Tony Stewart is going (Chili) Bowling

   Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart has joined the star-studded field of entrants for the 27th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals at the Tulsa (Okla.) Expo Center, which kicks off Jan. 8 and concludes Jan. 12.

   Stewart finished 10th in last year’s finale after not participating in the event for three consecutive seasons (2009-2011). This year, he returns to action in the TSR No. 14 Chevrolet Performance/Spike/Chevrolet in the most prestigious Midget race of the year.

   The annual Chili Bowl, which takes place inside the QuikTrip Center’s Tulsa Expo Raceway, will see Stewart and more than 200 drivers attempt to qualify for one of the coveted spots in Saturday’s 50-lap A-Main finale. 

   Stewart is one of five drivers to win the Chili Bowl more than once, one of 17 different drivers to win it since the inaugural event in 1987. He has a pair of Golden Drillers in his collection after scoring Chili Bowl victories in 2002 and 2007.

   Stewart's participation in the Chili Bowl may limit or prevent him from attending a scheduled Cup series test at Daytona International Speedway Jan. 10-12.

Help "undeck" the NASCAR Hall

   The NASCAR Hall of Fame invites race fans to make a stop after Christmas to help "UnDeck the Hall." Choosing from a display of festive Christmas trees in the NASCAR Hall of Fame Theater Lobby, each guest can take home one NASCAR-themed item until all are gone.

   The HALLiday trees are decorated with NASCAR-themed items including autographed souvenirs, memorabilia, ornaments, die cast cars, secret surprises and more. Among the hundreds of items available, guests can walk away with some big ticket presents including tickets to the April races in Martinsville, posters signed by all 12 Chase for the Sprint Cup drivers, or hats signed by reigning series champion Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and more.

   The event runs on Wednesday, Dec. 26 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Hall of Fame Theater Lobby, 400 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Charlotte, N.C.

Duke football team visits NASCAR Hall of Fame

   As part of the activities leading up to Thursday night's Belk Bowl in Charlotte, the Duke University football team paid a visit to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

   Check out how their visit went here.

NASCAR champion's charity awards grant to Operation North State

   The Checkered Flag Foundation,  a charity started by reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski, has awarded a $5,000 grant to Operation North State (ONS), a non-profit organization based in Winston-Salem, N.C., that provides numerous military support services to North Carolina’s deployed troops and veterans-in-need.

    The $5,000 grant was one of four awarded by CFF this year.

    Operation North State works on a large scale to ship care packages to deployed troops from North Carolina.

    The Checkered Flag Foundation was incorporated in July 2010. The Foundation strives to support individuals who have sacrificed greatly for America, including military members, veterans, first-responders and their families, among others.

What is the largest wreck ever in NASCAR history?

   What is the largest wreck ever in NASCAR history?

 

   The answer may surprise you - and that it was caught on video.

    During a Sportsman race at Daytona International Speedway in 1960, NASCAR saw its largest single wreck ever. From a field of 68 cars, 37 were involved in an incident that mangled plenty of sheet metal but resulted in few injuries - shocking considering the lack of safety equipment used at the time.

    Check it out.

How a NASCAR race car gets its colors

   Joe Gibbs Racing gives us a look at Kyle Busch's 2013 No. 18 Toyota Camry as well as how the paint scheme is put on the car.

    Check out JGR's time-lapse wrap video to see how this Gen-6 NASCAR Toyota Camry got its colors.

Auto racing's All-America team

   The American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Ass’n has announced its annual All America Team, which the group has done every year since the conclusion of the 1970 season.

    A unique team of special drivers representing multiple forms of professional motorsports is elected each year by AARWBA. The association’s members vote on drivers within their participating categories of racing and the top two from each discipline are elected to the first team.

The 2012 All-America first team:

Open wheel: Ryan Hunter-Reay and Will Power

Road Racing: Teams of Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas and Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr

Short Track: Bryan Clauson and Donny Schatz

Stock Car: Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson

Drag Racing: Antron Brown and Jack Beckman

Touring Series: James Buescher and team of Emil Assentato and Jeff Segal

At-Large: Johnny O’Connell and Tristan Vautier

Rising Star: Courtney Force


The 2012 All-America second team:

Open Wheel: Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon/Helio Castroneves (tie)

Road Racing: Chris Dyson/Guy Smith (team) and Ryan Dalziel

Short Track: Bobby East and Darrell Lanigan

Stock Car: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Clint Bowyer

Drag Racing: Tony Schumacher and Ron Capps

Touring Series: Ricky Johnson and Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner (team)

At-Large: Frank Manzo and Jimmy Owens