CHARLOTTE — NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton, a fixture in the sport for nearly five decades, was honored with the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR during Friday night’s NASCAR Hall of Fame ceremony at the Charlotte Convention Center.
Helton has earned universal respect as a larger-than-life figure in the NASCAR garage. In a racing career that started with a stint as public relations director at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Helton advanced to the role of NASCAR President in 2000 — as the first person outside the France family to hold that position.
Helton, who now serves as Vice Chairman of NASCAR, has long been an advocate for enhanced safety measures on the competition side of the sport.
“I’ve always been better at celebrating all the other people’s accomplishments and contributions to NASCAR,” Helton said. “So, this is a bit humbling to me. But it’s much appreciated, and it’s overwhelming, and I’m not too sure that I’ve gotten my head wrapped around it completely.
“But it’s special. This Hall is special. This evening is an example of how special our history and our heritage and our future is built, and it’s been over the moon for me.”
As part of the ceremonies, the late T. Taylor Warren became the first photojournalist honored with the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence.
Warren began photographing race cars at the Milwaukee Fairgrounds in 1948, and it was his finish-line photo of the 1959 Daytona 500 that helped decided the winner of the inaugural Great American Race. Warren’s daughter Diana accepted the award on his behalf.