(By Greg Engle)
Posted: Wednesday,November 25th, 2009
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Monday night, for the first time, the post-season awards banquet for the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series was a combined event.
Kyle Busch and Ron Hornaday Jr. officially were crowned as champions of their respective series for the 2009 season on the Americana Ballroom stage at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel.
Busch was honored with his first NASCAR national series title as champion of the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Hornaday received his fourth championship ring in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, joining Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Richard Petty as the only four-time champions in NASCAR’s three national series.
MIAMI - NOVEMBER 23: Kyle Busch (2L), 2009 NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion, poses with crew chief Jason Ratcliff (L), team owner Joe Gibbs (R), and president of Joe Gibbs Racing, J.D. Gibbs (2R) with his trophy during the NASCAR Nationwide/Truck Series Banquet at Loews Miami Beach Hotel on November 23, 2009 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR)
The champions were joined on stage by the drivers who finished in positions 2-5 in the final standings, along with each series’ Raybestos Rookie of the Year.
And after a fan vote on NASCAR.com, each series’ Most Popular Driver also was revealed. Brad Keselowski and Ricky Carmichael were chosen by the fans in the NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, respectively. Keselowski took home the award for the second consecutive year.
Carl Edwards, Keselowski, Jason Leffler and Mike Bliss finished second through fifth and were honored along with Busch in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
Matt Crafton, Mike Skinner, Todd Bodine and Colin Braun were second through fifth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series standings, and joined Hornaday on stage.
Justin Allgaier earned the Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award in the NASCAR Nationwide Series while Johnny Sauter claimed the honor in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Both drivers just missed a top-five ranking as each finished sixth in their respective series standings.
Rick Allen and Krista Voda from NASCAR on SPEED served as hosts of the event. The NASCAR Nationwide Series/NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Awards Banquet will air on Dec. 4 from 7-9 p.m. ET on SPEED, prior to the live telecast of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony from Las Vegas. Subsequent broadcasts will air on Friday, Dec. 11 from 8-10 p.m. ET, Saturday, Dec. 12 from 12 p.m.-2 a.m. ET and again from 2-4 p.m. ET.
SOURCE: NASCAR
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