Jump to content

NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Bgwhite (talk | contribs) at 06:17, 5 December 2016 (WP:CHECKWIKI error fix. Broken bracket problem. Do general fixes and cleanup if needed. - using AWB). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

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.

Camping World Truck Series

Johnny Benson Jr. has the most Most Popular Driver Awards in the Truck Series with three.
Year Driver Team Notes
1982 Jack Ingram Ingram Racing Won the series championship
1983 Sam Ard Thomas Brothers Racing Won the series championship
1984
1985 Jimmy Hensley
1986 Brett Bodine
1987 Jimmy Hensley Sam Ard Racing
1988 Larry Pearson Pearson Racing
1989 Rob Moroso Moroso Racing Won the series championship
1990 Bobby Labonte Labonte Motorsports
1991 Kenny Wallace Rusty Wallace Racing
1992 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Won the series championship
1993
1994 Kenny Wallace FILMAR Racing
1995 Chad Little Mark Rypien Motorsports
1996 David Green American Equipment Racing
1997 Mike McLaughlin Frank Cicci Racing
1998 Buckshot Jones Buckshot Racing
1999 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Won the series championship
2000 Ron Hornaday Jr.
2001 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Won the series championship
2002 Greg Biffle Roush Racing Won the series championship
2003 Scott Riggs ppc Racing
2004 Martin Truex Jr. Chance 2 Motorsports Won the series championship
2005
2006 Kenny Wallace ppc Racing
2007 Carl Edwards Roush Fenway Racing Won the series championship
2008 Brad Keselowski JR Motorsports
2009
2010 Penske Racing
2011 Elliott Sadler Richard Childress Racing
2012 Danica Patrick JR Motorsports The first female driver to win the MPD award
2013 Regan Smith
2014 Chase Elliott Won the series championship
2015
2016 Elliott Sadler
Year Driver Team Notes
1995 Butch Miller Liberty Racing
1996 Jimmy Hensley Grandaddy Racing
1997 Ron Hornaday Jr. Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
1998 Stacy Compton Impact Motorsports
1999 Dennis Setzer K Automotive Racing
2000 Greg Biffle Roush Racing Won the series championship
2001 Joe Ruttman Bobby Hamilton Racing
2002 David Starr Spears Motorsports
2003 Brendan Gaughan Orleans Racing
2004 Steve Park
2005 Ron Hornaday Jr. Kevin Harvick Incorporated
2006 Johnny Benson Jr. Bill Davis Racing
2007
2008 Won the series championship
2009 Ricky Carmichael Kevin Harvick Incorporated, Turner Motorsports
2010 Narain Karthikeyan Wyler Racing The first non-American driver to win the award
2011 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing Won the series championship
2012 Nelson Piquet Jr. Turner Motorsports
2013 Ty Dillon Richard Childress Racing
2014 Ryan Blaney Brad Keselowski Racing
2015 John Hunter Nemechek SWM-NEMCO Motorsports
2016 Tyler Reddick Brad Keselowski Racing

Mexico Series

Year Driver Team Notes
2009 Jorge Arteaga FCV Racing
2010
2011
2012 Pepe Montaño
2013
2014 Rodrigo Marbán Patricia Marbán
2015

References

  1. ^ Wilhelm, Chase (December 2, 2016). "Dale Jr. wins NASCAR's Most Popular Driver, reveals wedding date". Foxsports.com. Retrieved December 2, 2016.