Tony Stewart's Stewie awards announced

NASCAR DRIVER TONY STEWART AND SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO ANNOUNCE WINNERS OF INAUGURAL 'STEWIE AWARDS'

Legendary driver A.J. Foyt awarded "Golden Stewie"; Kevin Harvick captures "Best Original Drama" award; Robby Gordon wins for "Best Original Comedy"

NEW YORK -- November 29, 2007 -- Winners of the inaugural 'Stewie Awards' were announced tonight by two-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Champion and SIRIUS Radio host Tony Stewart at the SIRIUS Satellite Radio Studios in New York City. The 2007 'Stewie Award' winners were decided by fans around the country who logged on to www.SIRIUS.com to vote for the best, boldest and funniest moments of the 2007 NASCAR season.

The 'Stewies' were awarded during a special broadcast of Tony Stewart Live, the weekly talk show hosted by Stewart and Matt Yocum on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio channel 128, in the midst of the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Champions Week.

Winners in 12 categories including "Best Duet," honoring outstanding teamwork by a driver and crew chief, "Best Original Drama," honoring the year's most exciting race moment, "Best Driver2Crew Chatter Exchange," "Best Stunt Sequence" and others were honored.

Among the evening's highlights was the presentation of the "Stewie Lifetime Achievement Award" to two legends of NASCAR -- former NASCAR Chairman and CEO Bill France, Jr. and Hall of Fame driver/broadcaster Benny Parsons, both of whom passed away in 2007.

Bill France, Jr. became NASCAR's president in January 1972, replacing his father and NASCAR's founder, William H.G. France. Bill France, Jr. grew up in the formative years of stock car racing, living and learning every detail of the sport from his own experiences -- flagging events, scoring, conducting, promoting and even racing himself in the 1950s. Under his watch, NASCAR was ushered into the modern era and has grown into one of the most popular sports in the United States.

Benny Parsons, the 1973 NASCAR Cup champion and 1975 Daytona 500 winner, was respected by drivers and loved by fans throughout his racing career. After retiring from competition, Parsons endeared himself to television audiences as a straightforward, unassuming and insightful broadcaster. Parsons was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1994 and named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998.

The winners of the 2007 'Stewie Awards' are:

Stewie Lifetime Achievement Award

* Bill France, Jr., former Chairman and CEO of NASCAR

* Benny Parsons, Hall of Fame driver/broadcaster

Golden Stewie Award -- Honoring a legendary driver from the Golden Era of racing (1960-85)

* A.J. Foyt

Best Duet -- For outstanding teamwork by a driver and crew chief

* Clint Bowyer & Gil Martin: Martin keeps Bowyer calm and team performs only one adjustment all day to get Bowyer's first career NASCAR Nextel Cup win in Sylvania 300 (Sept. 16)

Best Original Drama -- For year's most exciting race moment

* Kevin Harvick edges Mark Martin to win his first Daytona 500 (Feb. 18)

New Kid on the Track Award -- For year's most outstanding performance by a rookie

* Juan Pablo Montoya: Wins first Nextel Cup race in Toyota Save Mart 350 (June 24)

Best Stunt Sequence (Hal Needham Award) -- For year's most spectacular crash

* Clint Bowyer: Crosses finish line at Daytona 500 on his roof (Feb. 18)

Best Original Comedy -- For year's most entertaining on track "incident" or occurrence

* Robby Gordon performs "victory celebration" burnout despite losing Busch Series race at Circuit Gilles Villaneuve in Canada (Aug. 4)

Best Vocal Performance -- For year's most memorable quote or sound bite

* Actor Kevin James: Provides memorable "Start Your Engines" command before Pepsi 400 (July 7)

Best Engineering and Special Effects (Smokey Yunick Award) -- For year's most creative -- and ultimately illegal -- modifications to a race car

* Crew Chief David Hyder & MWR VP of Competition Bobby Kennedy: Illegal fuel in #55 car at Daytona 500 (Feb. 18)

Dazed and Confused Award -- For year's the most baffling move

* Teresa Earnhardt and DEI allow Dale Earnhardt Jr. to leave for Hendrick Motorsports

'I Got Dumped' Award -- For year's most memorable on-track bumping

* Kyle Busch: Wrecked by brother Kurt in NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge (May 19)

Best Driver2Crew Chatter Exchange -- For year's most memorable driver-to-pit crew communication

* Denny Hamlin/#11 team: Discuss "plan of attack" against Dale Earnhardt Jr. and #8 car during Subway 500 (Oct. 21)

Tony Stewart Live debuted January 2, 2007 and airs weekly throughout the year exclusively on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, channel 128. The two-hour show features Stewart and Yocum taking calls from listeners, talking with prominent guests and covering the spectrum of motorsports -- from NASCAR to open-wheel racing and beyond.

-credit: siriusradio