mexico Series here too. I think that’s good as well to kind of grow their side. It’s a neat area to do it in.”

Ryan Blaney’s new NASCAR Cup Series spotter for 2024 revealed

Ryan Blaney’s new spotter in the NASCAR Cup Series for the 2024 season has been revealed. Who is Blaney’s new spotter and is it a good fit?

[autotag]Ryan Blaney[/autotag] has a new spotter for the 2024 NASCAR season after Josh Williams announced his departure from Team Penske. According to FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass, Tim Fedewa will serve as Blaney’s spotter on the No. 12 team starting in 2024. Fedewa spent the last decade as Kevin Harvick’s spotter on the No. 4 team at Stewart-Haas Racing.

Blaney won the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship and now earns one of the best spotters in the sport. Fedewa has guided Harvick through great success in the Cup Series and will represent a great fit with Team Penske. Fedewa represents a massive spotter silly season that includes Williams and Eddie D’Hondt, who is leaving Chase Elliott and Hendrick Motorsports.

Williams appears to be a good fit with Zane Smith at Spire Motorsports as he spotted for him in the NASCAR Truck Series. Meanwhile, Stewart-Haas Racing will need to find a new spotter for Josh Berry and the No. 4 team as the organization undergoes several changes. D’Hondt could be a fit with Berry, but he may opt to stay in the Chevrolet camp.

Ryan Blaney to have new NASCAR Cup Series spotter in 2024

Ryan Blaney will have a new spotter for the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season as Josh Williams leaves his role on the No. 12 team.

NASCAR Cup Series champion [autotag]Ryan Blaney[/autotag] will have a new spotter for the 2024 season. On Monday afternoon, Blaney’s spotter, Josh Williams, said farewell to Team Penske on social media, indicating that he will not return to the No. 12 team in 2024. Williams helped guide Blaney to two wins in the last six races, including his first Cup Series title.

William has spent the last nine years as a spotter for Team Penske and said it was time to personally and professionally make a change for himself and his family. Williams marks the second spotter to leave their current team in the last few days after Eddie D’Hondt announced his departure from Chase Elliott and Hendrick Motorsports.

As for where Williams might go next, Zane Smith and Spire Motorsports seem like a logical option. Smith had Williams as his spotter in the NASCAR Truck Series and will be moving to Spire Motorsports in the Cup Series. If Spire Motorsports wanted Smith to have a familiar voice in his helmet, then poaching Williams from Team Penske is a great move.

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Cup winner Blaney interested in Indy-Charlotte double with Penske

Fresh off his first NASCAR championship, Ryan Blaney was quickly looking at what he could accomplish next, and with a team owner who has a presence in other forms of motorsports, the request was simple. “Blaney said to me at some point over the last …

Fresh off his first NASCAR championship, Ryan Blaney was quickly looking at what he could accomplish next, and with a team owner who has a presence in other forms of motorsports, the request was simple.

“Blaney said to me at some point over the last several weeks that he would like to go to Indy,” Roger Penske said in Nashville, where Blaney was celebrated during Champion’s Week. “I was like, ‘Whoa, slow down a little bit.’ We’re good to have everybody come to Indy, but if we can have the double and really play up Memorial Day at both Charlotte and Indianapolis, it’ll be great.”

Penske owns Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IndyCar Series. His team also won this year’s Indy 500 with Josef Newgarden.

Kyle Larson will run the double next year. The Hendrick Motorsports driver is one of the most versatile drivers in all of motorsports, and his Cup Series team worked out a deal with McLaren for Larson to run in the biggest race in IndyCar.

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Larson won’t be the first NASCAR driver to attempt the double, and doing so isn’t a new idea for Blaney, who has been in the Team Penske pipeline since 2008 and joined the Cup Series fold in 2018.

“Honestly, it’s something that’s bounced around my mind for a couple of years,” Blaney said. “It’s something I feel like…if you could do the double, that’s cool. Larson is doing it next year. That’s going to be great.

“I’ve poked around that idea with [Penske] for a couple of years now, and I might have to bring it back up, so we’ll see where that goes.”

Blaney doesn’t have an open-wheel background, nor was ever on the path to IndyCar. It’s the challenge of completing both races — 1,100 miles — that attracts him to wanting to trying something new and prestigious.

“I just feel like there’s not many people that can do the double,” Blaney said. “It’s a pretty short list and it would be neat to just do it. I have respect for all forms of motorsports, so I think you want to go experience something like that. I think at my age it would be kind of perfect to do it, but I just think the nostalgia of it and to be able to say you ran, hopefully, 1,100 miles in one day on the racetrack is a cool feat.

“It’s cool for Kyle [Larson] being able to do it and maybe one day I’ll get the privilege too.”

IndyCar’s Josef Newgarden seemingly got a tattoo of NASCAR champ Ryan Blaney’s bearded face

Josef Newgarden appears to be a man of his word with his new ink celebrating NASCAR champ Ryan Blaney.

Well, it looks like Josef Newgarden is a man of his word because it appears he’s got some new ink after making a little wager.

The two-time IndyCar Series champ and reigning Indianapolis 500 winner is a big supporter of his Team Penske teammates on the NASCAR side, so when Ryan Blaney remained in contention for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series championship, Newgarden made a deal. He texted Blaney: “If you win this championship, I’m getting your face tattooed on my thigh.”

“Oh let’s [expletive] GO,” Blaney replied.

Well, not long after that, the No. 12 Team Penske driver won his first NASCAR championship. And afterward, Blaney told For The Win he was eager to see if Newgarden would follow through, hoping for a full-beard portrait and all.

And now, it appears that Newgarden did, in fact, get Blaney’s face and the NASCAR trophy tattooed on his leg. (It could be temporary, but we’re hoping it’s not.)

Blaney previously explained that the tattoo had to be of him with a full beard, even though he’s looking mostly clean-shaven now:

“Full beard. We won the championship, full beard, full mustache. I want my face. I sent him a picture. I sent him a reference photo. I was like, “How about this to base it off of?” But yeah, you gotta go full beard. 1800s U.S. president is what he called me, so that’s what I want.”

That’s exactly what he got.

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Logano on passing champion’s torch to Blaney: ‘So cool to see the growth’

Joey Logano has passed on more than the Cup Series champion’s journal to Penske teammate and new champion Ryan Blaney. For those unfamiliar, the champion’s journal is a tradition born in 2016 with Jimmie Johnson. After each season, the previous …

Joey Logano has passed on more than the Cup Series champion’s journal to Penske teammate and new champion Ryan Blaney.

For those unfamiliar, the champion’s journal is a tradition born in 2016 with Jimmie Johnson. After each season, the previous champion, who had possession of the journal all season, writes a message and presents it to the newly crowned champion.

Logano didn’t bring it with him to Phoenix Raceway earlier this month, so he’s had time to craft a message to Blaney, whom he finally got together with before the awards banquet Thursday night in Nashville. Logano is the only driver to have had the journal twice, and it’s the second time it’s been passed among teammates. Kyle Larson, the 2021 champion, received the journal from Hendrick Motorsport teammate Chase Elliott, who won the championship in 2020.

But more than a physical possession, Logano also had words of wisdom for his younger teammate. As a two-time series champion, Logano knows what the accomplishment means and the responsibility being a Cup Series champion brings. Blaney, at 29 years old, is celebrating his first title.

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“We talked a few times about it, just about the cool parts about it,” Logano said. “The things that seem small to some but actually to a driver mean a lot — like you put the champion logo underneath the NASCAR bars on your race suit. That’s a really cool thing to have; you see that every weekend and it’s there forever. That’s pretty neat.”

There is also plenty of meaning off the track, too. Most of which the public never sees.

“It’s a lot of odds and ends, little things,” continued Logano. “You go on tour and you meet a lot of the people that were a part of the team that you may not have known were a part of the team. When you go visit the headquarters of your sponsors and that type of thing. And, you see the impact that it’s really made from (winning) the championship financially to a lot of families. That part is really cool.”

Logano says the degree to which Blaney came on strong when it counted most this season showed his maturation as a racer. Matt Thacker/Motorsport Images

Blaney won the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend to clinch his spot in the postseason. A victory at Talladega Superspeedway in the fall launched Blaney into the third round of the playoffs, where he finished no worse than sixth and dominated at Martinsville Speedway en route to the victory and a guaranteed spot in the championship race.

In the finale, Blaney drove like a man on a mission. Blaney didn’t have the dominant car but went toe-to-toe with his title rivals and eventual race winner Ross Chastain for every position. Logano laughed that it was about “seven weeks ago” when he, probably like everyone else, saw that Blaney could be a champion.

“We’ve all seen the amount of speed he’s had his whole career, like just raw speed,” Logano said. “The kid is quick as can be, but it seemed like it took a minute for the race craft to meet up to the talent that he has and really, I think the last seven weeks of what he was able to put together was exceptional. (It was) really, really good.

“Putting them both together now, I’m telling you, he’s going to be tough to beat for a long time. Now that he’s got confidence on his side and he’s done it already, he’s going to be tough for a long time. And he’s so young, obviously. So that’ll be a tough one to compete against for a long time.”

As Logano’s reign as champion came to an end, he couldn’t be happier that Blaney was to be the next driver to have the spotlight.

“I’m happy for him,” Logano said. “That was so cool to see the growth. For me, he’s been my teammate for 10 years or so, and I saw him as young Ryan Blaney. To see him grow in the sport, as a person, and as a driver to where he is today is actually kind of neat.”

NASCAR awards its champions in Nashville ceremony

On Thursday night at the Music City Center, the NASCAR Champion’s Week festivities concluded with the honoring of Ryan Blaney, who reached the pinnacle of the sport – claiming the NASCAR Cup Series title – by outdueling three other Championship 4 …

On Thursday night at the Music City Center, the NASCAR Champion’s Week festivities concluded with the honoring of Ryan Blaney, who reached the pinnacle of the sport — claiming the NASCAR Cup Series title — by outdueling three other Championship 4 contenders Nov. 5 at Phoenix Raceway.

The 29-year-old Blaney finished second to Ross Chastain in the season finale but crossed the finish line ahead of Playoff drivers Kyle Larson and William Byron — both representing Hendrick Motorsports — to earn his first Cup championship and the second in a row for team owner Roger Penske.

“I know, all the competitors, we don’t agree all the time, but it is a true honor to race with the best in the world on a weekly basis, and I do appreciate that,” Blaney said after an introduction from NASCAR president Steve Phelps and a welcome to the stage from one of Blaney’s favorite bands, Whiskey Myers.

Blaney comes from a racing family that includes his father, Dave Blaney and uncle, Dale Blaney, both superstars in the sprint car realm.

“Obviously, growing up, watching Dad race, that’s just what I wanted to do, and I wanted to be like my Dad,” Blaney said. “I was super lucky to be able see that at a young age and get the whole spectrum of seeing what it’s like as a driver, seeing how teams operated.”

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Blaney had special praise for team owner Roger Penske, who has fielded Cup cars for Blaney for the last six seasons.

“Roger and (wife) Kathy Penske — it’s hard to believe it’s been over 10 years since we first met,” Blaney said. “As a kid, there’s nothing more I wanted to do than to win you a championship and just be successful, because I was such a big fan of you, not only in NASCAR but in every form of motorsport.

“I have such a huge respect for what you did. You stuck with me for over 10 years, and it’s been unbelievable.”

Blaney delivered Penske’s first back-to-back Cup championships this season, with Jonathan Hassler as his crew chief.

“Ryan is the champion, but think about his position in the garage area with other teams and other drivers,” Penske said. “He’s a champion with them, too. It’s very important, as you climb the ladder in this sport.”

For the sixth straight year, Chase Elliot won the National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver Award. Justin Allgaier and Hailie Deegan were most popular drivers in the NASCAR Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series, respectively.

Elliott, who is 10 short of the 16 Most Popular Driver Awards won by his father, Bill Elliott, appeared on stage with a sling on his left arm, indicative of recent offseason should surgery.

Ty Gibbs was named Sunoco Rookie of the Year in NASCAR’s top series.

“It’s been a great year, and we want to keep going,” said Gibbs, who scored 10 top-10 finishes with a best result of fourth in his first full-time season.

All 16 of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff drivers appeared on stage during the award ceremony. Veteran Michael McDowell perhaps had the best laugh line of the evening.

“It’s taken me a long time not to suck,” said McDowell, a former Daytona 500 winner who earned his second career victory on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course this year.

Kevin Harvick summed up his retirement from full-time Cup racing with a poignant image.

“When I got out of my car in Phoenix, there wasn’t another (race),” said Harvick, who is leaving full-time racing after 23 Cup seasons.

NASCAR vice chairman Mike Helton had high praise for Harvick, who will remain prominent in the sport as an analyst in the FOX Sports booth.

“I want to say, ‘thank you’ to everybody in this room,” Harvick said. “It’s been a heck of a ride… “Where’s Bubba (Wallace)? He bet me $100 I’d cry like a baby — I won $100. Thank you!”

Brad Keselowski, co-owner/driver at Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, pointed to the progress the organization has made in 2023, with both Keselowski and teammate Chris Buescher, a three-time winner, qualifying for the Playoffs.

Cole Custer takes a bow as Xfinity Series champion. Rusty Jarrett/Motorsport Images

Driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, Cole Custer bested Justin Allgaier, Sam Mayer and John Hunter Nemechek to win his first NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.

Custer returned to the Xfinity Series this season after three disappointing years in NASCAR’s top division.

“I think he’s matured a lot, and it’s very gratifying to see him win the Xfinity Series championship,” said team owner Gene Haas.

NASCAR chief operating officer Steve O’Donnell brought Custer to the stage with high praise for the title-winning performance at Phoenix.

“He dug deep, like he always does,” O’Donnell said, referencing the nail-biting restarts late in the championship race.

“At the end of that race in Phoenix, when we held that championship trophy, I’ve never been more proud to be a part of that (team),” Custer said. “To the whole team, thank you for believing in me — I love you guys.”

Custer also acknowledged the help and advice he received from Harvick, the 2014 Cup Series champion.

Truck Series champion Ben Rhodes with his ThorSport Racing Ford. Rusty Jarrett/Motorsport Images

In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Ben Rhodes won his second title for ThorSport Racing, beating Grant Enfinger, Carson Hocevar and Corey Heim in the Championship 4 finale. Also notable in the Truck Series was Sunoco Rookie of the Year Nick Sanchez, the only rookie driver to qualify for the Playoffs this season.

Rhodes finished the season with Rich Lushes as his crew chief after two in-season changes to that vital role.

Ben Kennedy, NASCAR vice president of racing development and strategy, introduced Rhodes for his champion’s speech.

“I can’t speak for everyone on the team,” Rhodes said, “but I can say they had incredible tenacity. We went through a lot of adversity, and not once did I hear anyone complain… While I stand before you tonight taking recognition, I really defer that to my team, without which none of it would have been possible.”

Carson Hocevar and John Hunter Nemechek earned respective driver of the year honors in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and Xfinity Series, while Christopher Bell won the 2023 Busch Light Pole Award for his career-best six pole positions this year.

Kurt Busch held back tears as he was recognized for a NASCAR career that spanned more than two decades.

“I want to say thank you to everyone in this room and everyone in this industry for supporting me for all these years,” said Busch, the 2004 series champion. “I want to thank my father, my mother and my brother Kyle — we always pushed each other to get to the next level.”

NASCAR chairman Jim France presented the Bill France Award of Excellence to Rich Kramer, chairman, president and CEO of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.

“I’m completely humbled by this acknowledgement,” Kramer said. “The team you see at the track each weekend — anything I’m acknowledged for is due to them…. Goodyear is long-term partner of NASCAR, I think, because we’re cut out of the same cloth.”

Lesa France Kennedy, executive vice chair of NASCAR, announced Molly Moran, a volunteer at Comfort Zone Camp, as the winner of this year’s prestigious Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award.

Comfort Zone Camp is a non-profit bereavement organization that transforms the lives of children who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling, primary caregiver, or significant person.

Ryan Vargas was honored as Comcast Community Champion of the Year for his work with FACES, the National Craniofacial Association. Diagnosed with craniosynostosis as a child, Vargas serves as a board member of FACES and earned a $60,000 donation from Comcast and Xfinity for the organization.

Sherry Pollex, long-time partner of 2017 Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr., was honored with the NMPA Myers Brothers Award. Pollex lost a valiant, nine-year battle against ovarian cancer this year.