Two champions, two organizations and two heralded rookies are sharing the South Beach spotlight tonight, at the NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Awards, held at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel’s Americana Ballroom.
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (EGR) announced today that Keith Rodden has been named crew chief for Jamie McMurray and the No. 1 Chevrolet SS. Rodden will assume the role effective immediately to prepare for the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) season.
Brad Keselowski of Penske Racing (Ford)The NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) wrapped up the 2013 season Saturday at Homestead-Miami (Fl.) Speedway and the Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) No 54 Monster Energy team finished strong with a sixth-place qualifying position, 29 laps led and a third-place finish. While JGR and Busch executed a dominant season with 12 wins, 11 poles, 22 top-five and 25 top-10 finishes overall, the Homestead finish left them just short of a season Owner’s Championship, awarded to the No. 22 Penske Racing Ford, a close competitor of the No. 54 team all season.
The No. 32 team that competes in the NASCAR Nationwide Series has been penalized due to rule violations discovered during post-race inspection this past Saturday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. closed out Roush Fenway Racing’s (RFR) 13th NASCAR Rookie of the Year award with his 22nd -place performance in Sunday’s Sprint Cup season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Tuesday night’s recipe is simple, yet untested. Take one part Stuart Scott, one part Billy Crystal. Add a handful of Chris Berman, and a pinch of Ken Jeong. The result: Television history, as six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson becomes the first athlete to guest host ESPN’s flagship news and information program, SportsCenter.
Trevor Bayne and his No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion were poised to make a bid for a top-10 finish in the season-ending Ford EcoBoost 400 when engine failure ended their charge and left them with a disappointing 40th-place finish.
Though Kurt Busch finished a disappointing 21st Sunday in the Sprint Cup season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he and the Furniture Row Racing organization will rightfully reflect on a successful campaign that was highlighted as being the first single-car team to qualify for NASCAR’s Chase playoffs.
Jimmie Johnson is the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) champion. It is the sixth time in a record-setting eight-year span that Johnson, the driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS fielded by Hendrick Motorsports, has claimed the coveted crown. His first five championships came consecutively in a run that started in 2006.
