Did you know that NASCAR used to annually present a "Sportsmanship " award to one of its competitors? For all I know, maybe they still do and it just doesn't receive press coverage. I have had a difficult time gathering any meaningful information. From various newspaper clips I note that the presentation used to be made at the big yearly awards banquet.
Perhaps a list exists of all the award winners and perhaps you have a copy you can share with us. Here is what I have been able in a brief time to find buried in various stories:
NASCAR JOHN NAUGHTON MEMORIAL SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
1953 - HARRISON WILLIAM S of Greenwood, SC
Rescued E.C. Ramsey of Greenville, SC from a burning stock car at Greenville and was severely burned himself while performing the rescue.
1958 - FRED HARB of High Point, NC
At Atlanta's Lakewood Speedway a young Bill Morton of Bluff City, TN rolled his convertible and lay injured and pinned in the car unconscious. Harb stopped his car and backed across the track blocking Morton's car from oncoming traffic.
1960 - FRIDAY HASSLER of Chattanoogna, TN.
I have been unable to find the reason for Friday's award.
1961 - RAY HENDRICK of Richmond, VA
While leading the race at Richmond's Southside Speedway, Hendrick purposely spun his Modified in front of Emanuel ( The Golden Greek ) Zervakis' overturned Modified to shield it from oncoming cars.
1962 - JOHNNY ROBERTS of Phoenix, MD
During a horrible backstretch crash that burned four NASCAR Modifieds at the Richmond Fairgrounds, Ralph Rose of Norfolk, VA was unable to release his safety belt. Risking death, a severely injured Roberts evacuated his burning car and extricated Rose from his burning Modified. Roberts required 72 stitches and a cast on his broken arm following his heroics.
1963 - BILL WIMBLE of Lisbon, NY
For taking the lead in rescuing Marvin Panch from his overturned and burning sports car, along with Tiny Lund and several others during a Daytona Speedweeks race. Wimble was also presented the Carnegie Medal for this rescue as were Lund and several others involved in saving Panch.
1964 - LLOYD DANE of Buena Park, CA
Ron Hornaday, Sr. was in a torrid battle with Bill Amick for the NASCAR Pacific Coast Late Model Championship in October when he destroyed his car during a qualifying wreck at Sacremento, CA. Lloyd Dane withdrew from the event and provided his car for Hornaday to drive.
I wish I had more information on this award and all the competitors who have earned it. I don't know when it started or when it stopped - if it has. To me, this is something worth highlighting. These competitors were selfless in their actions toward their fellow competitors.
If you have information on the NASCAR John Naughton Memorial Sportsmanship Award, please share it with us. All of these folks displayed something deep down much more important than being able to race for a championship.
What do you think?
By the way, many folks are very familiar with K&K Insurance from the time it came into NASCAR in the 60s. The John Naughton named in the NASCAR award title started his insurance business in 1947, became a very close fried of Bill France, SR. and provided liability coverage to NASCAR, its tracks and competitors.
http://www.naughtoninsurance.com/serv_motorsport.html
I was first introduced to the Naughtons in 1981 by Jim Foster of NASCAR. Foster and I had devised a Million Dollar award to present a driver who won 3 major superspeedway events. Naughton, through the Lloyds of London independent insurance consortium agreed to insure AGAINST the probability of such a payout. Our Wrangler Jeans CEO was unwilling to pay that premium and the program was then pitched to RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co. and became the highly successful Winston Million.
Because of being introduced to the Naughtons, I was able to put outlandish sums of bonus money into future car owner and driver contracts for various accomplishments, all of which were insured against for pennies on the dollar by Naughton. This was/is another company and family which played a huge, often unacknowledged, part in the growth of NASCAR and its tracks.
Big Bill France had a knack for finding just the right people with whom to form close associations, like the Pure Oil folks, the Pepsi folks, etc. John Naughton and his family were on that list.
BUSINESS: John Naughton passes
John Naughton, 70, president of Naughton Insurance of East Providence and a longtime friend and business associate of NASCAR's founding France family, passed...
By Dave Rodman PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Aug. 15, 2000)
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Aug. 15, 2000) John Naughton, 70, president of Naughton Insurance of East Providence and a longtime friend and business associate of NASCAR's founding France family, passed away Tuesday morning at Rhode Island Hospital following a brief illness. Bill and Jim France, the president and executive vice president, respectively, for the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing were particularly touched by Naughton's passing.
Naughton, a native of New York City, had continued as the head of the agency that was one of America's largest and oldest specialists for the motorsports industry until his illness, which resulted in his hospitalization last Friday. He was an early supporter and friend of NASCAR founder William H.G. France and his wife, Anne and maintained a relationship with the family from the earliest days of NASCAR to the present.
"We are saddened to hear today's news regarding John Naughton," the France brothers said in a statement released Tuesday afternoon. "John was a very close and dear friend of our father and that relationship continued with the two of us throughout the years.
"NASCAR and American motorsports have lost one of their pioneers as John and his family were among the original developers of insurance programs for American motorsports. We extend our heart and prayers to the entire Naughton family as we all feel this terrible loss."
Naughton is survived by his wife, Barbara (Jones) Naughton; sons John F. Naughton Jr. of Kennebunk, Maine, Michael C. Naughton of Montclair, N.J. and Kevin J. Naughton of Barrington, R.I.; stepsons Kevin J. Vanier and John P. Vanier Jr. of Barrington; stepdaughters Karen J. King of Middletown, R.I. and Marcie Williams of Portsmouth, R.I.; and 15 grandchildren.
His first wife, Mary E. (Delahunt) Naughton, predeceased Naughton. He was born on March 4, 1930 and was the son of the late John and Gladys (Lennon) Naughton.
"John was a very nice gentleman, who was a very close to both Bill and Anne," said Bill France Sr.'s longtime assistant, Bob Mauk. "That relationship had continued with the rest of the family and I never heard anything but nice words about him."
Naughton, who served as president of Naughton Insurance for 43 years, was a pioneer in developing specialty insurance programs for the motorsports and amusement park industries. He had earned national recognition as a leader in both those fields and was well respected in both the domestic and foreign insurance markets.
He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, having served in the Korean conflict, earning the Korean service medal with two bronze stars. Naughton was past president of the New England Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions and had served on the Presidents Council of Providence College.
Visitation will be held on Thursday from 4-8 p.m. at the Hambly Funeral Home; "Brick House;" 30 Red Cross Ave.; Newport, R.I. Funeral services will be held on Friday at 9 a.m. from the Hambly Funeral Home, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. in St. Mary's Church on Spring St. in Newport.
Burial will follow in Gate of Heaven, Wampanoag Trail, East Providence.
Memorial donations may be made in Naughton's memory to the Johns Hopkins Oncology Center; 550 North Broadway; Suite 801; Baltimore, MD 21205-2009.
-nascar.com-
August 15, 2000 at 11:45pm
