CONCORD, N.C. — Members of the North Carolina Motorsports Association and distinguished guest gathered for the first time since January 2020 on Thursday night for the 15th North Carolina Motorsports Industry Awards Ceremony presented by Fifth Third Bank.
More than 400 individuals were on hand at the Embassy Suites here to honor NASCAR championship winning team owner and three-time Super Bowl winning coach Joe Gibbs.
Coach Joe Gibbs accepts the NCMA Achievement in Motorsports Tribute Award during the NCMA banquet Tuesday night. (Michael A. Anderson photography)
Gibbs, affectionately referred to by nearly everyone as “coach,” was the 15th recipient of the North Carolina Achievement in Motorsports Tribute Award.
Gibbs was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996 and the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2020 and is the only person enshrined in both Halls of Fame.
A winner of three Super Bowls with the Washington Football Team of the NFL, Gibbs has won five NASCAR Cup Series titles, six NASCAR Xfinity Series titles, two NHRA championships and four Daytona 500s as a team owner in the racing industry.
“The NASCAR family and the way they accepted us means everything to me,” Gibbs said. “I appreciate it and I thank you for giving me this award tonight. It’s a little bit embarrassing because I am surrounded by so many great people.
“If you surround yourself with great people, they can do great things and you can get all the credit.”
FOX Sports NASCAR analyst Larry McReynolds was recognized with the Jim Hunter Memorial Media Award for his more than 20-year broadcasting career.
Rockingham Dragway, the town of Mooresville, Speedway Children’s Charities and Toyota Racing Development received achievement in the motorsports industry awards.
Rockingham Dragway has been a staple in drag racing for more than five decades. Under the ownership of NCMA Board Member Steve Earwood since 1992, the quarter-mile drag strip hosts events from February to November.
Known as Race City USA, Mooresville is a staunch supporter of the motorsports industry, including many race-related businesses, and celebrates its history.
Started by O. Bruton Smith and Speedway Motorsports in 1982, Speedway Children’s Charities has distributed more than $59.4 million to local communities.
Toyota Racing Development is synonymous with performance and excellence in racing throughout the entirety of the sport including NASCAR, NHRA, Formula Dirt, USAC, POWRi and off-road racing entries.
Previous recipients of the North Carolina Achievement in Motorsports Tribute Award are Bill France Jr., Benny Parsons, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Richard Childress, Junior Johnson, O. Bruton Smith, H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler, Ned Jarrett Family, Mike Helton, Jeff Gordon, Roger Penske, Jack Roush, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Robert Yates.
Keyword: Gibbs Receives NCMA’s Top Honor