It was a gala affair as the Music City of Nashville bathed in NASCAR tricolor for the year-end Awards Banquet. This post-season celebration has been a tradition since the very beginning. However, it used to be a closed-door affair till 1981, when it was moved from the Plaza Hotel, Daytona, to the Waldorf-Astoria in New York. Nashville has been hosting the event since 2019, and Thursday’s banquet at the Music City Center marked the end of another glorious season.

It is now time to look at the roster of drivers and organizations that were honored and applauded for their performance in the 2023 season. 

Ryan Blaney savors his championship moment for one last time

Among the gleeful faces that adorned the red carpet of NASCAR’s Award ceremony, it was Ryan Blaney who shined the most. The Team Penske driver was finally able to seize his maiden Cup Series championship, after outpacing the HMS duo of Kyle Larson and William Byron and JGR’s Christopher Bell. 

Blaney appeared on the red carpet along with his girlfriend Gianna Tulio. Interestingly, the jacket Blaney flaunted was gifted to him by his clothier friend “Stitched by Mitch.” The inner lining of the coat caught the attention of many, as it was a collage of images of Blaney’s victory lane visits this year, including the championship. 

He took the stage to express his gratitude to the people who played a pivotal role in his racing career. Blaney closed his championship speech with a customary Team Penske toast, “To us and those like us, cheers.”

Truck Series champion Ben Rhodes and Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer were also honored, and Christopher Bell took home the 2023 Busch Light Pole Award. However, for those present, the main attraction for the night were the coveted Most Popular Driver Awards. 

Hailie Deegan took the MPD Award for the Truck Series, and it was JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier who was crowned the MPD in the Xfinity Series. As the audience waited with bated breath, Chase Elliott was awarded the NASCAR Cup Series MPD for the sixth straight year. With 8 MPD awards (2 in Xfinity), Elliott now sits fourth on the list of most popular NASCAR drivers, below his father Bill Elliott (16), Dale Earnhardt Jr (16), and Richard Petty (9). 

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Amidst the celebrations, NASCAR authorities also honored Martin Truex Jr’s former girlfriend, Sherry Pollex, with the NMPA Myers Brother Award. Pollex, who succumbed to ovarian cancer this year, was recognized for her charitable works in the fight against pediatric and ovarian cancer. 

Kurt Busch bids a teary-eyed farewell to racing

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Among the four JGR drivers, three appeared on the red carpet with their significant others. Christopher Bell appeared with his wife Morgan, while Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr were accompanied by Jordan Fish and Emily Collins, respectively. The team’s youngest driver Ty Gibbs was awarded the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award.  Sammy Smith of JR Motorsports won the Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year Award and Nick Sanchez won it in the Truck Series.

The poignant climax of the ceremony was marked by the retirement announcements of Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick. With careers spanning almost three decades, the veterans leave a void that will be hard to fill. A teary-eyed Kurt Busch exclaimed, “I want to say thank you to everyone in this room and everyone in this industry for supporting me for all these years. I want to thank my father, my mother and my brother Kyle—we always pushed each other to get to the next level.” His brother was also present in the audience along with his wife Samantha Busch. 

The other awardees of the night were Carson Hocevar and John Hunter Nemechek, with the Driver of the Year titles. Rich Kramer, the CEO of Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, was awarded the Bill France Award of Excellence.

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The 2023 season and the diamond jubilee celebrations have officially come to a close and the wait begins for the next season. It will be interesting to see what awaits us in the upcoming season.