NASCAR has approved a new nose for the 2009 Dodge Charger. (Photo: Tom Jensen) » More Photos

NEW DODGE SNOUT After a season where the Dodge cars clearly were the least competitive of the four manufacturers in the Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR has approved a new nose for the 2009 Dodge Chargers, which should help the cars perform better on the so-called intermediate tracks of 1.5 to 2 miles in length. Those tracks, which make up nearly half of the Cup schedule, were the clear weak points for Dodge teams last year.

“It’s very subtle changes to the nose,” said Penske Racing’s Roy McCauley, crew chief of the No. 12 Dodge Charger driven by David Stremme. “In fact, if you just took a quick glance at it, you might even miss it — some changes in the line structure around the headlight doors and things like that.”

Asked how much help it give the Dodges, McCauley added, “I think it’s potentially a good thing for us. I don’t think it’s going to set us apart from the Chevrolets and the Fords or Toyotas. NASCAR wouldn’t let something like that happen. … Certainly, we didn’t take a step back. That would be counterproductive. If we can help ourselves a little bit, then that’s great.”

NMPA AWARDS HONORS The National Motorsports Press Association awarded Carl Edwards its annual NMPA Richard Petty Driver of the Year in recognition of his stellar performance in NASCAR’s top two divisions in 2008.

“It's an honor to win the Richard Petty Driver of the Year Award,’’ Edwards said. “The National Motorsports Press Association members see this sport from the inside out every week and it means a lot to me to be selected by that group as the Driver of the Year. It's also humbling to look at the list of guys that have won this award. It's amazing to be on that list.’’ Edwards finished as runner-up in both the Cup and Nationwide standings in 2008 for Roush Fenway Racing.

The late photographer T. Taylor Warren was selected as the recipient of the NMPA/Pocono Spirit Award, an annual award designed to recognize character and achievement in the face of adversity, sportsmanship and contributions to motorsports. Each year, quarterly winners are selected, and an overall winner is selected by a vote of the NMPA membership.

Veteran publicist Tom Roberts was selected as the recipient of the Ken Patterson Helping Others Award by the NMPA. From February 1984 to June 2002, Roberts worked 539 consecutive NASCAR Cup races, representing sponsors, drivers and teams. During his career, he has represented such drivers as Bobby Allison, Alan Kulwicki, Rusty Wallace and Kurt Busch.

Presented annually since 2004, the Ken Patterson Helping Others Award is named after the former director of public relations for Talladega Superspeedway. The award is presented in conjunction with Talladega Superspeedway and recognizes a public relations representative in the motorsports industry (team, track, and sanctioning body) who has exhibited the kind, generous qualities that Patterson always demonstrated. Patterson died April 2, 2004, from complications of myelo dysplasia syndrome.

TBR HIRES RIGGS Tommy Baldwin Racing has hired Scott Riggs as the driver of the as-yet unsponsored TBR No. 36 Toyota for the 2009 NASCAR season. Riggs, formerly with Haas CNC Racing, will start his sixth season in Sprint Cup competition.

Riggs, the 2002 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the year, began his Sprint Cup career in 2004. To date, Riggs has earned four top-five finishes, 16 top-10 finishes and 3 poles in 167 starts. “I look forward to working with Tommy,” Riggs said in a statement released by the team on Tuesday. “I think we can work together to build something really strong. I feel fortunate to work with someone like Tommy who has so much experience.”

NASCAR 39/10: Reviewing the 60th Season A unique and comprehensive look at a historic season in the annals of stock car racing. For the first time ever, NASCAR fans will be able to relive the entire 2008 Sprint Cup Season, over the course of a 30-hour anthology. From Preseason Testing in Daytona, to the Postseason Banquet in New York, viewers will relive NASCAR’s 60th season, and one of the most important years in the sport’s history.