Top five vote-getters updated for NASCAR Most Popular Driver Award

Voting, which began at 12:00 p.m. ET on Oct. 28th, ends at 11:59 p.m. this Thursday. Fans can vote by going HERE. NASCAR will unveil the winner on Friday.

The Most Popular Driver Award, first awarded to Curtis Turner in 1949, has largely been dominated by five drivers. Bill Elliott, Chase Elliott’s father, holds the record with 16 victories, notably winning it 10 years in a row from 1991-2000. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (15), Richard Petty (8), Bobby Allison (8) and Chase Elliott (6) are next on the list. The latter has won the award every year since 2018. Earnhardt Jr. retired after the 2017 campaign, ending his 15-year winning streak.

2024 NASCAR Most Popular Driver Award: Examining the field

Elliott has to be considered the favorite again, though the field around him is impressive. Blaney has grown a following in recent years, especially coming off a championship win in 2023. Larson, Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, has long been a fan favorite. Both Blaney and Larson finished as runner-ups to Elliott last year.

Truex, meanwhile, just wrapped up his final full-time season in NASCAR, giving him some additional fanfare. The wild card here is Busch, long one of the sport’s villains. Rowdy Nation, however, is strong, and could very well deliver him his first win of the award.

Elliott said last year that he doesn’t ever take the support from fans for granted.

“I don’t ever take it for granted,” Elliott said after winning the award last year, via NASCAR.com. “You know, I think it’s an easy thing to look at and to think that I would, but always grateful for the honor and always, always grateful to have the support that we’ve had. Like I said on stage, this has always been, to me, an extension of my family’s place in the sport and the success that they had over the years.

“The fans have been great to all of us, not just myself but my entire family. So that’s kind of how I look at it and certainly respect it and appreciate all that they do for me.”