NASCAR Driver Martin Truex Jr. Signs with Toyota

Charles Calabrese is a line supervisor with MTA Bus Co. in Brooklyn, where he is responsible for inspecting as many as six buses per day and overseeing all fuel and oil deliveries. When he isn't working, Charles Calabrese enjoys watching NASCAR races.

Because Furniture Row Racing discontinued operations last year, Martin Truex Jr. became one of the most coveted free agent drivers on the NASCAR circuit. Around the same time, Truex joined Toyota's Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) team in what was viewed as an inevitable signing, thanks in part to Furniture Row's alliance with JGR. In doing so, Truex will race alongside veteran driver Kyle Busch, who is also a former NASCAR championship runner-up.

During five years with Furniture Row Truex won 17 races, including the Southern 500 and Coca-Cola 600. He has been racing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series since 2006 and has amassed 19 race victories and 87 top-five finishes. He and Busch are expected to lead JGR to success in 2019, but will likely be challenged by the Ford racing team, which includes top contenders Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick.

Chase Elliott Wins NASCAR Most Popular Driver Award

An alumnus of Brooklyn, New York's James Madison High School, Charles Calabrese owned and managed Checker Auto Repairs from 1982 to 2006, and has since served as a line supervisor with MTA Bus Co. Beyond his professional pursuits, Charles Calabrese is an avid automobile enthusiast who enjoys watching NASCAR races.

One of the most popular T-shirts spotted at NASCAR events this past year was the No. 9 shirt of Chase Elliott, so it's hardly a surprise that the 23-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver was selected as the circuit's Most Popular Driver at the NASCAR Champion's Week banquet in Las Vegas last November. Elliott's fellow drivers had even predicted he would win the award prior to the banquet.

The award has gone to Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the past 15 seasons and has now been in the families of the Earnhardts and Elliotts for 33 years. Chase's dad Bill won the award a record-setting 16 times. Elliott, who could very well win the award several times throughout his career, had a breakthrough year on the track in 2018 as he picked up his first Monster Energy Series win at Watkins Glen International and secured playoff wins at Kansas Speedway and Dover International Speedway.

Jeff Gordon Highlights the NASCAR 2019 Hall of Fame Class

Charles Calabrese is a Brooklyn, New York, resident and former business owner who, as a line supervisor with MTA Bus Co., oversees the inspection, maintenance, and repair of up to six buses per day. In his free time, Charles Calabrese enjoys watching NASCAR.

Five former NASCAR drivers and team owners will be recognized for their career achievements in January 2019, as they will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Jeff Gordon, who became the youngest winner of the premier series title in the modern era at just 24 years old, highlights the class of 2019, which includes Davey Allison, Alan Kulwicki, Jack Roush, and Roger Penske. Gordon is also a six-time winner at the Talladega Superspeedway and ranks third of all time, behind only Richard Petty and David Pearson with 93 races won.

Allison is the son of fellow Hall of Famer Bobby Allison. He registered 19 victories in only 191 events prior to his tragic death in a helicopter accident in 1993. Kulwicki was the recipient of the 1986 NASCAR Rookie of the Year and won the 1992 NASCAR Championship, but also died in 1993 as a result of a plane crash. Both Roush and Penske enjoyed tremendous success as team and car owners.