NASCAR 2014 year-end awards: Best driver, best and worst races, most memorable fight, top quotes and more

It’s that time of the year when SB Nation looks back at the good and bad, funny and bizarre and everything in-between of the just-completed 2014 NASCAR season and doles out some awards. So don your Sunday best (a tattered Davey Allison t-shirt is perfectly acceptable) and let’s start handing out the hardware.

The Sprint Cup trophy sitting on his mantle makes him the obvious choice, but championship aside, Kevin Harvick was the most dominant driver throughout the season. His five victories were second only to Brad Keselowski, he was tied for third in top-five and top-10 finishes and, most impressively, Harvick led a series-best 2,137 laps -- nearly 600 more than second-place Keselowski. And that’s not even taking into account the numerous races Harvick would have won had it not been for reoccurring misfortune and miscues.

Others deserving mention: Jeff Gordon; Brad Keselowski; Joey Logano

A tragic event which didn’t even take place in a NASCAR sanctioned race, the death of Kevin Ward Jr. had a far-reaching impact throughout the sport and brought worldwide attention due to Tony Stewart’s involvement. Although unfortunate, it is sadly what many will remember the most about the 2014 season, despite a year filled with many wonderful moments and the rich drama that was the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Others deserving mention: Revamped Chase for the Sprint Cup format; Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins Daytona 500; Rejuvenation of Jeff Gordon; Keselowski vs. The Establishment; 18-year-old Chase Elliott becomes first rookie to win national series championship

1. A drunken fan climbs atop the fencing surrounding the track mid-race at Richmond.

2. Both Earnhardt and Stewart joining -- and embracing -- Twitter within a span of three months.

3. Keselowski cutting his hand while trying to open a champagne bottle in Victory Lane.

4. Seventy-two-year-old Morgan Shepherd causing a wreck and taking out the second-place car of 24-year-old Joey Logano at New Hampshire.

Before Homestead this category was a dogfight between the Daytona 500 and the fall Talladega race. The two restrictor-plate events provided no shortage of intrigue, storylines and ferocity. This was especially true at Talladega, which had the advantage of being a Chase elimination race featuring Keselowski essentially willing himself to victory while Earnhardt, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch got bounced sooner than expected.

Then came the Nov. 16 championship finale where the four title contenders ran bunched together for much of the night, culminating with some of the most thrilling action and tense drama in recent memory. When everything was said and done, it was Harvick coming through in NASCAR’s self-described “Game 7” in the biggest way possible.

Others deserving mention: Daytona 500; Auto Club 400 (Fontana); MudSummer Classic (Eldora); Cheez-It 355 (Watkins Glen); Irwin Tools Night Race (Bristol); Geico 500 (Talladega); Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 (Martinsville)

With a short track playing host to the final regular season race, the expectation was that at the very least something of significance would transpire. That’s what occurred in 2012 when Gordon made a miraculous recovery to qualify for the Chase, and again the following year with everything involving “Spin-gate.”

But this go-round when the Cup Series visited Richmond to conclude the regular season, nothing of that nature happened. No Chase berths swapped -- the 16-driver playoff field stayed as was -- while the race itself was the definition of a dud with Keselowski leading 383 of 400 en route to victory. Yawn.

Others deserving mention: Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte); Fed Ex 400 (Dover); Quaker State 400 (Kentucky); Camping World RV Sales 301 (New Hampshire)

Though Matt Kenseth blindsiding Keselowski in the Charlotte garage was memorable in its own right -- the normally mild-mannered driver replicating something out of the NWO era of wrestling -- it simply doesn’t compare to the unruliness that unfolded on pit road following the Texas race.

The two protagonists perfectly represented the differencing contrasts within NASCAR. On one side you had Gordon, the fan favorite who rarely engages in feuds and is part of the old guard; on the other was Keselowski, who doesn’t mind stirring the pot, is very much a heel, has a long list of enemies and is the face of NASCAR going forward.

Add in the pressure of competing for a championship and the intensity of the new Chase format and the outcome was a Texas-size brawl involving Gordon, Keselowski and their respective teams. Words were exchanged, fists flew and the fracas instantaneously jumped to the top of all the news shows. (Whether this was a good or bad thing depends on your viewpoint.)

Others deserving mention: Kenseth’s surprise attack on Keselowski postrace; Kurt Busch and Keselowski’s war of words at Martinsville; Marco Ambrose punches Casey Mears postrace at Richmond

Superlative quotes pertaining to Brad Keselowski

“He’s just a dipshit. I don’t know how he ever won a championship.”
- Gordon following his pit road mêlée with Keselowski

“He tried to flatten all four of my tires. That’s a no-fly zone. That’s a punk-ass move and he will get what he gets back when I decide to give it back.”
- Busch on Keselowski after the two had a run-in at Martinsville

“It’s tough to win a championship if nobody likes you.”
- Denny Hamlin summarizing Keselowski’s popularity in the garage

At the beginning of the season Kyle Larson was a 21-year-old rookie joining a team with a long reputation for underachieving. So what did he do? He simply transformed the No. 42 from also-rans to almost weekly contenders. No, Larson didn’t win, but he came close several times, all the while cementing his status as the brightest young talent to hit NASCAR since Stewart 15 years before.

Others deserving mention: Ryan Newman; AJ Allmendinger; Carl Edwards; Justin Allgaier

A year ago Busch was a revelation driving for the single-car Furniture Row Racing. Hence, when he decided to join up with Stewart-Haas Racing, with its vast resources and strong Hendrick Motorsports alliance, it seemed Busch was back on the path to becoming a multi-time winner and championship contender.

Instead, outside of what can best be described as a fluke Martinsville victory, Busch flopped. Working with a crew chief he didn’t trust and repeatedly undermined, the 2004 Cup champion tried to compensate by overdriving, which resulted in repeated wrecks and parts failures. Busch posted the 20th-worst average finish and ended the regular season in the same position in points.

Others deserving mention: Joe Gibbs Racing; Clint Bowyer; Ricky Stenhouse Jr.; Martin Truex Jr.; Roush Fenway Racing; Jimmie Johnson

1. Despite just two years racing stock cars, Larson was more than ready for the leap to Cup.

2. After 13 years of being dormant, the return of the No. 3 would be met with enthusiasm by fans and be of little consequence by midseason.

3. Following a disappointing 2013, Keselowski and his No. 2 team would rebound in a big way.

1. The addition of Harvick and Busch to a driver lineup which already included Stewart and Danica Patrick would prompt Stewart-Haas Racing to self-combust.

2. Entering his second year and reunited with a crew chief who he enjoyed much success with in the Nationwide Series, Stenhouse would break out and grab his first Cup win.

3. Because of the impending departure of his crew chief, Earnhardt would struggle and again fail to notch a single win.

When Rodney Childers took the job as crew chief for Harvick he was tasked with building a new team from the ground up. And despite the many obstacles, the No. 4 car was instantly among the fastest on the track with Harvick turning heads in an offseason test, then winning in just his second race out. Although there were some early ups-and-downs, more victories would follow, as would the championship.

That alone, however, isn’t why Childers gets the nod for Crew Chief of the Year. In the deciding race where every position directly affected the championship, Childers’ pit strategy proved decisive.

As Hamlin went with no tires and Newman just two with 20 laps remaining, Childers sacrificed track position by going with four; a serious gamble which placed his driver in traffic with little time to recover. But that was the difference maker and thus gave Harvick enough of an advantage where he could pass both Hamlin and Newman and grab the win and the subsequent championship.

Others deserving mention: Todd Gordon (Logano); Alan Gustafson (Gordon); Steve Letarte (Earnhardt); Paul Wolfe (Keselowski)

1. Aric Almirola’s retro No. 43 STP design, which paid tribute to Richard Petty at the spring Martinsville race.

2. Keselowski’s white with blue numbering Miller Lite livery.

3. The standard M&M’s scheme that adorned Busch’s No. 18 car for much of the season.