Darrell & Michael Waltrip receive NMPA Spirit Award

Michael Waltrip

Three-time NASCAR premier series champion Darrell Waltrip and younger brother Michael, a two-time winner of the Daytona 500, have been named fourth-quarter recipients of the National Motorsports Press Association Spirit Award for 2014.

The two were recognized for their annual Waltrip Brothers Charity Championship event, which raised $450,000 through a dinner, auction and golf tournament. Proceeds from the fifth annual event will benefit the Motor Racing Outreach (MRO), a non-profit organization that ministers to the needs of the families of those involved in NASCAR; Feed the Children, one of the largest U.S.-based anti-hunger organizations; and Tucker's House, which seeks to improve the quality of life for children with disabilities that require home modifications for safety, accessibility and therapy.

Also receiving votes for the fourth quarter were the Kyle Busch Foundation and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Joey Coulter. The NMPA Spirit Award is designed to recognize character and achievement in the face of adversity, sportsmanship and contributions to motorsports. The Waltrips join Lynda Petty, wife of seven-time premier series champion Richard Petty, Sprint Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr., and long-time car owner W.C. "Junie" Donlavey as this year's quarterly award recipients.

An overall winner of the 2014 NMPA Spirit Award will be determined by a vote of the NMPA membership and announced during the association's annual convention, scheduled for Jan. 25, 2015 in Concord, N.C.