The NEXTEL CUP BANQUET
New York City
Dec 1, 2006
and 2006 Winnings
WON by JIMMIE JOHNSON
DATES of each series Award Banquet
Friday, 12/1/2006: Nextel Cup - New York City
Friday, 12/8/2006: Busch Series - Orlando, Fla
Sunday, 12/10/2006: Truck Series - Orlando, Fla
TV Coverage
12/1/2006: Nextel Cup - TNT/MRN at 9:00pm/et
12/3/2006: Nextel Cup - NBC at 2:00pm/et
12/20/2006: Busch Series - TNT at 12:00am/et
12/29/2006: Truck Series - SPEED at 9:00pm/et
newest at the top
- Nextel Cup Banquet returns to NYC in 2007: The NASCAR Nextel Cup Series banquet will return to New York City for the 27th consecutive year in December, NASCAR Vice President Jim Hunter confirmed Friday. With rumors swirling about the possibility of the banquet being moved from New York to Las Vegas, Hunter was adamant that the annual awards ceremony will return to New York's Waldorf-Astoria hotel. Las Vegas has been campaigning to attract NASCAR's annual celebration of its champion, and Hunter said NASCAR will keep its options open for future banquets. "We have [looked around], but we are going back to New York," Hunter said Friday morning at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. "It's the place the banquet should be right now."(SceneDaily.com), no date has been officially announced but it is usually the last Friday in Nov or first Friday in Dec.(3-9-2007)
- Banquet 2007: NYC? Vegas? CORRECTION: It looks like NASCAR has decided it no longer needs the media capital of the world to be the gathering place of its yearly season-ending awards banquet. News out of Charlotte yesterday during the annual Lowe’s Motor Speedway Media Tour indicates NASCAR might be strongly considering moving the awards banquet from The Big Apple to Las Vegas. After a 21-year relationship with the prestigious Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, maybe it’s high time NASCAR move from Manhattan to Vegas. NASCAR has pushed real hard to get the local newspapers in NYC interested in Champions Week and the lack of coverage from the major dailies this past December was pretty poor, to say the least. While the Boston Herald was there for the final two days of the event, other big city papers like the New York Post, Daily News, the Times, and Newsday pretty much were a no-show.(Boston Herald)
AND: Is the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup banquet definitely going back to New York City, where it has been for more than a quarter of a century? Well, despite some recent announcements that talked about this year's banquet in the Big Apple, that's still be determined. "It's fair to say that we're still evaluating where the 2007 banquet will take place," said Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR vice president of operations. It's no secret that we like New York, but we're still evaluating."(SceneDaily.com)(1-25-2007)
UPDATE/CORRECTION earlier reported in error that NASCAR did not receive proper press coverage NASCAR in fact had its bases covered: According to NASCAR’s pr man Andrew Giangola, NASCAR received two pieces in the New York Daily News (with great photos), four in the New York Times (City and National editions – also terrific photos), seven in Newsday with photos, one in the New York Post, two from El Diario (the second largest Spanish newspaper in the country), as well as coverage in AM New York, Metro New York, and four hits in the Journal News, which is distributed throughout White Plains. There were 23 print items locally. With more than 100,000 New Yorkers lining the Victory Lap route, this loud and unforgettable event also received significant coverage from local New York broadcast affiliates: 11 hits from WNBC-TV, 9 from WABC-TV, 7 hits on CW/Channel 11, 2 on WCBS-TV, 5 on WNYW/FOX, 6 on NY 1 (local New York City news station), and 7 hits on MSG Network. The total number for broadcast coverage is 47.(Boston Herald)(1-25-2007)
2006 WINNINGS/POINTS FUND - Top 25
| Rank |
Driver |
Season
Winnings |
Post
Awards |
Points
Fund |
Total |
| 1 |
#48-Jimmie Johnson |
$8,909,143 |
$180,000 |
$6,785,982 |
$15,875,125 |
| 2 |
#17-Matt Kenseth |
$6,608,919 |
$95,000 |
$2,841,047 |
$9,544,966 |
| 3 |
#11-Denny Hamlin |
$4,389,222 |
$152,400 |
$2,168,710 |
$6,710,332 |
| 4 |
#29-Kevin Harvick |
$6,201,578 |
$100,000 |
$1,929,828 |
$8,231,406 |
| 5 |
#8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
$5,466,104 |
|
$1,645,635 |
$7,111,739 |
| 6 |
#24-Jeff Gordon |
$5,975,873 |
|
$1,495,574 |
$7,471,447 |
| 7 |
#31-Jeff Burton |
$5,008,882 |
$75,000 |
$1,356,113 |
$6,439,995 |
| 8 |
#9-Kasey Kahne |
$6,204,222 |
$201,000 |
$1,316,156 |
$7,721,378 |
| 9 |
#6-Mark Martin |
$4,282,548 |
|
$1,286,200 |
$5,568,748 |
| 10 |
#5-Kyle Busch |
$4,821,093 |
|
$1,256,244 |
$6,077,337 |
| 11 |
#20-Tony Stewart |
$7,285,281 |
$270,000 |
$1,143,888 |
$8,699,169 |
| 12 |
#99-Carl Edwards |
$4,578,926 |
|
$774,703 |
$5,353,629 |
| 13 |
#16-Greg Biffle |
$4,602,716 |
|
$744,907 |
$5,347,623 |
| 14 |
#42-Casey Mears |
$5,413,338 |
|
$715,111 |
$6,128,449 |
| 15 |
#25-Brian Vickers |
$3,917,676 |
|
$685,314 |
$4,602,990 |
| 16 |
#2-Kurt Busch |
$5,026,137 |
|
$655,518 |
$5,681,655 |
| 17 |
#07-Clint Bowyer |
$3,924,412 |
|
$625,722 |
$4,550,134 |
| 18 |
#12-Ryan Newman |
$5,364,547 |
|
$595,926 |
$5,960,473 |
| 19 |
#1-Martin Truex Jr |
$4,193,119 |
|
$566,129 |
$4,759,248 |
| 20 |
#10-Scott Riggs |
$3,237,341 |
|
$536,333 |
$3,773,674 |
| 21 |
#43-Bobby Labonte |
$4,651,095 |
|
$297,963 |
$4,949,058 |
| 22 |
#19-Elliott Sadler |
$4,650,289 |
|
$202,365* |
$4,852,654 |
| 23 |
#88-Dale Jarrett |
$4,478,774 |
|
$260,717 |
$4,739,491 |
| 24 |
#41-Reed Sorenson |
$3,456,948 |
|
$245,819 |
$3,702,767 |
| 25 |
#26-Jamie McMurray |
$5,010,303 |
|
$230,921 |
$5,241,224 |
| x |
#38-David Gilliland |
$1,521,447 |
|
43454* |
$1,564,901 |
| * - Proportional payout based on number of races competed in with top-25 owner points team
|
- NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Champions Week - Day 5:
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series teams and drivers have competed all season long for this. It’s time to present the final point fund awards and this year’s total is another record-setting amount for NASCAR.
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) will collect a point fund award of $6,785,982, bringing his 2006 season total winnings to $15,770,125 – a new single season winnings record. Johnson has won more than $44 million during his NASCAR NEXTEL Cup career. And that’s just the beginning.
The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Top 10 drivers will share $22,081,489, the largest top 10 point fund payout in series history. Each of the Top 10 will receive over $1 million, and they aren’t the only million-dollar winners at year’s end.
Eleventh-place driver Tony Stewart (No. 20 The Home Depot Chevrolet) received a $250,000 bonus for finishing 11th and his total point fund award is $1,143,888. Stewart also receives $310,000 for winning three special awards – the Bank of America Card Services Mid-Race Leader Award, the USG Improving the Finish Award and the WIX Lap Leader Award – bringing his 2006 total to $8,739,169, the third-highest season total in the series.
Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DeWALT Power Tools Chevrolet), who finished second in the standings, receives $2,841,047 from the point fund and $75,000 for the Goodyear Gatorback Fastest Lap Award – to go along with his regular-season race winnings of $6,608,919 for a 2006 total of $9,524,966. It is $102,202 more than he won in 2003, when he was the series champion.
Sixth-place Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet), the series’ all-time money leader, collects $1,495,574 from the point fund for a season total of $7,471,447. With this payout, Gordon’s career winnings now total $82,838,526.
The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Top 10 – those drivers who participated in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup – gain the greatest rewards for their efforts, but the point fund is shared among many more drivers, down to 30th place in the standings. In total, more than $30.4 million will be distributed to the top 30 drivers.
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Top 10 – Point Awards and Season Totals:
| |
Driver |
Race Winnings |
Special Awards |
Point Fund |
TOTAL |
| 1 |
#48-Jimmie Johnson |
$8,909,143 |
$75,000 |
$6,785,982 |
$15,770,125 |
| 2 |
#17-Matt Kenseth |
$6,608,919 |
$75,000 |
$2,841,047 |
$9,524,966 |
| 3 |
#11-Denny Hamlin |
$4,389,222 |
$50,000 |
$2,168,710 |
$6,607,932 |
| 4 |
#29-Kevin Harvick |
$6,201,578 |
$100,000 |
$1,929,828 |
$8,231,406 |
| 5 |
#8-Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
$5,466,104 |
|
$1,645,635 |
$7,111,739 |
| 6 |
#24-Jeff Gordon |
$5,975,873 |
|
$1,495,574 |
$7,471,447 |
| 7 |
#31-Jeff Burton |
$5,008,882 |
|
$1,356,113 |
$6,364,995 |
| 8 |
#9-Kasey Kahne |
$6,204,222 |
$201,000 |
$1,316,156 |
$7,721,378 |
| 9 |
#6-Mark Martin |
$4,282,548 |
|
$1,286,200 |
$5,568,748 |
| 10 |
#5-Kyle Busch |
$4,821,093 |
|
$1,256,244 |
$5,537,337 |
| 11 |
#20-Tony Stewart |
$7,285,281 |
$310,000 |
$1,143,888 |
$8,739,169 |
- Fast Facts:
What: Nextel Cup Series Awards Ceremony
Where: Grand Ballroom, The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York City.
When: 7-10:30 p.m. (ET). Friday, Dec. 1.
TV: TNT, 9 p.m. (ET & PT).
Radio: MRN/XM Satellite.
Musical Entertainment: Jewel
- Champions Week in New York City schedule:
MONDAY, November, 27
7 a.m.: Nextel Cup Series Pit Stop Tour
(Stop by the Nextel Cup Series Pit Stop Tour locations to see authentic NASCAR race cars and collect FREE NASCAR items!)
Locations:
Military Island-Times Square
Bryant Park-6th Ave b/w 40th and 41st
News Corp Bldg-6th Ave b/w 47th and 48th
Madison Square Garden-7th Ave b/w 31st and 32nd
Tourneau Atrium/Tissot Retail Store-58th and Madison
Sprint Retail Store-175 Fifth Ave. b/w 22nd and 23rd
Displays are open unitl 7 p.m.
4 p.m.: XM Satellite Radio broacast: Dialed In with Claire B. Lang
TUESDAY, November 28
7 a.m.: Nextel Cup Series Pit Stop Tour
(Stop by the Nextel Cup Series Pit Stop Tour locations to see authentic NASCAR race cars and collect FREE NASCAR items!)
Locations:
Military Island-Times Square
Bryant Park-6th Ave b/w 40th and 41st
News Corp Bldg-6th Ave b/w 47th and 48th
Madison Square Garden-7th Ave b/w 31st and 32nd
Tourneau Atrium/Tissot Retail Store-58th and Madison
Sprint Retail Store-175 Fifth Ave. b/w 22nd and 23rd
Displays are open unitl 7 p.m.
Champion NYC Landmarks Photo Shoot
Location: Various
4 p.m.: XM Satellite Radio broacast Dialed In with Claire B. Lang
7 p.m.: Champion appearance on MRN's NASCAR Live
WEDNESDAY, November 29
8 a.m.: NASCAR Victory Lap on ABC's Good Morning America
Various driver appearances leading up to Victory Lap. Cars roll off at 8:50 a.m.
Watch as the 2006 Nextel Cup Series Top 10 drivers complete a Victory Lap through the streets of Manhattan. Starting LIVE from Good Morning America’s Times Square Studios, winding through Midtown and ending at ESPN Zone Times Square, this year’s event will be unforgettable. Watch from the Fan Zones along the route and receive FREE Nextel Cup Series Champions Week premiums! The Nextel Cup Series Top 10 drivers include, Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne.
Nextel Cup Series Pit Stop Tour
(Stop by the Nextel Cup Series Pit Stop Tour locations to see authentic NASCAR race cars and collect FREE NASCAR items!)
Locations:
Military Island-Times Square
Bryant Park-6th Ave b/w 40th and 41st
News Corp Bldg-6th Ave b/w 47th and 48th
Madison Square Garden-7th Ave b/w 31st and 32nd
Tourneau Atrium/Tissot Retail Store-58th and Madison
Sprint Retail Store-175 Fifth Ave. b/w 22nd and 23rd
Displays are open unitl 7 p.m.
9 a.m.: NASCAR Victory Lap Victory Lane Celebration
Location: ESPN Zpne, Times Square
9:25 a.m.: Mayoral Proclamation of Nextel Cup Series Day
Location: ESPN ZONE Times Square
NASCAR Executive: Mike Helton
Sprint Nextel Executive: Dean Kessell
10:30 a.m.: Champion Times Square Photo Shoot
Location: Military Island
4 p.m.: XM Satellite Radio broacast, Dialed In with Claire B. Lang
THURSDAY, November 30
7 a.m.: Nextel Cup Series Pit Stop Tour Presented by Sprint
(Stop by the Nextel Cup Series Pit Stop Tour locations to see authentic NASCAR race cars and collect FREE NASCAR items!)
Location: Various Midtown Locations until 7 p.m.
11 a.m. NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon
Champion Photo Shoot at Rockefeller Center Tree
4 p.m.: XM Satellite Radio broacast: Dialed In with Claire B. Lang
7 p.m.: NASCAR Touring Champions Dinner
FRIDAY, December 1
7 a.m.: Nextel Cup Series Pit Stop Tour Presented by Sprint
(Stop by the Nextel Cup Series Pit Stop Tour locations to see authentic NASCAR race cars and collect FREE NASCAR items!)
Location: Various Midtown Locations until 7 p.m.
Champions Park Avenue Photo Shoot
4 p.m.: XM Satellite Radio broacast: Dialed In with Claire B. Lang
6 p.m.: Nextel Cup Awards Ceremony Yellow Carpet on SPEED
7 p.m.: Nextel Cup Series Awards Ceremony (9 p.m. ET/PT on TNT)
(FoxSports)(11-23-2006)
NEWS/NOTES
- Nextel Cup Series Champions Week – Day 4:
On the eve of the Nextel Cup Series Awards Ceremony in New York, over $1 million in special awards were presented at the NASCAR/National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Myers Brothers luncheon. Headlining the list of award winners was Dale Earnhardt Jr. (#8 Budweiser Chevy), who won the Chex Cereals Most Popular Driver Award for the fourth consecutive year, and 2006 Raybestos Rookie of the Year Denny Hamlin (#11 FedEx Chevy), who finished third in the Chase for the Nextel Cup and received $50,000 as the series’ top rookie racer. Chevy received the Nextel Cup Series Manufacturers’ Championship for the 30th time. Chevy teams won 23 races in 2006, while seven of the 10 Chase for the Nextel Cup drivers drove Chevys. During the presentation, Chevy made a surprise presentation of its own – giving a 2007 Chevy Corvette convertible to Nextel Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson’s wife, Chani.
Other special award winners included:
NASCAR Vice President of Corporate Communications Jim Hunter, who was honored with the Buddy Shuman Award, in recognition of his longtime role and impact in the NASCAR community.
Benny Parsons, the 1973 Nextel Cup Series champion and NBC television commentator, who was honored with the Myers Brothers Award, for his contributions to the growth of Nextel Cup racing.
The #48 Lowe’s Chevy team takes top honors on Friday evening, but also received several awards on Thursday. Johnson won the $105,000 Checker’s/Rally’s Double-Drive Thru Pit Award, the Goodyear Award – including a scale replica of his #48 Lowe’s Chevy made from gold – and the $75,000 Sunoco Diamond Performance Award; the Hendrick Motorsports engine department won the $107,000 Clevite Engine Builder of the Year Award; and crew chief Chad Knaus was recognized with the Nextel Cup Series Championship Crew Chief Award.
Tony Stewart (#20 The Home Depot Chevy) received three different awards for his on-track performance – the $135,000 Bank of America Card Services Mid-Race Leader Award; the $100,000 USG Improving the Finish Award and the $75,000 WIX Lap Leader Award.
Kasey Kahne (#9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge) received $100,000 for winning the Budweiser Pole Award and $101,000 for winning the Commit Lozenges Commit to Win Award. Kahne won six pole positions in 2006.
Mike Ford, crew chief for Denny Hamlin, won the $102,400 DIRECTV Crew Chief of the Year Award.
Matt Kenseth (#17 DEWALT Power Tools Ford) won the $75,000 Goodyear Gatorback Fastest Lap Award.
The #31 Cingular Wireless Chevy team of Jeff Burton received the $75,000 Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award.
Kevin Harvick (#29 GM Goodwrench Chevy) received the $100,000 Mobil 1 Command Performance Award.
Allstate, the Official Insurance Partner of NASCAR, was presented with the Marketing Achievement Award.
Champions gather at Rockefeller Plaza … An annual Champions Week tradition is the gathering of champions from all of NASCAR’s national, regional and local racing series, for a commemorative photo opportunity. It is the only time during the year that all of NASCAR’s champions from 12 different racing series are together in one location. Since 2002, this exclusive gathering has been held in New York as part of Champions Week.
On Thursday, the group – including Johnson, NASCAR Busch Series champion Kevin Harvick, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Todd Bodine, NASCAR Grand National Division, AutoZone West Series champion Eric Holmes, NASCAR Grand National Division, Busch East Series champion Mike Olsen, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Mike Stefanik, NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion Junior Miller, NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Midwest Series champion Tim Schendel, NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Northwest Series champion Gary Lewis, NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southeast Series champion J.R. Norris, NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series champion Rip Michels and NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series champion Philip Morris – assembled at Rockefeller Plaza, near the city’s famous Christmas Tree, for their photo.
One day and counting … Champions Week concludes Friday with a final day of activities for Jimmie Johnson, the rest of the Nextel Cup Top 10 drivers and 11th-place driver Tony Stewart. Johnson and his team will pose for photos along Park Avenue in Manhattan, before attending several pre-Awards Ceremony receptions. The Awards Ceremony begins at 7 p.m. in the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel’s Grand Ballroom. At 6 p.m. (ET), SPEED will air a special one hour pre-show: “NASCAR Takes Manhattan.” TNT will televise the Awards Ceremony beginning at 9 p.m. (ET), featuring musical entertainment by singer/songwriter Jewel and comedy performances by Jay Mohr.(NASCAR PR)(11-30-2006)
- New Watches for the Top 10 in NYC: Swiss watch brand Tissot, the Official Timekeeper and Watch for the sport of NASCAR, will bring its sponsorship of NASCAR's Victory Lap to life on Wednesday, November 29th, centered in New York City's Times Square by rewarding the top 10 Nextel Cup Series drivers each with a new T-Touch NASCAR Special Edition watch. Jimmie Johnson, the Nextel Cup Series champion, will also receive a limited edition Tissot Heritage 150th Anniversary watch. The presentation will be held at ESPN Zone as one of the highlights of the morning. Tens of thousands of fans are expected to attend the event location in the heart of midtown Manhattan.(PR Newswire)(11-29-2006)
- Nextel Cup Series Champions Week – Day 3:
It seemed like a normal race morning in the Nextel Cup Series. The drivers awoke early, attended a meeting with NASCAR President Mike Helton, donned their uniforms, signed autographs, participated in live television interviews, climbed into their race cars and drove off to the cheers of their fans. But this was no normal race morning. The setting was Times Square in New York City. The drivers took to the streets of New York for the NASCAR “Victory Lap,” which began with a live national television appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America. A procession of the Top 10 drivers and cars departed from Good Morning America’s Times Square Studios and ended at the ESPN Zone restaurant, where the drivers met with sponsors and media.
Where past champions have gone before … Nextel Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson (#48 Lowe’s Chevy), posed for photos in Times Square after the Victory Lap was completed. During the shoot, a feature of NASCAR’s Champion’s Week in New York for many years, was especially poignant for Johnson – a moment he now shares with dozens of other series champions who came before him. With the Victory Lap completed, the countdown continues toward the Nextel Cup Series Awards Ceremony on Friday evening. Nextel Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has been joined in New York by the rest of the Top 10 drivers, along with 11th-place finisher Tony Stewart (#20 The Home Depot Chevy).
Next up for this exclusive group is the NASCAR / National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Myers Brothers luncheon on Thursday. This prestigious event, at Cipriani on 42nd Street, includes presentations to the special award winners of 2006. In addition, the champions from all of NASCAR’s other series will be recognized. After Thursday’s luncheon, all of the champions will gather for their annual champions’ photo shoot, at Rockefeller Plaza. On Thursday evening, the group of champions will be treated to an exclusive Champions’ Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria.
Friday: Johnson and his team will pose for formal photos on New York’s Park Avenue before attending several pre-awards ceremony receptions. Then, Johnson officially will be crowned Nextel Cup Series champion; the Awards Ceremony begins at 7:00pm/et in the Waldorf-Astoria’s Grand Ballroom. SPEED will broadcast a live Awards Ceremony pre-show, “NASCAR Takes Manhattan,” beginning at 7:00pm/et, while TNT will air the ceremony at 9:00pm/et.
Pit Stop Tour … For any local race fans that missed the Victory Lap, several slower-moving cars will be visible throughout Champion’s Week. In fact, several race cars will be parked on display at many popular New York locations every day this week.
From 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., today through Friday, six city locations will host the Champion’s Week Pit Stop Tour, where fans can view NASCAR stock cars up close. The locations are: Times Square/Military Island (Broadway between 43rd and 44th Streets); Bryant Park (6th Avenue between 40th and 41st Streets); by the News Corp. Building (6th Avenue between 48th and 49th Streets); Madison Square Garden (7th Avenue between 31st and 32nd Streets); at the Tissot Retail Gallery/Tourneau Atrium (57th & Madison Avenue); and the Sprint retail store located at 175 5th Avenue, between 22nd and 23rd Streets.(NASCAR PR)(11-29-2006)
- Nextel Cup Series Champions Week – Day 2:
New York City traffic gets a makeover, NASCAR style, on Wednesday. The “Victory Lap,” featuring a procession of the Top 10 Nextel Cup Series drivers and their cars, takes the green flag at 8:50 a.m. Wednesday. For fans at home, the event can be seen live on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” It’s a moment not to be missed. The spectacle begins at 44th Street and Broadway, in front of Good Morning America’s Times Square Studios, and finishes at 42nd Street and Broadway, in front of the ESPN Zone – back in the heart of Times Square. In between, the 10 powerful stock cars wind their way through city streets, bringing a taste of NASCAR’s speed and sound to Manhattan residents and tourists alike. The procession will be led by 2006 Nextel Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson (#48 Lowe’s Chevy), who arrived in New York on Sunday. Johnson has taken the busy schedule in stride and says he’s looking forward to a reunion with his crew members and fellow competitors later in the week. “It’s been a good week,” said Johnson. “Today and tomorrow really are the busy days and things slow down as we get closer to the banquet, so I can go out and celebrate a little more with my guys. [Being the champion] sinks in a little more each day. I think when we get to the banquet weekend, and I’m able to see competitors and team members, it’ll sink in even more after that.”
Johnson’s crew chief, Chad Knaus, has also relished the time in New York and his new title of championship crew chief. “It’s been a good experience so far,” said Knaus, who was brought into racing by his father, John, a standout NASCAR Late Model driver at Rockford (Ill.) Speedway and a 1994 NASCAR regional champion. “It’s amazing; this is a lifelong dream of mine. I’ve wanted it since I was a child. My father groomed me to get into this. Some fathers groom their sons to be quarterbacks or drivers – my Dad really raised me to be a crew chief and it’s worked out well for me. [Winning the championship] has been phenomenal. It’s almost like a weight lifted off of my shoulders because it’s something I’ve driven so hard for, for so long.”
A view from the top … Jimmie Johnson’s view from the top of the racing world matched his view from the “Top of the Rock” observatory, on the 70th floor of the historic 30 Rockefeller Center building on Tuesday afternoon. Johnson visited the high-rise landmark for a photo shoot, before adjourning to the Waldorf-Astoria to appear on the nationally-syndicated “NASCAR Live” radio show on the Motor Racing Network (MRN). Following the Victory Lap on Wednesday, preparations for the Awards Ceremony and the slate of activities continues. The schedule includes:
Thursday: The NASCAR National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon at Cipriani on 42nd Street will honor the Nextel Cup Top 10 drivers, champions from NASCAR’s other series and all Nextel Cup drivers who are receiving seasonal awards. Afterward, all 2006 series champions will gather for the annual champions’ photo shoot, at Rockefeller Plaza. On Thursday evening, the group of champions will be treated to an exclusive Champions’ Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria.
Friday: Johnson and his team will pose for formal photos on New York’s Park Avenue before attending several pre-awards ceremony receptions. Then, Johnson officially will be crowned Nextel Cup Series champion; the Awards Ceremony begins at 7 p.m. in the Waldorf-Astoria’s Grand Ballroom. SPEED will broadcast a live Awards Ceremony pre-show, “NASCAR Takes Manhattan,” beginning at 7:00pm/et, while TNT will air the ceremony at 9:00pm/et.
Pit Stop Tour … For any local race fans that missed the Victory Lap, several slower-moving cars will be visible throughout Champion’s Week. In fact, several race cars will be parked on display at many popular New York City locations every day this week.
From 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., today through Friday, six city locations will host the Champion’s Week Pit Stop Tour, where fans can view NASCAR stock cars up close. The locations are: Times Square/Military Island (Broadway between 43rd and 44th Streets); Bryant Park (6th Avenue between 40th and 41st Streets); by the News Corp. Building (6th Avenue between 48th and 49th Streets); Madison Square Garden (7th Avenue between 31st and 32nd Streets); at the Tissot Retail Gallery/Tourneau Atrium (57th & Madison Avenue); and the Sprint retail store located at 175 5th Avenue, between 22nd and 23rd Streets.
Running for a cause … Although he didn’t finish in the top 10 and won’t be in New York, Kyle Petty (#45 Wells Fargo/Tire Kingdom Dodge) has a very important event on his calendar this weekend. The Victory Junction Gang Camp, founded by Kyle and Pattie Petty, has teamed up with Runner's World columnist John Bingham for the inaugural Victory Junction Run Half Marathon and 4.5K run on Sunday, Dec 3. Petty, an avid runner who completed the Walt Disney World Marathon in January, is planning to compete in the run while his father, seven-time series champion Richard Petty, will serve as Grand Marshal.(NASCAR PR)(11-28-2006)
- Nextel Cup Series Champions Week – Day 1:
The whirlwind officially began for 2006 Nextel Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson (#48 Lowe’s Chevy) on Monday, as he kicked off one of the busiest and most exciting five days of his career.
The reason? NASCAR is celebrating its 26th annual Champions Week in New York City this week, marking the beginning of Johnson’s year-long reign and the recognition of all the sport’s 2006 champions.
Included in this week’s very busy and wide-reaching itinerary are national media appearances, activities with the other Nextel Cup Top 10 drivers and the crowning moment – Friday night’s awards ceremony.
Johnson, who clinched his title in the series’ season finale last week at Homestead-Miami Speedway, arrived in New York on Sunday evening, where he enjoyed a welcome dinner with NASCAR and Sprint Nextel executives at the sport’s longtime Champions Week headquarters – the historic Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
“It’s been a great journey for us,” said Johnson. “We feel like we were in contention last year and the year before to win the championship but came up a little short. In racing there’s only one winner; one champion. To be a champion is so difficult to do.”
Johnson’s Monday began with his appearance on ESPN’s Cold Pizza, followed by guest stints on radio shows and an early-afternoon appearance on FOX News Live. He also was scheduled for afternoon interviews with Forbes.com, XM Satellite Radio and Associated Press interactive.
Johnson, who won his first Nextel Cup title in only his fifth season, hopes this week’s activities won’t be his last as a series champion.
“I really feel we are coming into our prime as a team,” he said. “I am hopeful that as time goes on we can stay in that championship mindset and win a couple more.”
Champions Week, Part II … Jimmie Johnson’s Champions Week gets busier as the hours tick by. Here’s a quick glance at some of what the 2006 Nextel Cup champion will experience over the next four days:
Tuesday: More national and New York media interviews, visits and a prime photo shoot at one of the Big Apple’s Art Deco landmarks – Rockefeller Center’s observation deck, or, “the Top of the Rock.” Later that night, Johnson appears on the nationally-syndicated “NASCAR Live” radio show on the Motor Racing Network (MRN).
Wednesday: The third annual Victory Lap – a procession of the Top 10 drivers in their show cars – will thunder through Manhattan beginning at 44th Street and Broadway in front of ABC’s Good Morning America studio in Times Square and finishing at 42nd Street and Broadway in front of ESPN Zone. Later, expect a photo shoot at Times Square’s Military Island.
Thursday: The NASCAR/National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Myers Brothers Luncheon at Cipriani on 42nd Street will honor the Nextel Cup Top 10 drivers, champions from NASCAR’s other series and all Nextel Cup drivers who win seasonal awards. Afterward, all 2006 series champions will gather for the traditional champions’ photo shoot at Rockefeller Plaza.
Friday: Johnson and his team will pose for formal photos on New York’s Park Avenue before attending several pre-awards ceremony receptions. Then, Johnson officially will be crowned Nextel Cup Series champion; the awards ceremony begins at 7 p.m. in the Waldorf-Astoria’s venerable Grand Ballroom. TNT will air the ceremony at 9 p.m.(NASCAR PR)(11-27-2006)
- For the 26th consecutive year, the Nextel Cup Series Awards Ceremony is coming to the famed Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City. This year’s event is set for Friday night, Dec. 1 and, as always that will culminate a full week of activities for the Nextel Cup champion, and an entourage of other titlists – from the NASCAR Busch Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the NASCAR Autozone Elite Divisions and the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series.
From a media standpoint, there are a variety of opportunities, starting with a third-year event that has quickly become perhaps THE highlight of NASCAR’s yearly week in Manhattan – Victory Lap, when the 10 drivers who competed in the Chase for the Nextel Cup jump behind the wheels of show cars and provide a colorful – and raucous – parade through Midtown.
This year’s Victory Lap is set for Wednesday, Nov. 29, starting at 8:30 a.m. in front of Good Morning America’s Time Square studios on 44th Street and Broadway. Victory Lap ends approximately a half-hour later at the ESPN Zone in Times Square, at 42nd and Broadway. Following will be a media availability session from 9:30-10:30 with drivers.
Moving on…NASCAR’s annual luncheon for New York and Northeast media is again slated for the renowned 21 Club on Wednesday afternoon from 12:30-2:30 p.m.
On Thursday, Nov. 30, the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon will be held at Cipriani’s Restaurant, which for the first time will be a combination of two long-running previous events.
For a number of years, NASCAR held an annual press conference on Thursday afternoon of Champions Week, featuring the top-10 drivers and a “state of the sport” theme, while the NMPA (National Motorsports Press Association) had its annual Myers Brothers Breakfast on Friday morning, where a variety of year-end awards were presented.(NASCAR PR)(11-17-2006)
- Dates, Sites Set for 2006 NASCAR National Series Awards Ceremonies: While the 2006 Nextel Cup Series champion and the rest of the Chase for the Nextel Cup competitors will celebrate on familiar ground at the world-famous Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York at season’s end, the top teams in NASCAR’s other two national series will be “going to Disney World.”
On Dec. 1, the Nextel Cup Awards Ceremony will again take place at the venerable Waldorf in Midtown Manhattan, which first hosted the ceremony in 1981. The following week, on Dec. 8 and Dec. 10, the champions of the NASCAR Busch Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will be feted at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort in Orlando, Fla. The 867-room Victorian-themed Grand Floridian resort is just outside the gates of Disney’s Magic Kingdom theme park on the grounds of Walt Disney World.(NASCAR PR)
(5-17-2006)
