Top Row Seat - The Winston Cup Awards Banquet

Dateline: 12/10/97

Last Friday night the Winston Cup drivers traded in their nomex driver's suits for tuxedos and checked into the Waldorf Astoria in New York City for the annual awards banquet. This year's event was long on emotion and entertainment but short on NASCAR news.

Emotion

The majority of the emotion this year was focused on Rick Hendrick. His entire family was present to accept his awards for him while Rick was forced to stay home due to his illness. It was hard not to be touched by the genuine affection that the people who know Rick share for him.

Jeff Gordon in particular had a very hard time getting through his speech because for the first time ever they were truly his words that he was saying, and he spoke from the heart. I believe (and always have) that as a person Jeff Gordon is not a bad guy, I strongly disagree with his driving style and his decision making on the race track, but off the track he seems like a pretty decent guy.

Entertainment

One of the more humorous moments of the night came as Gordon was trying to regain his composure. Gordon said "I know, Earnhardt, I'm a crybaby." The look on Dale's face was classic.

Another highlight of the evening for me was noting the difference between the younger generation of drivers and the "old guard." The younger drivers (Bobby Labonte, Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, etc...) all seem to be just a little bit more comfortable in front of the microphone. The older guys like Wallace, Martin and Earnhardt just seem to me to be a little rougher around the edges. The sport of NASCAR has changed a lot since they made their way into the sport. Now the drivers' image and ability to represent the sponsor are just as important as their driving skill.

News

This was the area where this year's Banquet fell short. Typically the festivities in New York City are accompanied by numerous driver, sponsor, team announcements. However, this year, there were relatively few announcements made. The big story of the week was the unveiling of the special 50th Anniversary NASCAR Logo and the hints that next season would contain many special moments as NASCAR looked back over it's last half-century.

Next Up

Now the glow of Broadway has faded and the teams have gone back home to the very unglamorous life of trying to get 20 race cars ready to go for the 1998 season. The Ford teams especially have their work cut out for them as they get ready to make a Winston Cup race car out of the four-door Ford Taurus.

The Bud Shootout is now just 8 1/2 weeks away.

Go Fast, Turn Left, Stay Safe!

Send your tips, rumors and comments to me at nascar.guide@miningco.com.

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