Chase Elliott simply can’t be beat when it comes to his grip on NASCAR’s title as fans most popular driver. Elliott added another victory Thursday night after winning five races and finishing fourth overall. The National Press Association declared Elliott winner of the fan-decided most popular award for a fifth consecutive year at the season-ending awards ceremony at the Music City Center. Elliott’s run as NASCAR’s most popular driver started in 2018. That's the first year of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s retirement. Earnhardt had won the most popular award every year since 2003. That's when Bill Elliott asked for his name to be removed from the ballot after 16 wins.

Ty Gibbs on Thursday declined to discuss the death of his father, which occurred just hours after the NASCAR driver won the Xfinity Series championship last month. Gibbs was asked about his grandfather, Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs, telling employees at Joe Gibbs Racing they all had to move forward even as they mourn. Coy Gibbs died in his sleep at the age of 49 hours after his 20-year-old son won the Xfinity Series title on Nov. 5 at Phoenix Raceway. Ty Gibbs said for now he's just going to stick with racing questions while in Nashville for the NASCAR Awards.

Baseball Hall of Famer and two-time Cy Young Award winner Gaylord Perry has died at the age of 84. Cherokee County Coroner Dennis Fowler said Perry died at his home in Gaffney, South Carolina, at about 5 a.m. Thursday. The Perry family said that Perry died after a short illness. Perry pitched for eight major-league teams from 1962 until 1983. He won the Cy Young with Cleveland in 1972 and with San Diego in 1978 just after turning 40.  Perry was a five-time All-Star who was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1991.

The Carolina Panthers are down, but not out entering their bye thanks in large part to the emergence of D’Onta Foreman. The journeyman running back has run for at least 100 yards in four of Carolina’s last six games. The Panthers are 4-8 but remain in contention in the weak NFC South after finding an identity on offense. Foreman was brought in as a backup, but has been starting since the team traded star running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers after a 1-5 start. Foreman has totaled 545 yards rushing over the past six weeks, second-most in the league during that span.

Kevin Harvick will know if 2023 will be his final NASCAR season before he goes to Daytona in February. The 2014 Cup champion says he doesn't have a clear answer right now about his future. Harvick says he isn't going to start the season not knowing what direction he's going. Harvick says he has a lot to evaluate and it could go either way. Gene Haas said in October that Harvick indicated he didn’t plan to drive after his contract expires at the end of the 2023 season. Harvick's team would like him to sign an extension. Harvick turns 48 on Dec. 8.

Jill Ellis was voted into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame after coaching the American women to World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019. The 56-year-old British-born coach was picked on 20 of 24 ballots in the builder voting that included only coach candidates for the 2023 class. Ellis, FIFA’s women’s coach of the year in 2015 and 2019, is president of the National Women’s Soccer League’s San Diego Wave. She will be inducted next year along with DaMarcus Beasley, Landon Donovan and Lauren Cheney Holiday.

Marcus Satterfield will join new Nebraska coach Matt Rhule’s staff as offensive coordinator after serving in the same role at South Carolina for two seasons. Satterfield is among five on-field assistants announced by Rhule. The others are running backs coach E.J. Barthel, secondary coach Evan Cooper, special teams coordinator Ed Foley and defensive line coach Terrance Knighton. Corey Campbell has been hired as strength coach.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Maye and the North Carolina Tar Heels stand in the way of the Clemson Tigers winning their seventh Atlantic Coast Conference championship in the last eight seasons. The two teams face off Saturday night at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium. There are some observers who believe Maybe warrants Heisman Trophy consideration, although the Tar Heels struggles offensively down the stretch have dampened some of that enthusiasm. Still, Maye is a dangerous threat and a QB who some pro scouts already believe has the potential to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. He's thrown for 3,847 yards and 35 TDs to go along with 629 yards rushing and six TDs.

One of the oldest motorsports publications in the United States has partnered with a network development group to launch a television channel dedicated to racing in 2023. Speed Sport has partnered with Obsession Media to launch the motorsports next spring. SPEED SPORT 1 plans to broadcast over 400 live events and thousands of hours of motorsports content across free ad-supported streaming television and traditional linear platforms. The venture is supported by Roger Werner, the former CEO of ESPN and Outdoor Channel Holdings. He is both an advisor and investor to SPEED SPORT 1.

No. 10 Clemson will play No. 24 North Carolina in the ACC championship game on Saturday in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Tigers are seeking their seventh ACC title in the last eight seasons. North Carolina is making its first ACC title game appearance since 2015, UNC clinched the Coastal Division title early, then finished the season with losses to Georgia Tech and North Carolina State. The winner gets a trip to the Orange Bowl.

Trayce Jackson-Davis had 21 points and 10 rebounds, Xavier Johnson scored 20 points and No. 10 Indiana beat No. 18 North Carolina 77-65. It was the most impressive of Indiana's seven wins this season. The Tar Heels have lost three in a row for the first time since the 2019-20 season and they didn't look the same after playing three games in four days last weekend and losing in quadruple overtime to Alabama on Sunday. Pete Nance had 15 points and 12 rebounds to lead North Carolina.