Yesterday was a busy day in Las Vegas. The NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards, honoring people like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Dale Inman, were held at the Venetian Resort Hotel & Casino in the afternoon followed by NASCAR driver Tony Stewart’s Stewie Awards in the evening.

During the Myers Brothers Awards, 73-year-old, former crew chief Dale Inman received the prestigious Buddy Shuman Award which honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the sport and is named after Shuman, an early NASCAR driver.

“Dale is one of the first crew chiefs I worked for and remains a true trailblazer for that position,” NASCAR Vice President of Competition, Robin Pemberton, said. “He’s a major reason and inspiration behind many of the current talented people working in the NASCAR Sprint Cup garage.”

Inman earned eight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships and 298 race wins throughout his legendary career.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was once again named NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver by receiving the NASCAR NMPA Chex Most Popular Driver Award, which is voted on by fans. This was Earnhardt’s 7th consecutive award; only two other drivers, Bill Elliott and Richard Petty, have won the award seven or more times.

After having an incredibly rough year behind the wheel of his No. 88 Chevrolet, Earnhardt’s only Las Vegas appearance was at the Myers Brother Awards. He explained that it was important that he accept the award in person after so many people voted for him each and every day.

"There's a big sense of, did I earn this?” Earnhardt said. “Did I deserve it, because of my family name? My father gave me a hell of a gift in popularity. My job has been to try and be an asset to the sport. To try and maintain that gift, and its integrity, and the name my father has built, the respect that it has, the Earnhardt name and all that. There are a lot of emotions that kind of run through when I accept the award."

He returned home to North Carolina immediately after the ceremony.

Coca-Cola was another award winner during the Myers Brothers ceremony. The beverage company became the first NASCAR partner to receive the NASCAR Marketing Achievement Award twice.

"Coca-Cola was the inaugural recipient of the NASCAR Marketing Achievement Award when it was established in 1998, and for all Coke has done for the sport and its fans, it's fitting they're the first partner to be honored again," Jim O'Connell, Vice President of Corporate Marketing at NASCAR, said. "The entire Coca-Cola organization embraces NASCAR, and it shows, vividly, in support to fans, drivers, teams and tracks, and in business results with the sport."

After the elegant Myers Brothers Awards ceremony came the more natural, NASCAR-like Stewie Awards. Celebrating the funniest, strangest and most daring NASCAR moments of the year, Tony Stewart’s annual awards program on Sirius Radio was a change from the more formal events of Champion’s Week.

Some of the award winners included Denny Hamlin vs. Brad Keselowski for Best Original Comedy, Kyle Busch’s guitar-trophy destruction for Bonehead Move of the Year and Carl Edward’s flip at Dega for the Hal Needham Award (Best Stunt Sequence).

Stewart himself earned the Best Vocal Performance Award for his “in awe” comments about Jeff Gordon at Kansas.

The Golden Stewie and the “Stewie” Lifetime Achievement Award, the two non-comedic awards of the evening, went to David Pearson and Rick Hendrick, respectively, for their extraordinary NASCAR careers.

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