Johnson, Stewart, Earnhardt Jr. Honored At NASCAR Banquet

NASCAR on Friday night held its end-of-year ceremony at the Wynn Las Vegas, where Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson was "introduced by 23-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps." NASCAR also honored retiring driver Tony Stewart with a video and "surprise appearance by Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder." Dale Earnhardt Jr. was "voted most popular driver by fans for a record 14th time despite missing the second half of the season" with a concussion. The event included a "musical performance by Sting and was hosted by comedian Jay Mohr for the sixth time." It also "marked the final event sponsored by Sprint in NASCAR's top series." Sprint VP/Corporate Marketing Steve Gaffney said, "That's 13 years, kindergarten through 12th grade. Thank you" (AP, 12/3).

As Team Penske’s 50th anniversary year comes to a close, owner Roger Penske was presented by NASCAR Chair & CEO Brian France with the Bill France Award for Excellence during Friday's ceremony (Adam Stern, Staff Writer).