NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
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CUP: Stewart Named NMPA Driver Of Year
NASCAR notebook – Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart wins top driver award…
Mike Hembree  |  Posted January 22, 2012   Concord, NC
Tony Stewart has won the 2011 top driver award from the National Motorsports Press Association. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart was named the National Motorsports Press Association’s 2011 Richard Petty Driver of the Year Sunday.

Stewart, who had a mediocre regular season, nevertheless made the Chase for the Sprint Cup field – and then performed with near-brilliance, winning five of the final 10 races of the season and edging Carl Edwards for the series championship.

The title was the third for Stewart but his first racing for his own team, Stewart-Haas Racing.

Stewart did not attend the Sunday luncheon at which the award recipient was announced.

“It’s an honor to have earned the 2011 NMPA Richard Petty Driver of the Year award,” he said in a statement released by the team. “Everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing took the opportunity we had of being in the Chase and made the most of it. We took each race one at a time and never quit. It made all the difference. This award is as much theirs as it is mine.”

Stewart won the NMPA award for the third time.

Others receiving votes this year were Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch.

NMPA Hall Induction Set – The newest members of the National Motorsports Press Association’s Hall of Fame will be inducted in ceremonies in Concord, NC May 15.

The ceremony will be the first event of the week leading to the Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

This year’s class of inductees will be announced soon.

The NMPA hall, which is not affiliated with the NASCAR Hall of Fame, is located at Darlington Raceway.

Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 30 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.
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