WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Mike Helton, Vice Chairman of NASCAR, has been selected to join an elite group of recipients of the Cameron R. Argetsinger Award for Outstanding Contributions to Motorsports. Presented annually by the International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), the Award’s past recipients include Chip Ganassi, Roger Penske and Mario Andretti.
The gala and award ceremony will be held on Aug. 19 at the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel. Motorsports broadcast journalist Dr. Jerry Punch will be emceeing the evening’s festivities.
“The Cameron R. Argetsinger Award continues to honor exemplary contributors to motorsport,” said Mark Steigerwald, Executive Director of the IMRRC. “We enthusiastically extend this well-deserved recognition to Mike and look forward to celebrating in August.”
Helton has been part of the NASCAR company for almost three decades, starting as the vice president of competition in 1994. He was the first person outside of the France family to assume responsibility for the day-to-day operations when he became the senior vice president and chief operating officer in 1999, and president a year later. Today, Helton serves as a member of NASCAR’S Board of Directors and Executive Council.
Helton’s experiences on and off the track directly led to the formation of the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina. Dedicated to strengthening NASCAR’s safety and competition initiatives, it is the first research and development center owned and operated by a sanctioning body of a major motorsports series.
“We are honored to present the 2022 Cameron R. Argetsinger Award to Mike Helton,” said IMRRC Chairman John R. Saunders. “Under Mike’s leadership, NASCAR’s expansion to new markets throughout North America along with notable enhancements to safety and competition is truly extraordinary.”
Tickets are on sale now and all proceeds benefit the IMRRC. Presenting sponsors of the award dinner are Sahlen’s, NASCAR, and Watkins Glen International.