CHARLOTTE, N.C. – After nearly five decades of service to the sport and tireless storytelling to the masses, Steve Waid officially received NASCAR’s highest honor for a media member on Friday night at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Waid was presented with the eighth annual Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence, taking his place among the elites of the sport after a career spent bringing the thrills of NASCAR to a nationwide readership.
A dedicated exhibit honoring Waid’s contributions to the sport was revealed to the public on the third floor of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, something that left Waid emotional as he spoke later in the day.
“I’ve said more than once that I’m living proof that if you hang around long enough, somebody will end up giving you something,” Waid joked to the media following his acceptance speech Friday night. “This is a tremendous honor that’s hard to put into words. The main thing that I take away is that after all the years I’ve been doing this, it’s nice to have the work I’ve done recognized by somebody else and that I did something that was appreciated by others. That means more to me than anything.”
“The Squier-Hall Award was first created to honor the men and women who help to tell the story of our great sport, and Steve Waid has done exactly that for nearly 50 years,” added NASCAR Senior Vice President of Strategic Development Eric Nyquist. “He helped to cement his legacy in NASCAR when he joined NASCAR Scene, turning it into the go-to newspaper of record for industry members and fans alike. … On behalf of NASCAR and the France family, it’s an honor to congratulate Steve on earning the Squier-Hall Award and for his lifetime contributions to our sport.”
Waid’s career began in the early 1970s with an assignment to cover a NASCAR event at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, but it grew into publishing roles with both NASCAR Scene and NASCAR Illustrated, roles that Waid held all the way up until his retirement from full-time reporting in 2010.
In fact, it was NASCAR Illustrated which Waid cited as one of his most important cornerstones following the unveiling of his Squier-Hall Award exhibit during the day on Friday.
“Some of our cover images were a testament to what NASCAR Illustrated was all about,” Waid noted. “We wanted the best photography that we could possibly get. We had a great staff. I never had to ask if they got the shot, because they always got the shot. They were that dedicated to their craft.”
Waid became the model for journalists across the spectrum to follow for decades, including Motor Racing Network personality and NASCAR Hall of Fame executive director Winston Kelley.
”All of our Squier-Hall Award recipients are special, but this one is particularly special to me, not because Steve and I worked together at FOX Sports for four years on NASCAR This Morning, but because we roomed side-by-side – Steve, Tom Higgins and myself – at the Williams Motel in North Wilkesboro years ago,” joked Kelley. “We had a lot of good times together and Steve is a truly deserving recipient of this award. It’s an honor to be here and to see him receive it for the efforts and work he’s put in over his incredible career.”
That career saw Waid asking many of the tough questions over the course of nearly 50 years in the media corps. Friday night, those tables were turned for the first time, something that Waid admitted he wasn’t completely prepared for.
“This is highly unusual and something that I’m not used to. I’m used to being down there,” Waid told his media brethren. “But the thought that a group of people thought enough of me to give me this award is very, very satisfying and humbling. I can’t stress enough how much I look at it a true recognition.”
In closing his acceptance speech Friday night, Waid paid tribute to one of his late mentors and media comrades with an emotional and choked statement of thanks.
“Tom (Higgins), my old friend … I guess I learned something from you after all.”
