NEW YORK, N.Y. (Dec. 5, 2003) – NASCAR’s championship class of 2003 ended their annual visit to New York in fine fashion, with the NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship awards banquet at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel. NASCAR Busch Series champion Brian Vickers, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Travis Kvapil and the 2003 champions from each of NASCAR’s eight regional touring series along with NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series national champion Mark McFarland, joined the capacity crowd on hand to salute Winston Cup champion Matt Kenseth.
Prior to attending the exclusive black tie event, NASCAR’s champions kept up a busy schedule in the city.
On Friday morning, the champions were recognized at the annual Myers Brothers Awards breakfast at the Waldorf before heading to Central Park for a special NASCAR Champions photo shoot. Despite being caught in a flurry of snow, the entire group of 12 champions took the reins of a traditional Central Park horse and carriage near the Park’s Wollman Ice Skating rink, bringing their own brand of NASCAR “horsepower” to New York. A gallery of national media photographers captured the memorable moment, sure to be a highlight of each driver’s visit.
Following the photo shoot, the champions braved the elements to visit some of New York’s famous landmarks. Raybestos Brakes Northwest Series champion Jeff Jefferson and his wife, Dion, joined International Truck and Engine Corporation Midwest Series champion Steve Carlson and his wife, Carrie, for lunch at Grand Central Station, visited Rockefeller Center and Times Square and shopped at Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s.
Goody’s Dash Series champion Robert Huffman and his wife, Ashley, also visited Rockefeller Center and Times Square.
Busch North Series champion Andy Santerre and his wife, Sue, spent their spare time in New York doing something truly enjoyable – visiting with the other series champions and reuniting with many of Andy’s friends and colleagues from his days as a NASCAR Busch Series driver.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Travis Kvapil was a morning news show guest on The WB Network on Friday morning and accompanied his wife, Jennifer, on a shopping trip at some of the area’s finest stores.
On Friday evening, the champions gathered for a NASCAR Magazine photo shoot at the Waldorf=Astoria before attending the NASCAR Winston Cup Series awards banquet and champion’s party.
A surprise guest at the Waldorf was 2002 Winston West Series champion Eric Norris, who attended as a special guest of Winston. Norris, who works as a stuntman on various movies and television shows, spent Friday in New York working on an episode of the popular TV series “Third Watch.”
