Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins Most Popular Driver Award for sixth consecutive season
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has again won the NASCAR NMPA Chex Most Popular Driver Award, receiving the award Thursday during the National Motorsports Press Association’s Myers Brothers Media Luncheon in New York City.
The award is Earnhardt Jr.’s sixth consecutive and moves him to third all-time behind Bill Elliott (16) and Richard Petty (nine).
“I’ve been fortunate enough to win this award now for the sixth time, and I can tell you it never gets old,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I’ve said it many times before that this award is special because it’s the voice of the fans.
“I think back to over a year ago when I made the decision to go to Hendrick Motorsports, and my biggest concern was whether the fans would support my decision. They did, and I will always be grateful for that.”
Fans voted via www.chexmostpopulardriver.com, with Earnhardt Jr. receiving more than 1 million votes.
“The fans have spoken, and it’s obvious that Dale Earnhardt Jr. truly is amongst the elite of fans’ support,” said Tom Jensen, president of the National Motorsports Press Association. “He deserves this award, and we’re thankful for all the fans who continue to vote and make this award a rich part of our sports history.”
The award has been given since 1956 and is currently the only award voted on by fans.
Exact vote totals weren’t disclosed, but the top 10 in alphabetical order were Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte, Tony Stewart and Michael Waltrip.
