Las Vegas, December 4-5, 2009 – One thing was different at this year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s party – the locale, the drivers partied in Las Vegas for the first time. This year's champion, Jimmie Johnson, was the same, for the fourth time. At Lavo nightclub on Friday night, a four foot ice sculpture encasing Johnson’s car number, 48, greeted guests including skateboard legend Tony Hawk, Hero's Masi Oka and My Name Is Earl's Nadine Velazquez. 

Samantha Ronson DJ’d and American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi, who was also celebrating her birthday, danced with her new hubby Mike McCuddy.  Dioguardi said she’d had lunch earlier that day with her new Idol co-host Ellen DeGeneres, and is excited to be working with her. 

Photos: Denise Truscello/LAVO