Jay Mohr back to host this year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Awards; Aloe Blacc, Lady Antebellum among performers

By Nov 25, 2014, 3:48 PM EST
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A familiar face will be back to host this year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Awards in Las Vegas.

Comedian/actor/radio host Jay Mohr, who’s still remembered fondly for opening last year’s celebration with a blisteringly funny monologue, will return as host for a second consecutive year.

“This is my fifth time hosting the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards and I’m honored to share the stage once again with some of the most talented athletes in the world,” said Mohr in a NASCAR release. “This has been an incredibly exciting year for NASCAR and it’s not every day that you get to be a part of a defining moment in the history of a sport.”

Additionally, soul/R&B star Aloe Blacc and country mega-group Lady Antebellum will be part of the night’s musical entertainment; Blacc, who also performed at the Daytona 500 back in February, is scheduled to be the night’s first performer, with Lady A coming on later in the evening.

Also set to take the stage are young sister act Lennon and Maisy from the hit TV show “Nashville.”

Said NASCAR veep of entertainment marketing/content development Zane Stoddard: “The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards present the opportunity to spotlight the biggest names in NASCAR, and we are thrilled to augment that star power with some of the most popular personalities in the entertainment industry. This year’s line-up is sure to add to what has been one of NASCAR’s most climactic racing seasons ever.”

The ceremony will take place at the Wynn Las Vegas on Dec. 5, with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and the Motor Racing Network starting coverage that night at 8 p.m. ET before the TV broadcast starts at 9 p.m. ET (check your local listings). Sprint Cup champ Kevin Harvick and the rest of the Chase contenders will be honored.

Ryan Hunter-Reay hired as replacement for Conor Daly at Ed Carpenter Racing

By Jun 8, 2023, 9:05 AM EDT
Ryan Hunter-Reay Carpenter
Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
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Ryan Hunter-Reay was named to replace Conor Daly in Ed Carpenter Racing’s No. 20 Dallara-Chevrolet, starting in the NTT IndyCar Series event next week at Road America.

Hunter-Reay is the 2012 series champion and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner. He finished 11th for Dreyer & Reinbold last month in the 107th Indy 500, his first start since the 2021 season finale. He drove full time for Andretti Autosport from 2010-21.

“We need to improve our competitiveness and I wanted to add a fresh perspective from a driver like Ryan who has a massive amount of experience and success as well as a reputation as a team leader. I am excited to welcome Ryan to the team,” team owner Ed Carpenter said in a team release. “We have worked together in the past as teammates and he tested for ECR at Barber Motorsports Park in October 2021, where he made an immediate impact as we were able to qualify one of our cars on the pole following that test. I am confident that his experience and technical abilities will be an asset to ECR as we move forward toward our goals as a team.”

Hunter-Reay has 18 IndyCar victories, most recently in 2018. He also is a winner in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, having been a part of winning entries in the 2020 Twelve Hours of Sebring and 2018 Petit Le Mans. Last year, he was an endurance driver for Cadillac Racing while being on standby for Chip Ganassi Racing.

He replaces Daly, whose departure was announced a day earlier in what the driver and team said was a mutual decision.

“I was surprised when I got the call from Ed,” Hunter-Reay said in a team release. “He described how frustrated he was that his team has not been able to realize its potential despite their efforts, investments, as well as technical and personnel changes over the past few years and asked for my help. Ed and I are very close friends and have been for a long time. I’ve worked with the team in the past and they are a very talented group with high expectations and a committed partner in BITNILE.COM.

“This will certainly be a challenge for me as well. It’s a tough situation jumping in a car in the middle of the season without any testing in what I believe to be the most competitive series in the world. Certainly, part of my motivation in saying ‘yes’ to Ed is the great challenge ahead. The last time I turned right driving an NTT IndyCar Series car was in October of 2021 with this team at Barber. However, I remain very confident in both my driving and technical abilities and believe by working with the talented people at ECR and Team Chevy, while representing BITNILE.COM, we will make progress. I am going to do everything I can do to help the team achieve its long-term objectives.”

Said Milton “Todd” Ault, the chairman of sponsor BitNile.com: “It is great for BitNile.com to be aligned with an Indy 500 Winner and an NTT IndyCar Series champion. I have followed Ryan’s career for years and I am confident he will challenge the entire ECR team to perform at higher levels. I wish everyone luck at Road America.”