The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs are only one race deep, but the sanctioning body is preparing for an important, season-ending event. NASCAR has announced that Champion’s Week will return to Nashville.
According to the press release, the annual awards banquet will take place on December 1 at Music City Center. NASCAR will formally crown this season’s NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champions while the biggest stars show up and take part in the festivities.
WHAT. A. BURNOUT!
All three @Team_Penske drivers worked together to send Brad @Keselowski off in style! @Blaney @JoeyLogano
“We are pleased to announce our return to Music City for the celebration to crown our series champions,” said Pete Jung, SVP, Chief Marketing Officer at NASCAR. “We are delighted to bring the celebration to Nashville once again, as the city’s energy and passion for motorsports never cease to amaze us. We are looking forward to being back following the conclusion of the 2022 season.”
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There Are Still Details for NASCAR to Reveal
GettyNASCAR champions pose during the 2021 banquet.
The announcement that Champion’s Week will return to Nashville provided one important detail. The fans know where the important event will take place. However, there are still other questions that remain.
NASCAR only provided two dates in the initial press release — November 30 and December 1 — while saying that the second day will mark the annual banquet. There weren’t any further details about November 30, but it will likely be the day when the drivers take part in Burnouts on Broadway.
2021 Champion’s Week featured a packed schedule as NASCAR celebrated the in-person return of the annual event. There were special guests at the banquet, including country star Jake Owen. There were also three days of fan events, including street parties and Q&A sessions.
NASCAR has not detailed whether these street parties or Burnouts on Broadway will return for the 2022 ceremony. Common sense indicates that they will given the success of past years. For now, it will be a waiting game until NASCAR provides more details.
Drivers Will Hope for an Important Win
GettyChase Elliott does a burnout in Nashville.
When the drivers head to Nashville, they will already know the winners of the championship trophies. The banquet just provides the drivers with an opportunity to give speeches about their season and the people that helped them achieve success.
There will be other awards given out during the banquet, including Rookie of the Year and Most Popular Driver. The latter award, in particular, provides fans with the opportunity to get involved in the voting process.
There will be questions about the winners in the three national series. Will Chase Elliott win Most Popular Driver for the fifth consecutive Cup Series season? Will Hailie Deegan go back-to-back in the Truck Series, or will Zane Smith win his second trophy? Can any Xfinity Series driver snap Justin Allgaier’s three-year streak as Most Popular Driver?
Elliott will most likely win Most Popular Driver once again, but the other two national series will provide some intrigue. Noah Gragson even joked during his press conference at Darlington Raceway that he has plans to hack Allgaier’s computer and get rid of “the bots” voting for him.
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NASCAR Sets Date & Location for Awards Banquet