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NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award is a fan-voted honor conferred to the drivers every year across all three of NASCAR's national series. The voting demographic is limited to the fans from the United States.
Spawned in 1956, the award is presented annually at the NASCAR Awards Banquet in the month of November. The award ceremony currently finds its home in Nashville, Tennessee.
In this article, we will take a look at the top 5 drivers who have been presented with the honor the most times.
NASCAR drivers who have won the Most Popular Driver Award most times:
1. Bill Elliott (16)
Leading the list is the legendary Cup Series driver from the 80s, William Elliott Sr. The 68-year-old Dawsonville native won the NASCAR Winston Cup Series in 1988 while driving for Melling Racing. A driver for multiple teams with the likes of Elliott Racing and Bill Elliott Racing, he won the Most Popular Driver Award an astounding 16 times in his illustrious career.
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (15)
The two-time Xfinity Series champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. was voted by fans as the Most Popular Driver in the Cup Series 15 times. Notably, he also holds the record for winning this award for the most consecutive years from 2003 to 2017 Teams. A former JR Motorsports driver, he primarily competed for Hendrick Motorsports in the Cup Series until his retirement in 2017.
3. Richard Petty (9)
"The King" Richard Petty holds the record for the most number of Cup Series victories (7). Inevitably, his success on track translated to fame and popularity as he was chosen as the Cup Series' Most Famous Driver nine times. Primarily a Petty Enterprises driver, he was awarded the honor between 1962 and 1978.
4. Bobby Allison (7)
At fourth position is the 1983 Cup Series champion Bobby Allison, who won the award seven times. The former DiGard Racing driver was presented with the honor over the course of the 1970s and 80s.
5. Chase Elliott (5)
Carrying on the legacy and fame of the Elliott surname is the 2020 Cup Series champion Chase Elliott. The 27-year-old driver for Hendrick Motorsports has won the award a total of five times consecutively from 2018 to 2022. He has also clinched the same honor in the Xfinity Series two times.
With the 2023 NASCAR season in the rearview, fans now anticipate the 2023 NASCAR Awards Banquet, which is set to take place on Thursday, November 30, at the Music City Center in Nashville.
