NASCAR's night to remember.

New York City's plush Waldorf-Astoria was a fitting backdrop for the 53rd annual NASCAR Winston Cup Series Awards banquet on Friday night, one that will surely go down as one of the most poignant, emotional and yet uplifting occasions in the long and storied history of America's favourite form of racing.

There was an understandably muted atmosphere prior to the start of NASCAR's 53rd annual Awards banquet in New York's eminent Waldorf-Astoria complex with the knowledge that Friday night would not just be about the crowning of Jeff Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports as the undisputed King's of the NASCAR Winston Cup 2001 Championship. It would also be a night where one of the Sport's true legends would be mourned by all as would those who lost their lives and/or loved ones in the terrorist attacks that brought NASCAR and America as a whole even closer together less than three months ago.

However by the time the night had drawn to a close, a distinct warmth had enveloped the audience following an evening of touching, heartfelt and more often than not humorous speeches from many top NWC names and several from outside the world of Motorsport.

Although the pervading memory of the 2001 season will forever be the untimely death of seven-time Champion Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon's fourth title was arguably his most accomplished considering his six victories, 349 point margin over 2nd placed Tony Stewart and season-high 24 top-10 finishes were all achieved without the guidance of Ray Evernham as crew-chief and many of the original 'Rainbow Warriors'. Gordon officially collected the 2001 NWC Championship trophy and became NASCAR's all-time top money winner when Winston's parent company RJR Reynolds presented the 30 year-old, Pittsboro, Indiana native with a cheque for just under $4.8Million.

Gordon's Hendrick Motorsports team boss Rick Hendrick collected his fifth Championship as a team owner and both he and Gordon spoke openly and emotionally about their trials and tribulations over the past years with Hendrick's battle with leukaemia and legal problems and the rebuilding of the No.24 team following the departure of Evernham.

As expected the most emotional event of the night was the presentation of NASCAR's illustrious Most Popular Driver Award, this year given posthumously to Dale Earnhardt whose wife Teresa was on hand to collect the award. Her speech, and the heartfelt rendition of "The Dance" by country music legend Garth Brooks, gave the evening a very special touch.

Befitting the colourful nature of modern-day Winston Cup racing, some of its biggest stars were on hand to lighten the atmosphere with Dale Earnhardt Jr, Ricky Rudd and Tony Stewart all bringing roars of laughter to the floor and it is with a fond smile that NASCAR closes the door on 2001 and waits for the 2002 season to begin next February in Daytona.