Talladega Superspeedway Honored

Three Awards During NASCAR Safety and Operations Summit

 

Talladega Superspeedway, NASCAR’s Most Competitive and fan-friendly track, were honored this week with three coveted awards during the annual NASCAR Safety and Operations Summit in Concord, NC.

 

Dr. Bobby R. Lewis was presented the Excellence in Track Services Award for his more than 27-year career as Medical Director for Talladega Superspeedway Emergency Services while Courtney Carruba received the 2022 Nursing Director of the Year Award. In addition, the 2022 Teamwork Award was presented to the Talladega Superspeedway Infield Care Center staff.

 

The 2.66-mile venue hosts two exciting NASCAR weekends each year, featuring the GEICO 500 in the spring and the YellaWood 500 in the fall – both drawing more than 100,000 fans from all 50 states and 22 countries. The 2023 season at the 33-degree-banked track kicks off a tripleheader weekend, April 22-23, with the GEICO 500.

 

The Excellence in Track Services Award recognizes any individual who has made significant contributions to the improvement of track services at a single track over the course of a career spanning 10 years or more. Lewis, DMD, MD, is Associate Professor and Vice Chair for Clinical Operations for the Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, Ala. He has been involved with medical services at the superspeedway since 1981 as a member of LifeSaver Helicopter Crew before becoming Medical Director for TSS in 1995.

 

Carruba, from Hoover, AL, has worked for the Talladega Superspeedway for 20 years and started with the LifeSaver crew, and has been the Nursing Director for five years at the iconic venue. Her tenacity starts with thorough pre-event preparation and continues by arriving early for set-up day, which includes helping colleagues and the NASCAR industry during the event. Always smiling, Carruba’s positive attitude shapes the event weekend for her care center team, patients, and NASCAR.

 

 

The Teamwork Award defines teamwork as “a cooperative or coordinated effort on the part of a group of persons acting together as a team or in the interests of a common cause.” Talladega Superspeedway’s exceptional group of medical professionals worked consistently together, knowing each other’s part and doing it with purpose.

 

Very cool opportunity today to speak at the Nascar Safety & Operations Summit discussing and sharing perspective on the Talladega crash from October.

Best part was I got to see and hug the entire @TALLADEGA and @NASCAR safety & rescue group that helped me out that day. 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/dksevXgolt

— Jordan Anderson (@j66anderson) January 11, 2023

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Jordan Anderson, who relied on the TSS Emergency Services team after an on-track accident last October, was on hand during the awards presentations and gave each member of the TSS team a “hug,” as a gesture of thanks for what they do. Randy Ballard, RN, CRNA, is the track’s Emergency Services Manager.

 

These incredible individuals will be back at Talladega Superspeedway for the upcoming GEICO 500 weekend. It will feature a trio of races, including a Saturday (April 22) doubleheader – the General Tire 200 for the ARCA Menards Series and the Ag-Pro 300 for the NASCAR Xfinity Series – before culminating with the Sunday (April 23) the NASCAR Cup Series GEICO 500.

 

 

source: NASCAR Media

Physician Julian Maha and KultureCity Accepts Top #BJFHAward

2017 #NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award (#BJFHAward) Winner Embodies Ideals Upon Which Award, The NASCAR Foundation are Based

The NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award Presented by Nationwide honors the philanthropic ideals and vision of the late Betty Jane France, who started the foundation in 2006. The award is annually presented to a NASCAR fan who embodies those ideals through service in their community.

Julian Maha, announced at the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards as the winner of the seventh annual award, is a most deserving honoree, with accomplishments that caught the attention of the thousands of NASCAR fans who made him the award winner via an on-line vote on NASCAR.com. Maha, a physician from Vestavia Hills, Alabama, is the award-winning founder of KultureCity, the cutting-edge organization that works to improve the lives of children with autism while also educating society about the inclusion of autistic children. In addition to the award, KultureCity received a $100,000 donation from The NASCAR Foundation, NASCAR’s charitable arm.

“Julian certainly had tough competition this year,” said The NASCAR Foundation Chairman Mike Helton. “Collectively, this year’s group of finalists continued the trend of the award attracting top-flight nominees who have performed outstanding service in their communities to improve the lives of children in need. The Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award Presented by Nationwide has become one of the true highlights of every NASCAR season.”

Maha has a non-verbal autistic son, which inspired him to found KultureCity in 2013. A variety of accomplishments and accolades have ensued.

KultureCity – which has been named a Top-10 Non-Profit by Microsoft and the Top Non-Profit in Alabama – estimates that under Maha’s leadership, the organization has impacted the lives of more than 100,000 autistic children. Maha is a past recipient of the Alabama Distinguished Citizen Award; he was named “Top Southerner” by Southern Living Magazine and was a Top 40 under 40 Influencer in 2016. In addition, his Sensory Initiative program – which addresses sensory inclusivity in locations such as arenas, stadiums and other public settings – has been utilized at the Birmingham Zoo and Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, and by 12 NBA teams and two NFL teams.

“This award is truly an amazing honor,” Maha said Thursday, after accepting the award at Wynn Las Vegas. “This award belongs to all members of the KultureCity family.

“KultureCity is a movement of many. It’s a fabric, made up of many stories – and many successes – advocating for all to be accepted and treated equally.”

Maha is a proud NASCAR fan, which makes sense. He lives just a short drive from Talladega Superspeedway. A native of Malaysia, Maha came to Montgomery, Alabama as a teenager to live with his sister, who attended Auburn University on a tennis scholarship. Living near Talladega in true “NASCAR country”, he inevitably became interested in NASCAR, and now, at the age of 40, considers Denny Hamlin his favorite driver. And of course, his favorite track is the 2.66-mile ‘Dega tri-oval.

“My initial exposure to the United States in Montgomery was pretty much in terms of through sports,” Maha said. “That was the biggest thing that helped me connect with my classmates. The unifying aspect for me was sports, and it was largely basketball and NASCAR.

“For me, the biggest thing I like about NASCAR, is that everyone gets together and they create what is almost a community over a race weekend. It’s an amazing display of enjoyment of a singular event and an amazing display of unity. People from different backgrounds, different demographics. It’s everything that’s great about America.”

We can’t believe it’s been one week since we were in Las Vegas with our #BJFHAward finalists for #ChampionsWeek pic.twitter.com/cobA6kE7Ht

— TheNASCARFoundation (@NASCAR_FDN) December 7, 2017

The charities represented by Maha’s fellow award finalists all received $25,000 from The NASCAR Foundation. Those finalists:

• • Shannon Goldwater of Scottsdale, Arizona, the founder of Feeding Matters, an organization that strives to promote advances in both the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric feeding disorders.
• • Tammy Richardson of Las Vegas, representing the Nevada Childhood Cancer that provides programs and services to children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Richardson is a longtime active volunteer and committee member at the foundation’s Camp Cartwheel.
• • Two-time cancer survivor Chante Gonzalez Vido of Jamul, California, head counselor at a camp for young cancer patients that is operated by The Seany Foundation, which assists children and their families battling cancer.

“Julian’s work with autistic children serves as a heartwarming reminder that each of us can make a difference in the lives of others. The lengths that he has gone to improve the lives of children with autism are inspiring,” said Mike Boyd, Nationwide’s senior vice president of marketing. “We congratulate Julian on winning this year’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award Presented by Nationwide and thank all of our finalists for their tireless dedication to helping children.”

Our 2017 #BJFHAward presented by @nationwide88 were recognized at Myers Brothers Awards during #ChampionsWeek. Voting ends at 5 PM EST: https://t.co/Na35v5NAlr pic.twitter.com/0BKmk4vOiM

— TheNASCARFoundation (@NASCAR_FDN) November 29, 2017

The Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award presented by Nationwide
finalists stand on stage during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
awards at Wynn Las Vegas on November 30, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

NASCAR driver Ben Kennedy attends the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup
Series awards at Wynn Las Vegas on November 30, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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NASCAR Champion's Week™ Las Vegas

See Your Favorite Drivers as You've Never Seen Them Before.

NASCAR Champion's Week™ Las Vegas returns to November 28 - November 30 to celebrate the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™ season and crown Martian Truex Jr. as our 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion!

A message we should all live by.

A post shared by NASCAR (@nascar) on Nov 26, 2017 at 10:25am PST

The 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season ends with the biggest party of all – Las Vegas style. You don’t want to miss out on the week of memorable moments. 

Come celebrate at NASCAR Champion’s Week™ Las Vegas Fan Headquarters in The Park with giveaways, activities and driver appearances. 

Also, be sure to visit the NASCAR Fan Lounge at Beerhaus Presented by Coors Light.

Schedule of Events

NASCAR Fan HQ at The Park

• LOCATION: The Park
• DATE: Tuesday, November 28th – Thursday, November 30th
• TIME: Open Daily from 1:00 PM – 8:00 PM PST

NASCAR Fan Lounge at Beerhaus Presented by Coors Light

• LOCATION: The Park, Beerhaus
• DATE: Tuesday, November 28th – Thursday, November 30th
• TIME: Open Daily from 1:00 PM – 8:00 PM PST

Join us for Champion’s Week Kicko_ with 2017 MENCS, NXS and NCWTS Champions

• DATE: Tuesday, November 28th
• TIME: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM PST

NASCAR Drivers Autograph Session

• LOCATION: NASCAR Fan HQ at The Park
• DATES: Tuesday, November 28th, and Thursday, November 30th
• TIMES: Tuesday 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM PST, Thursday 11:30 AM -1:00 PM PST

APPRECI88ION, An Evening with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Presented by Nationwide

• LOCATION: Rose. Rabbit. Lie at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
• DATE: Tuesday, November 28th
• TIME: 9:00 PM PST – 10:30 PM PST

NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards

• LOCATION: Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas
• DATE: Wednesday, November 29th
• TIME: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM PST

NASCAR Victory Lap™ Fueled by Sunoco

• LOCATION: Las Vegas Blvd /Toshiba Plaza at T-Mobile Arena
• DATE: Wednesday, November 29th
• TIME: 2:30 PM – 5:00 PM PST

NASCAR After the Lap™ Supporting the Vegas Strong Fund

• DATE: Wednesday, November 29th
• LOCATION: The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan
• TIME: 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM PST

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards

• LOCATION: Wynn Las Vegas
• DATE: Thursday, November 30th
• TIME: 
• Red Carpet – 4:00PM PST
• Awards – 5:00 PM PST
• Broadcast live on SiriusXM and MRN
• Broadcast on NBCSN, 9:00PM EST/ 6:00PM PST

Be sure to check championsweek.nascar.com for updated information that will help you plan your week accordingly.

NASCAR Race Mom gets to attend the NASCAR Champion festivities in Las Vegas this year.  I will be sure to post photos and exclusive content.

Quote this tweet and share your favorite @DaleJr memory! #Appreci88ion pic.twitter.com/K4DpAJNf9j

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 25, 2017

Retweet to congratulate @MartinTruex_Jr on winning the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship!#TruexJr #Championship4 pic.twitter.com/ybmXKu8hWm

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 19, 2017

Next week, the celebration starts!

Join us in Las Vegas for Champion’s Week! For information about events, autograph sessions and tickets, check out the #ChampionsWeek website here: https://t.co/tKpTP2rY9A. pic.twitter.com/4wGZ3UcFML

— Las Vegas Motor Speedway (@LVMotorSpeedway) November 22, 2017

Click Here for FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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2016 Award Banquet Locations Announced

#NSCS Returns to Las Vegas
#NXS & #NCWTS to be held in South Beach

Whoever wears the crown of 'NASCAR champion' unquestionably will earn it, following a 2016 season that has already featured some of the toughest and most thrilling competition the sport has ever seen. The year-end celebration will be deservedly grand, and it will take place at familiar sites built upon major moments.

Continuing a fan-favorite culmination to its national series seasons, NASCAR announced today the return of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards to Las Vegas and the 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Awards to Miami Beach.

Carrying on a tradition that started in 2009, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards will return to Wynn Las Vegas on Friday, Dec. 2, 2016. The sport's premier series will regale its champion in a week-long celebration that offers NASCAR fans interactive entertainment, access to the sport's biggest stars and appearances from an assortment of musical and celebrity guests. A full lineup of activities for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion's Week will be announced at a later date.

"We are excited to welcome NASCAR and the thrill of Champion's Week back to Las Vegas," said Rossi Ralenkotter, president/CEO of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). "Las Vegas is one of the top tourist destinations in the world and the NASCAR community can look forward to nothing short of unprecedented entertainment and unparalleled hospitality."

The NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Awards will take place Monday, Nov. 21 at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel located in the heart of South Beach. This year's event will honor the champions of the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, both of whom will be crowned during the Homestead-Miami Speedway race weekend, Nov. 18-20.

Currently, two NASCAR Next graduates - Daniel Suárez and William Byron - lead the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points, having locked up their respective spots in the Chase with stirring victories. Both captured their first NASCAR national series victory in 2016.

"Las Vegas and Miami are unrivaled when it comes to hosting premier events," said Steve Phelps, NASCAR executive vice president and chief marketing officer. "Both cities were built upon big events and major celebrations, and we're thrilled to once again honor our NASCAR national series champions along the Vegas strip and on South Beach."

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards will air on NBCSN on Dec. 2 beginning at 9 p.m. ET. MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Channel 90, will carry the awards show live. The NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Awards will air on NBCSN on Nov. 27 starting at 8 p.m. ET.

Continuing a fan-favorite culmination to its national-series seasons, NASCAR
will return its 2016 Sprint Cup Series Awards to Las Vegas, and the 2016 XFINITY
and Camping World Truck Series Awards to Miami Beach. (Photo: Getty Images)

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™, NASCAR XFINITY Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series, one local grassroots series and three international series. 

The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. 

For more information visit http://www.NASCAR.com and http://www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat ('NASCAR').

About the LVCVA

The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) is charged with marketing Southern Nevada as a tourism and convention destination worldwide, and also with operating the Las Vegas Convention Center and Cashman Center. 

With approximately 150,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone and 10.8 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space citywide, the LVCVA's mission centers on attracting ever increasing numbers of leisure and business visitors to the area. For more information, go to www.lvcva.com or www.lasvegas.com.

Source

Danica Patrick and Alyssa Milano
(via twitter)

We have all discussed Jay Mohr’s tasteless “joke” about forty-one-year old actress and new mother, Alyssa Milano (more details ); however, did you hear the one about NASCAR Driver, Danica Patrick?

Host Jay Mohr joked at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Awards Banquet that he hoped that Danica Patrick wasn't un- comfortable being close to the stage because she's not used to being up front.

Patrick didn't laugh and neither did her boyfriend, NASCAR Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. After the joke, Mohr tried his best to smooth things over but it may not have worked very well.

Below is a video of the exchange –

NASCAR Race Mom thought it was funny and presented in an appropriate setting. However, equally suitable was Ms. Patrick’s response to the joke – you do not have to enjoy being “roasted.”

What do you think – was it funny?

Every Fan Vote Was Crucial - Moses Smith Wins MPD By Percentage Points.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 14, 2008) – Saturday night at the final awards banquet of the 2008 season, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Ted Christopher was also honored as the series’ Most Popular Driver.

He was the last of eight drivers to receive the honor via first-time fan voting on www.nascar.com and through www.nascarhometracks.com, the official NASCAR Developmental Series website. The Most Popular Driver award wasn’t revealed until each series’ season-ending banquet.

More than 253,000 votes were cast for 258 drivers in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and each of NASCAR’s six national touring series. Voting began July 7 and closed for each series as its season ended.

In addition, many track and team/driver web sites throughout NASCAR carried the links to voting on www.nascar.com.

Brad Keselowski, the Most Popular Driver in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, led all drivers with 59,300 votes. Fans cast 131,875 votes for drivers in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, tops among the eight series.

Every fan vote was crucial, especially in one series. The closest battle was in the NASCAR Camping World Series West where Moses Smith won the award by percentage points over Austin Cameron. Of the 7,612 votes tallied, Smith earned 15.409% while Cameron totaled 15.151%.

Two series champions were also voted as Most Popular Drivers – Christopher and Johnny Benson (NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series). But the other six winners were drivers inside – and outside – their series’ final championship Top 10, illustrating the fans’ passion for their favorites regardless of ranking.

2008 NASCAR Most Popular Drivers

Moses Smith and Austin Cameron, along with Series Champion Eric Holmes, raced the 2008 season as Bill McAnally teammates. Moses finished the season sixth in the Championship while Cameron came in at seventh. Having all three of his drivers in the top ten was quite an accomplishment for the McAnally shop.

NASCAR Is Host To Many Gentlemen

Did you enjoy the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Banquet? I sure did. Who wouldn’t take pleasure in experiencing Jimmie Johnson officially being crowned as the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion amid the opulence of the Waldorf-Astoria, live on ESPN?

I reveled in the history bestowed on the crowd by the King, Richard Lee Petty. There is a racer who truly understood that this sport would be nowhere without its fans. Throughout Petty's career, but especially during his prime, he was known to stand for hours - backed against a fence, signing autographs to everyone who asked. Richard Petty is a true gentleman.

Then the show became very personal to me when the Chevrolet President Ed Peper walked on stage to accept the manufacturer's championship. My husband and I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Peper in September of 2006. Paul had written a short story about his 1991 Chevy Silverado truck (story) and won a trip to Dallas, Texas to take part in the public introduction of the all new Chevy Silverado.

It was an awesome trip. We met Montgomery Gentry; after which we were wined and dined at a V.I.P. party where they gave a private concert. Paul and I attended the Texas State Fair. We were treated to a Cowboy Crush concert and met with them. We were even given an autographed guitar with inlayed bowtie emblems on the fret bar. It is beautiful.

However, what I remember the most is how genuinely nice Mr. Peper was. While sharing a ride to the fairgrounds, we had a nice conversation about our son’s racing experiences. Mr. Peper was such a gentleman and very informed. It was only later that I discovered he was the Chevrolet General Manager.

Seeing Mr. Peper on stage at the awards banquet brought back a flood of fond memories. However, I was saddened to hear him announce his company tribulations. "This is the fight of our lives," he said. I wish him and Chevrolet the best for 2009.