CONCORD, N.C. — Bruce Martin, senior writer with SPEED SPORT, was among those receiving awards Sunday during the National Motorsports Press Ass’n Convention.
Also, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racer Ross Chastain was named NMPA Driver of the Year and Kurt Busch was honored as the recipient of the NMPA Pocono Spirit Award.
Performance Racing Network President Doug Rice won the Joe Littlejohn Award. NASCAR Manager of Communications Amanda Ellis was the recipient of the Ken Patterson “Helping Others” Award.
Later that evening at the NMPA Hall of Fame Banquet, four new members were inducted including former IMSA, CART and IndyCar legend Scott Pruett, ARCA legend Frank Kimmel, Drag Racing legend Shirley Muldowney and motorsports journalist and broadcaster Dr. Dick Berggren.
Former crew chief Waddell Wilson was honored with the Wood Brothers Award of Excellence.
The annual gathering brings journalists and broadcasters from around the United States that regularly cover auto racing.
Martin received first place in the Podcast Category for the Pit Pass Indy podcast entitled “Mario Andretti and the American Dream.” Martin has been part of SPEED SPORT since 1993 and is entering his 43rd year of professional motorsports journalism.
In 2022, Martin received first place in the Spot News category for a report that appeared in SPEED SPORT on Robert Wickens return to racing after suffering paralysis from an IndyCar crash at Pocono Raceway.
Alan Cavanna of SPEED SPORT TV and former SPEED SPORT Associate Editor Adam Fenwick received awards. Longtime SPEED SPORT drag racing writer Susan Wade also received a third-place award in the Spot News category for a piece written for Competition Plus.
Cavanna scored a second place in the Esports coverage category for FOX Sports and Fenwick placed third in the Feature category for an entry published at ARCA Racing.
Brett Baldeck of FOX 46 in Charlotte won the Charlie Harville Award as the top broadcaster and Lauren Jones of FOX Sports won Producer of the Year.
Doug Rice of PRN was the Broadcaster of the Year Recipient. PRN’s Kent Bernhardt was named Producer of the Year.
Ryan McGee of ESPN was honored with the George Cunningham Award as Writer of the Year.
In photography, Jamey Price was this T. Taylor Warren Picture of the Year Winner and Will Lester was the Howard O’Reilly Award winner.