Stewie Award Winners

Today was the first annual Stewie Awards, presented by two-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Champion and SIRIUS Radio host Tony Stewart at the SIRIUS Satellite Radio Studios in New York City.

The winners of the 2007 'Stewie Awards' are:

-- Stewie Lifetime Achievement Award
Bill France, Jr., former Chairman and CEO of NASCAR
Benny Parsons, Hall of Fame driver/broadcaster

-- Golden Stewie Award - Honoring a legendary driver from the Golden Era of racing (1960-85)
A.J. Foyt

-- Best Duet - For outstanding teamwork by a driver and crew chief
Clint Bowyer & Gil Martin: Martin keeps Bowyer calm and team performs only one adjustment all day to get Bowyer's first career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup win in Sylvania 300 (Sept. 16)

-- Best Original Drama - For year's most exciting race moment
Kevin Harvick edges Mark Martin to win his first Daytona 500 (Feb. 18)

-- New Kid on the Track Award - For year's most outstanding performance by a rookie
Juan Pablo Montoya: Wins first NEXTEL Cup race in Toyota Save Mart 350 (June 24)

-- Best Stunt Sequence (Hal Needham Award) - For year's most spectacular crash
Clint Bowyer: Crosses finish line at Daytona 500 on his roof (Feb. 18)

-- Best Original Comedy - For year's most entertaining on track "incident" or occurrence
Robby Gordon performs "victory celebration" burnout despite losing Busch Series race at Circuit Gilles Villaneuve in Canada (Aug. 4)

-- Best Vocal Performance - For year's most memorable quote or sound bite
Actor Kevin James: Provides memorable "Start Your Engines" command before Pepsi 400 (July 7)

-- Best Engineering and Special Effects (Smokey Yunick Award) - For year's most creative - and ultimately illegal - modifications to a race car
Crew Chief David Hyder & MWR VP of Competition Bobby Kennedy: Illegal fuel in #55 car at Daytona 500 (Feb. 18)

-- Dazed and Confused Award - For year's the most baffling move
Teresa Earnhardt and DEI allow Dale Earnhardt Jr. to leave for Hendrick Motorsports

-- 'I Got Dumped' Award - For year's most memorable on-track bumping
Kyle Busch: Wrecked by brother Kurt in NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge (May 19)

-- Best Driver2Crew Chatter Exchange - For year's most memorable driver-to-pit crew communication
Denny Hamlin/#11 team: Discuss "plan of attack" against Dale Earnhardt Jr. and #8 car during Subway 500 (Oct. 21)

Aaron Fike WAS on a Bad Road

Former NASCAR driver Aaron Fike understands where he was headed when he was arrested while using heroin in an amusement park parking lot this summer.

"After four months of intense rehabilitation, I know that if it were not for my arrest, I would be dead," he said.

Fike was eighth in the standings in the Craftsman Truck Series when he was arrested in the Kings Island parking lot outside Cincinnati in July.

At this time, he is in an aggressive rehab program he wrote for a Warren County judge. The judge accepted Fike's proposal to avoid jail by going to schools and racetracks to deliver an anti-drug message.

Though it may be very unlikely he will drive in NASCAR again, one may never know.  He sounds pretty sincere about his road to recovery and that may translate into a renewed focus on his journey.

For more details, check out the Sun Herald

Did You Like TNT's "Wide Open Coverage"?

Well, if you liked the July 7 weekend coverage with TNT's commercials in tiny boxes while we still get to watch the race, then you are in luck.

Turner Sports and TNT are going with that format again next year as Sprint will definitely return for next year’s July 5 telecast and they are talking to other marketers like Auto Zone, DirecTV, Ford, Goodyear, Miller Brewing Co., Principal Financial Group, Subway and Toyota.

With Coca-Cola replacing Pepsi as the sponsor for next year’s race, it will be known as the Coke 400. Turner is also talking with Coke about becoming a TV sponsor of the race and buying branded spots in the telecast.

For more details, check out mediaweek.com

NASCAR Champions Week in New York

In case you don't know the low down on the week of activity, there's a comprehensive collection of links and info over on NASCAR.com

On Nov 28, The Top 10 drivers of the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series complete a Victory Lap around midtown Manhattan.

All week, more than a dozen authentic NASCAR stock cars scattered at signature locations throughout Manhattan. Street teams hand out official NASCAR partner giveaways all day long at each location.

High energy, two-day indoor event featuring driver and crew appearances, radio station remotes, event emcee, NASCAR trivia and prize giveaways and much more at the Aflac FanFest. (Que the DUCK!!) This event is free and open to the public at the Hard Rock Café Times Square, in the LIVE venue room.Hard Rock Café43rd and BroadwayTimes Square.

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series™ Awards Ceremony, live on ESPN Classic at 9pm ET on November 30th.

For all the details, pics, and other goodies check out NASCAR.com

The 43 team gets a new Crew Chief

Petty hires Jeff Meendering as Labonte's crew chief

Petty Enterprises officials have announced the hiring of Jeff Meendering as crew chief for Bobby Labonte's No. 43 Dodge team.

Meendering comes from Hendrick Motorsports, where he served as car chief for Jeff Gordon's team. He replaces Doug Randolph, who moved to Dale Earnhardt Inc.

Sad News: Frank Kimmel's Mom Passes Away

Mabel Kimmel, 82, of Clarksville Indiana, mother of nine-time ARCA RE/MAX Series driving champion Frank Kimmel, died Tuesday morning, November 20th.

See details over at ARCA RACING

Some Tidbits From around the Net

Smith decides to keep Lowe's Motor Speedway right where it is

Where is ... former Daytona 500 winner Buddy Baker?

Ray Evernham says he will cut back and change his course
(Commentary by David Poole)

January is soonest court will decide on Kentucky case

Rookies from the Different Series

Montoya finishes as 2007's top Nextel Cup rookie
Ragan crowned Busch Series rookie of the year
Willie Allen named truck series rookie of the year

These are all links to Scene Daily

I'm Not Addicted

The last race of the season happened yesterday, but I'm ok.
It's only 90 days until the 2008 Daytona 500 from today...

http://www.brucesimmons.org/personal/info/temps.htm

The hours and minuted might be off....

Jimmie Johnson - 2007 NEXTEL Cup Champion

Matt Kenseth won the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He was followed by Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards to round out the top 5. (Unofficial Results)

The race was fairly uneventful, with the race and the points race, but with an early wreck by Dale Earnhardt Jr. taking him out of contention for getting a win in his last ride in the Budweiser car, and Matt Kenseth's crew chief, Robbie Reiser, winning the last race as th 17 car crew chief were pretty interesting developments.

But Jimmie Johnson paced Jeff Gordon, with Chad Knaus saying they kept the pit strategy around the same laps that the 24 car pitted kept them close in position, keeping the 24 car in sight all night long.

With that being said, Jeff Gordon came in 4th, but Jimmie Johnson finished 7th, retaining his points lead in the championship and winning the 2007 NEXTEL Cup Championship. A repeat Champion from last year. (Unofficial Standings)

The rookie of the year contenders, David Ragan and Juan Pablo Montoya weren't that far apart either... Ragan finished 10th, and Montoya finished 15th. I'm guessing that Montoya will get the ROY honors, but I'm waiting for that to be announced. (The standings are at this link: nascar) (Update: Montoya is Raybestos Rookie of the Year, as announced at SceneDaily)

As far the much coveted 35th position, Kyle Petty did not have to resort to swapping drivers late in the season with Bobby Labonte as Kyle finished 34th today and kept the 35th spot for next years first few races.

CONGRATULATIONS to JIMMY JOHNSON on his 2nd (consecutive) championship. Well done to everyone on his team, and the Hendrick shop.