Last year’s Champion’s Week activities in Nashville, Tennessee – including the NASCAR Cup Series Awards – were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But this year, the party is back on.
Wednesday night saw the return of Burnouts on Broadway. All 16 Cup playoff drivers plus champions from the NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series performed burnouts for fans under the neon lights of Nashville’s Lower Broadway.
Tonight, the formal NASCAR Awards ceremony will take place at Nashville’s Music City Center. It is a private event.
Coverage of both events air Saturday on NBCSN as part of an evening block of NASCAR programming.
An encore of The Dale Jr. Download, featuring Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s highly anticipated conversation with Kevin Harvick, starts the block at 5 p.m. ET. Burnouts on Broadway follows at 6 p.m. ET, leading to the NASCAR Awards show at 7 p.m. ET.
Here’s a look at some of the festivities so far this week in Nashville…
If those pews could talk… NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson visits the Ryman Auditorium, the “Mother Church” of country music. Photo: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
The Larson clan – Kyle, wife Katelyn, son Owen, and daughter Audrey – take a moment on Lower Broadway. Photo: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Xfinity Series champion Daniel Hemric also visited the historic Ryman with his family, including daughter Rhen. Photo: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Camping World Truck Series champion Ben Rhodes and the Music City skyline. Photo: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Kevin Harvick adds a blue streak – and some smoke – to the Nashville neon. Photo: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
One last joyride for Brad Keselowski in the No. 2 Team Penske Ford. The 2012 Cup champion now sets his sights on helping RFK Racing reclaim its past glory as a driver-owner. Photo: Brett Carlsen/Getty Images
Kurt Busch also had his final spin in the No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet. With Trackhouse buying CGR’s NASCAR operations, the 2004 Cup champion has joined 23XI Racing as its new second driver. Photo: Brett Carlsen/Getty Images
Bathed in green, 2020 Cup champion Chase Elliott gives the assembled fans a show. Photo: Sean Gardner/Getty Images
Two-time Cup champion Kyle Busch lights ’em up. Photo: Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Kyle Larson put a little extra on his burnout. Not only did his father, Mike, ride with him in the No. 5 car, he detached the steering wheel and gave it to Mike to raise during the display. Photo: Brett Carlsen/Getty Images
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2021 NASCAR Champion’s Week in pictures originally appeared on NBCSports.com
