NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award
NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award is awarded to the most popular NASCAR driver in the Sprint Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and Camping World Truck Series every year since 1956. It started as a poll of the drivers and then all NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competitors. Today it is voted for by fans across the United States.
The award is presented by the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA). Sponsored by Hamburger Helper in 2010, it was also sponsored by Wheaties in 2011. The ceremony presenting the award is called the Myers Brothers Awards Breakfast, and it is held in Las Vegas, Nevada in December of each year.
The winner of the most awards is Bill Elliott with 16 in the Sprint Cup Series. Kenny Wallace and Brad Keselowski are tied at 3 for the most awards in the Nationwide Series, and Johnny Benson Jr. has the most awards at 3 in the Camping World Truck Series.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the active Sprint Cup drivers with the most awards as well as holding the longest active streak (14).[1]
Recipients
Sprint Cup Series
Bill Elliott has the most Most Popular Driver Awards in the Cup Series with 16.
| Year |
Driver |
Team |
Notes |
|---|
| 1949 |
Curtis Turner |
Hubert Westmoreland, Curtis Turner, Frank Christian |
Voted on by a panel |
| 1950 |
Not awarded |
| 1951 |
| 1952 |
Lee Petty |
Petty Enterprises |
National award, covering every NASCAR series
Lee Petty won the series championship in 1954 |
| 1953 |
| 1954 |
Petty Enterprises, Gary Drake |
| 1955 |
Tim Flock |
Carl Kiekhaefer, Hubert Westmoreland |
| 1956 |
Curtis Turner |
Charlie Schwam |
|
| 1957 |
Fireball Roberts |
Pete DePaolo, Fireball Roberts, Dick Beaty, Buck Baker |
|
| 1958 |
Glen Wood |
Wood Brothers Racing |
|
| 1959 |
Jack Smith |
Jack Smith |
|
| 1960 |
Rex White |
Beau Morgan, Rex White, Scotty Cain, L. D. Austin |
Won the series championship |
| 1961 |
Joe Weatherly |
Doc White, Bud Moore Engineering, Elmo Henderson |
|
| 1962 |
Richard Petty |
Petty Enterprises |
|
| 1963 |
Fred Lorenzen |
Holman-Moody, Wood Brothers Racing, Stewart McKinney |
|
| 1964 |
Richard Petty |
Petty Enterprises |
Won the series championship |
| 1965 |
Fred Lorenzen |
Holman-Moody |
|
| 1966 |
Darel Dieringer |
Toy Bolton, Bud Moore Engineering, Petty Enterprises, Reid Shaw, Betty Lilly, Junior Johnson & Associates |
|
| 1967 |
Cale Yarborough |
Wood Brothers Racing, Neil Castles, Bud Moore Engineering |
|
| 1968 |
Richard Petty |
Petty Enterprises |
|
| 1969 |
Bobby Isaac |
Nord Krauskopf |
|
| 1970 |
Bobby Allison |
Mario Rossi, Bobby Allison |
|
| 1971 |
Bobby Allison, Holman-Moody |
|
| 1972 |
Richard Howard |
|
| 1973 |
Bobby Allison |
|
| 1974 |
Richard Petty |
Petty Enterprises |
Won the series championship |
| 1975 |
| 1976 |
|
| 1977 |
|
| 1978 |
|
| 1979 |
David Pearson |
Wood Brothers Racing, Rod Osterlund |
|
| 1980 |
Bobby Allison |
Bud Moore Engineering |
|
| 1981 |
Ranier-Lundy |
|
| 1982 |
DiGard Motorsports |
|
| 1983 |
Won the series championship |
| 1984 |
Bill Elliott |
Melling Racing |
|
| 1985 |
|
| 1986 |
|
| 1987 |
|
| 1988 |
Won the series championship |
| 1989 |
Darrell Waltrip |
Hendrick Motorsports |
|
| 1990 |
|
| 1991 |
Bill Elliott |
Melling Racing |
|
| 1992 |
Junior Johnson & Associates |
|
| 1993 |
|
| 1994 |
|
| 1995 |
Bill Elliott Racing |
|
| 1996 |
|
| 1997 |
|
| 1998 |
|
| 1999 |
|
| 2000 |
|
| 2001 |
Dale Earnhardt |
Richard Childress Racing |
Posthumously awarded after his death |
| 2002 |
Bill Elliott |
Evernham Motorsports |
|
| 2003 |
Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
Dale Earnhardt, Inc. |
|
| 2004 |
|
| 2005 |
|
| 2006 |
|
| 2007 |
|
| 2008 |
Hendrick Motorsports |
|
| 2009 |
|
| 2010 |
|
| 2011 |
|
| 2012 |
|
| 2013 |
|
| 2014 |
|
| 2015 |
|
| 2016 |
|
Xfinity Series
Brad Keselowski has the most Most Popular Driver Awards in the Xfinity Series with three.
