Julian Maha wins Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award

Nov. 30, 2017 Staff Report NASCAR Wire Service LAS VEGAS – Julian Maha, a Birmingham physician and founder of an organization that works to improve the lives of children with autism, was announced as the winner of The NASCAR Foundation’s Seventh Annual Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award Presented by Nationwide on Thursday night, during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards at Wynn Las Vegas. Maha, from Vestavia Hills, Alabama, was chosen via an online fan vote conducted on NASCAR.com. He is the award-winning founder of KultureCity, the cutting-edge organization that also seeks to educate society regarding inclusion of autistic children. In…

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Martin Truex Jr. holds off Kyle Busch for Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title

November 19, 2017 By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service HOMESTEAD, Fla. – At the end of a riveting, breathtaking battle that had fans in the grandstands on their feet long after the checkered flag, Martin Truex Jr. held off Kyle Busch by .681 seconds at Homestead-Miami Speedway to win Sunday’s Ford Eco-Boost 400 and his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title. In Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s last race in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Truex—one of Earnhardt’s closest friends—kept Busch behind him during a 34-lap green-flag run to the finish. “It’s just overwhelming,” a tearful Truex said in Victory Lane. “To…

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William Byron wins emotional battle for XFINITY title, as Cole Custer dominates

November 18, 2017 By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service HOMESTEAD, Fla. – As Cole Custer celebrated his first victory in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and 19-year-old William Byron reveled in the series championship, a heartbroken and angry Elliott Sadler confronted the driver he believed cost him a long-coveted NASCAR title. Custer took the checkered flag in a different zip code, crossing the finish line 15.405 seconds ahead of second-place Sam Hornish Jr., who delivered the owners’ championship to Roger Penske. The real action, however, occurred three-quarters of a lap behind the winner. Sadler had passed Byron, his JR Motorsports teammate on Lap…

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Christopher Bell takes NASCAR Camping World Truck Series title; Chase Briscoe gets first win

November 17, 2017 By Reid Spencer NASCAR Wire Service HOMESTEAD, Fla. – The tandem burnouts filled the frontstretch at Homestead-Miami Speedway with a thick cloud of smoke, as Chase Briscoe celebrated his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory, and runner-up Christopher Bell exulted in his first NASCAR championship. In a Ford EcoBoost 200 that ran caution-free except for the planned breaks after the first and second stages, Briscoe, the pole winner, passed Ben Rhodes for the lead on Lap 96 of 134 on Friday night and pulled away to beat Bell to the finish line by 2.887 seconds, after Rhodes ran…

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Danica Patrick to Step Away From Full-Time NASCAR Racing

NASCAR Wire Services An emotional Danica Patrick announced Friday at Homestead-Miami Speedway that she will step away from full-time NASCAR competition following Sunday’s season finale, but has plans to run the country’s two biggest races next year: the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500. “This will be my last season as a full-time driver,” she said through tears. “I’m grateful for all of the opportunities.” The 2013 Daytona 500 pole winner and record-setting competitor is the first woman to compete full time in NASCAR’s highest level. She has competed full time in six total NASCAR seasons — one driving for JR Motorsports in…

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