After racing in the nascar winter heat series in the mid1990s, he was recommended to jack roush by former announcer benny parsons. This time, though, the most popular driver award given thursday at the nascar nmpa myers. Earnhardt is a ninetime sprint cup most popular driver award recipient and currently fourth in the sprint cup standings. Bryan would also joke that hinch james hinchcliffe is the most popular driver. Jan 27, 2012 the most popular driver award was probably the biggest thing that ever happened to me in my career, and this rates right up there. Chevrolet, 738 race victories the most successful manufacturer in nascar history, chevrolet has showed the way in the sprint cup series in recent years. He is a team owner, author, and an analyst for nascar on nbc. Nascar fans have the opportunity to vote for their favorite driver to determine the national motorsports press associations most popular driver award. The award is the only major nascar award determined. It also has 17 of the top 20 most attended single day sport events in the world. Calling all nascar grand national nascar, racing fans.
He is eighth on nascars alltime win list 55 wins and his 697 consecutive. By being selected as the sports most popular driver for the tenth year in a row earnhardt joins bill elliott as the only drivers to win it for ten consecutive years. June 19, 2019 regan smith, current nascar analyst and pit reporter for fox sports, is temporarily trading in the microphone for the familiarity of a steering wheel this summer. In 2012 he moved up to the nationwide series fulltime, driving the no. Putting a number on his importance to the sport doesnt feel fair, though, as. Larson is the best driver to come out of the drive for diversity program started in 2004 by nascar as he is halfjapanese and graduated the program in 2012 and then won the rookie of the year. Edwards is in danger of winning the most disappointing driver award for 2012. Nascar most popular driver voting now open hendrick.
It is big business, and the stars of the show are well compensated as a result. Elliott won nascar s most popular driver award a record 16 times 19841988, 19912000, 2002. This is the first time a driver has won four consecutive poles since bill elliott did it in julyaugust 1985. Alabamas red farmer, neil bonnett among 15 nominees to. The 2012 sprint cup champion is right back in the thick of things in 2014, having won three. Dale earnhardt jr a long career, great races and amazing. Today it is voted for by fans across the united states the award is presented by the national motorsports. Bill elliott to pilot walmart chevy for july daytona race. The series lost a 16time most popular award winner, the thirdwinningest driver in the sports history, a threetime champion and a contender who. Ranking the 20 greatest nascar drivers of all time fox. Jan 09, 2020 chastain made his nascar debut in 2011 at the age of 18, competing in five nascar gander rv and outdoors truck series events before transforming the opportunity into a fulltime ride in 2012. The namesake of dale earnhardt was a 15time winner of the cup series most popular driver award and a twotime daytona 500 winner before retiring to join the broadcast booth for nascar on nbc. Justin allgaier, ross chastain named most popular driver.
By amanda vincent voting has opened for the national motorsports press associations most popular driver award. At tucson raceway park, she was the youngest female driver to race at the track from 20092011, gannis was named a member of nascars drive for diversity program. He also won the most popular driver award in the truck series in 2006, 2007 and 2008. He has recorded 19 wins, 11 poles and 182 top 10 finishes in the sprint cup. The winner will be announced during the monster energy nascar cup series awards banquet at the wynn las vegas on nov. Nmpa most popular driver award jayskis nascar silly season. He is a veteran of the nascar craftsman truck series, scoring three wins houston is the son of legendary busch driver tommy houston and the youngest of three brothers, one of them being parttime nascar driver marty houston and the other being the oldest of the three, scott houston. I know im getting toward the end of my career, but yet to be chosen for this was pretty wild. Smith broke the news on nascar race hub and jr motorsports confirmed that hell return to his former team to drive the no. He withdrew his name from the ballot for that award after winning it in 2002. In 2003 he was elected into the national motorsports hall of fame and in 2012, he joined nascars nest as a member of the nascar hall of fame.
Cup series most popular driver award jayskis nascar. Voting for the nmpa sprint most popular driver award is now open and will continue until 11. Earnhardt competes parttime in the nascar xfinity series, driving the no. Jun 27, 2018 hes the son of 1989 winston cup champion, rusty wallace, the nephew of nascar drivers, kenny and mike wallace, and the cousin of female nascar driver chrissy wallace. But did he have the credentials to really backup being the highest paid driver in the sports. Jeff burton, won 21 times in the nascar cup series including the southern 500 and two cocacola 600s. A year after finishing second to tony stewart in the chase and holding the points lead for the majority of the. Jul 18, 2012 ross chastain wins most popular driver award in gander trucks featured stories four takeaways from the nascar gander outdoors truck series race at homesteadmiami. Aug 17, 2012 edwards is in danger of winning the most disappointing driver award for 2012. My guess would probably be someone like robert richardson, jr.
Dillon made his first career start in the nascar sprint cup series on october 9, 2011, in the hollywood casino 400 at kansas speedway. The camaro name is synonymous with speed, making it the perfect foundation for our nascar program. Ross chastain wins most popular driver in gander trucks. Through the miracle of youtube and this blogs lackluster videography, you can take a look. Nascar reports, tv coverage and most columns state.
Dec 16, 2019 the series lost a 16time most popular award winner, the thirdwinningest driver in the sports history, a threetime champion and a contender who walked away at what many thought was the peak of. From the original special order 1969 zl1 with its allaluminum. While some female nascar drivers have transitioned or attempted to transition from openwheel racing and sports car racing sarah fisher, janet guthrie, danica patrick, most have. Though the 11time most popular driver might receive that award again, its slot was moved to todays ceremony this year. Voting for the 2012 national motorsports press association nmpa nascar most popular driver award will officially begin march 15.
Nascar cup series latest news news and results from nascar. Nascars next most popular driver needs to be highly. Dillon has 111 nascar xfinity series starts including three fulltime seasons, one victory, 29 top5 and 70 top10 finishes along with 4 pole awards. Bryan clauson honored with indycar fan favorite award. His first season with arca was in 2009, finishing 7th in the championship standings and winning the arca remax series most popular driver award. The nascar cup series was formerly known as strictly stock 1949, grand national 19501970, winston cup grand national 19711985, winston cup 19862003, nextel cup 20042007, sprint cup 20082016 and the monster energy nascar cup series 20172019. Nascar, or the national association for stock car auto racing, is the largest sanctioning body for stock car racing in the united states. All four hendrick motorsports drivers are eligible and fans may vote once daily for their favorite driver. Earnhardt expresses his thanks to junior nation, his legion of fans, after winning yet another of nascars most popular driver awards in november of 2012 as voted on by the sports fans.
Elliott won nascars most popular driver award a record 16 times 19841988, 19912000, 2002. The stars are the people behind the wheel of the car. He has won the most popular driver award for 10 consecutive years from 2003 to 2012. Earnhardt has won nascars most popular driver award a record 14 years running.
Voting under way to determine nascars most popular driver. Gregory jack biffle born december 23, 1969 is an american professional stock car racing driver. Kevin harvick boldly comments on nascars most popular driver, he is the most popular driver. Chastain made his nascar debut in 2011 at the age of 18, competing in five nascar gander rv and outdoors truck series events before transforming the opportunity into a fulltime ride in 2012. His commonsense charisma and flair for originality have helped propel him to become one of the most popular figures in sports. He currently competes parttime in the stadium super trucks in the continental tire truck, and part time in the 24 hours of lemans. Here is a list of the top 10 highest paid nascar drivers. But before we say goodbye to one of the most popular nascar drivers he won this honor 14 times. Long would eventually race in the nationwide series, making her debut in the 2012 drive4copd 300. Between 19891990, waltrip claimed the most popular driver award. Race fans have selected him a record 14 consecutive times as nascars most popular driver. In 2005, she started legends car racing, and two years later, began racing super late models. Year monster energy series nationwide series camping world series. After a bit of a delay to start the season, the nmpa nascar most popular driver award voting is officially open starting today at as was the case last year, the.
Aug 12, 2010 nascar s most popular driver junior wins the award every year is 16th in points, four spots and 121 points out of the chase with only four races before the playoff field is set. As far as full time drivers are concerned, id have to say its probably aric almirola. In 2005, the georgia state legislature declared october 8 as bill elliott day in the state of georgia. When 1989 sprint cup series champ retired in 2005, he had established himself one of the elite drivers of his era. The following is a list of female nascar drivers who have participated in a national or regional touring series race since the organizations inception in 1949, along with statistical totals for their nascar careers. The win helped him earn the sunoco rookie of the year title.
Ngots corrigan oil 200 at michigan saturday, august 10th at 1pm edt. Earnhardt voted most popular driver for 14th consecutive year. The winner of the award will be revealed during the sprint cup series awards banquet at wynn las vegas on dec. Most popular driver award archives nascar talk nbc sports. Nascars most popular driver award is awarded to the most popular nascar driver in the monster energy nascar cup series, xfinity series, and camping world truck series every year since 1956. Nascar sprint cup driver list for 2012 team terrier. He followed that honor up with two more truck series wins in 20 when he also earned the ncwts most popular driver award. Thirteentime nascar sprint cup series most popular driver dale earnhardt jr. He drives the number 88 national guard chevy and has won 19 career races. Fan voting set to open for nmpa sprint most popular driver.
Norman pagenauds dog can finally take chevy clausons dog on a date now we can arrange that. Jun 19, 2019 smith moved into a fulltime role for the organization from 202015, a highly successful threeyear stint that produced five wins including one at midohio 26 top fives and 71 top 10s, along with a most popular driver award. See this wiki page for info thanks to for emojis official 2019 rnascar league at s fantasy live. For the second straight season, chase elliott has won the nmpa most popular driver award which was presented to him in nashville, tennessee. Other sponsors in the 20 season are diet mountain dew, mountain dew, time warnner cable, amp energy, dale jr foundatoin, and super man soilder of steel. Voting for the national motorsports press association nmpa sprint most popular driver award is set to open at 12. Nascar cup series latest news, highlights, live race coverage, race results, standings, schedules, photo galleries, and driver stats. Earnhardt was named nascars most popular driver for the 12th straight year on friday night during the sports annual awards banquet in las vegas.
Throughout his career, waltrip has continued to share the spotlight amongst the sports most prestigious personalities. In voting by nascar fans, justin allgaier earned most popular driver honors in the xfinity series for the first time in his career. Andrew andy houston born november 7, 1970 is an american stock car racing spotter and former driver. However, what he also made note of was the fact that nascar is an exception to this for some reason, as nascars 14time defending most popular driver award winner dale earnhardt jr. Earnhardt tops all nascar and indycar drivers on mvpindexs social media power rankings. Benson is one of 26 drivers to win a race in all three of nascars major series.
Earnhardt accepted his 14th consecutive nmpa sprint most popular driver award friday night during the nascar sprint cup series awards in las vegas. V8 to todays high tech 650horsepower monster, zl1 has always been the most powerful, most advanced camaro on the road or track. Nascar s most popular driver award is awarded to the most popular nascar driver in the monster energy nascar cup series, xfinity series, and camping world truck series every year since 1956. Voting for 2012 nmpa nascar most popular driver award to. In 2012, danica patrick was voted nascars most popular nationwide driver, becoming the first woman to receive that award in nascars top three divisions. He also won the 2011 cwts most popular driver award.
Retired driver and nascar hall of famer bill elliott holds the record of most most popular driver award wins with 16, but time reigning most popular. Chase elliott wins 2018 nmpa most popular driver award duration. Nascar active drivers most wins quiz by superspurjm. Dale jr was born on october 10th, 1974 and is currently 39 years old. Stephen steve arpin born december 16, 1983 is a canadian race car driver competing in the americas rallycross championship. Ross chastain, the breakout star of the nascar gander outdoors truck series season, has claimed one final honor. He previously raced stock cars in the arca racing series, the nascar camping world truck series and nationwide series. The nascar cup series was formerly known as strictly stock 1949, grand national 19501970, winston cup grand national 19711985, winston cup 19862003, nextel cup 20042007, sprint cup 20082016 and the monster energy nascar cup series 20172019 click on the year to see detailed race results and standings for that year.
A plain, base, 150 twodoor equipped with the powerful fuelinjected 283cubicinch v8. Today it is voted for by fans across the united states the award is presented by the national. See more ideas about nascar cars, nascar, nascar racing. Earnhardt is the only recipient of the most popular driver award, administered by the national motorsports press association, since bill elliott won following the 2002 season. In 1994, houston won hickory motor speedways late model championship and in 1996 he won the goodys dash series most popular driver award. Race fans have selected him a record 15 consecutive times as nascars most popular driver. The 10week playoff format will return, with the top 10, based on. Only one other driver, bill elliott, has won the award more often elliott was named the series most popular driver 16 times.
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