Following his lengthy driving career, Elton held key leadership positions for several race teams and here at NASCAR for the last eight seasons. The two sit 1-2 in all time victories, but the two were most famously known for their duel in the 1976 Daytona 500. Twenty-seven cars will compete in the 150-lap feature on the quarter-mile track built inside Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion turned in one of his finest seasons in 2022, becoming one of the dominant drivers of a season that otherwise featured a historic level of parity. That honor was achieved by younger brother Bobby in 2000. An independent group of 51 individuals representing various NASCAR roles were asked to give their objective and educated opinions on who the 50 greatest drivers in NASCAR history were. He has missed the first two ballots for the NASCAR Hall of Fame but will definitely be inducted within the next few years. It got so bad where fans wore shirts questioning Gordon's sexual preference. Now NASCAR has revealed the top 10 Cup Series drivers getting votes each day from the fans. Richard Childress was a very successful driver in his time, but his popularity skyrocketed after he decided to step out of the race car. Whether it was at the wheel of the Home Depot car, the Office Depot Chevrolet or his own late model, Tony Stewart is one of the most talked about and popular drivers to come into NASCAR in the last decade. Along the way, he has won the Daytona 500 three times, won 48 Cup races and built a Hall of Fame resume. 10. In 2004 at Rockingham, Long made the lineup, but he and some other drivers on the starting grid had the unfortunate term of "field fillers." 7. NASCAR's 15-time Most Popular Driver and winner of two Daytona 500s, Dale Earnhardt Jr., hosts his very own podcast, The Dale Jr Download on Dirty Mo Media. He won the Coke 600 and Brickyard 400 four times each and won the Southern 500 and Daytona 500 twice each. The medal ceremony will take place on a podium in Victory Lane, which will be located beneath the Olympic cauldron at the Coliseum. Fireball Roberts 1 of 49 As one of the originators of the speedway era in NASCAR in the early 1960s, Fireball Roberts. However, my quest to win in NASCAR continues. Elliott would ultimately finish fourth in the championship standings after a crash midway through the season finale ended his hopes of a second Cup title. Most Popular Driver Award presented by Hooters. But, it was an altercation in the garage at Michigan in 2003 that put Busch on the map, seeing as though it meant he had to take a punch. After just two races, McMurray put his name on the map as he won at Charlotte. That year, Dale Earnhardt. A trusted voice in the garage, Scott used his decades of experience to lead our competition team to new heights during a time that saw a new race format, a new playoff format and a new race car. The 1988 Cup Series champion Bill Elliott holds the record for Most Popular Driver Award wins with 16 1984-88, 1991-2000 and 2002. During this period, Ill be training and preparing for the opportunity to win.. Powered by. Probst, who most recently held the title of senior vice president of racing innovation, oversaw the development and evolution of the Next Gen race car. After parting with DEI in 2007, Junior came to Hendrick Motorsports and right away saw himself in the title hunt. @chaseelliott wins the 2022 NMPA Most Popular Driver Award presented by @Hooters! Name Hometown D.O.B. Yarborough would become a car owner in the 1990s and still remains a fixture in NASCAR. Wallace is as popular with today's fans as when he was driving. 9. Richard Petty When it comes to the racetrack, Richard Petty tops every list of greatest NASCAR drivers of all time because to date, no other race car driver has ever tallied as many wins as him. NASCAR unveiled the list on November 21 and revealed which drivers in alphabetical order -have been receiving the most votes through the first two weeks. His win at Daytona in 2001 was the win that healed a NASCAR nation. In the mid-1990s, Geoff Bodine was having a lot of success as a driver, winning races and earning a lot of respect from his fellow drivers. The race winners medal weighs 4.7 ounces and is covered in 24-karat plated gold. Elton Sawyer has shown incredible versatility throughout his four-plus decades in motorsports, said Steve ODonnell, NASCAR chief operating officer, in a statement released by NASCAR. We have a strong team at NASCAR, and Im excited to remain a part of it.. Here's a list of the 10 Coolest Cars NASCAR drivers drive at home. It has been a great experience over the years seeing him grow and become a very talented driver.. His 84 wins are tied with Darrell Waltrip for fourth on the all-time list. Elliott previously won the Most Popular Driver award twice in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2014 and 2015. He became the first man to win back-to-back Chase titles from 2006-2007, then tied Cale Yarborough with three straight in 2008. I have a deep passion for the sport, and am honored to be in a position to help shepherd the competition team during these exciting times.. Martin's final year of full-time driving looks to be in 2011, but it's safe to say this man is not going to lose any popularity among his peers when he walks away. The race after his death was at Pocono, and every driver was taking the loss hard. Twenty-seven cars will compete in the 150-lap feature on the quarter-mile track built inside Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. 9 Dodge Charger, the No. The smile on his face told the entire story. Pearson up high, Petty down low, and the two connect out of Turn 4, with each hitting the wall. The ten highest-paid Nascar drivers earned an estimated $120 million in 2019, a tick above 2018 but well below a decade ago when they banked a combined $180 million. One of the nicest guys in the garage in the early years of NASCAR, Jarrett won titles in 1961 and 1965. Elliott previously won the Most Popular Driver award in 2018, 2019, and 2020 as well. NASCAR Wednesday named former driver and long-time official Elton Sawyer its senior vice president of competition, replacing Scott Miller, who will assume the newly formed role of competition strategist. Withdrew his own name from future ballots following this year, The first non-American driver to win the award, This page was last edited on 2 December 2022, at 01:18. That nickname goes to Jeff Burton, who is one of the more outspoken drivers in the garage. Five drivers with a shot at the crown, and in the end by leading just one more lap than his closest competitor, Kulwicki took his lone championship. Among Lee Pettys win was the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959. Once the checkered flag waves and all is said and done, there is a custom rat rod GMC pickup with Joey Lagano's name on it waiting in his driveway. Bill Elliott certainly did many firsts in his career. The 1999 champion, Dale Jarrett, is on this list not just because of his popularity among the fans and the drivers. NASCAR Drivers; No. Regardless of where Chastain finishes in the final voting, there is no denying that his 2022 season featured a significant number of changes in terms of public opinion. That will lead him to much success down the road. Popularity among drivers doesn't limit one to just being behind the wheel. 7. Allison won four Southern 500s, three Daytona 500s and three Coca-Cola 600s. These will be tremendous prizes for our drivers who are competing inside a venue thats hosted two Olympic Games and is preparing for a third, said Ben Kennedy, NASCARs senior vice president for racing development and strategy. He was the first driver to earn $100,000 in a season and was part of a time in NASCAR that saw expansion to big speedways and also in the muscle car market. Over the years, many talented drivers have chased the championship, won dozens of races, come close to winning the title trophy and built Hall of Fame careers, all while failing to reach that ultimate goal. That was a little extreme, but when someone has that much success, anything could be fair game. When Labonte took over the lead late in the season, fans knew it would come down to the final races. He debuted at Rockingham, and right away, it was seen that the talent was there. Lee Petty First three-time Cup champion in series history. He would lose his life in a plane crash the following year. 10.2 Part-time drivers. However, he still has a long way to go to beat his dad, Bill Elliott, who won the award 16 times. Denny Hamlin Hamlin had the look of a championship driver from his first full-time season (2006), when he finished third in the standings. That popularity among his peers and fans earned him a spot in the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame class. All this means that popularity in NASCAR can be defined by its fan base. Now NASCAR has revealed the top 10 Cup Series drivers getting votes each day from the fans. Jimmie Johnson As time passes, his accomplishments will be further revered. In simple terms, NASCAR is all about popularity. 5. Voting has opened for the National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver Award, presented by Hooters, providing daily opportunities for people to weigh in. Lavar Scott, Andrs Prez de Lara, Jaiden Reyna and Justin Campbell are returning to Rev Racing, which operates the diversity program. He loved to party, was boisterous and at the same time could drive a race car. Los Angeles will host the 2028 Oympics. LAS VEGAS - Dale Earnhardt Jr. is NASCAR's most popular driver for the seventh consecutive year. Although in his death, NASCAR did mandate the window net, despite it taking seven years to do so. Elliott won three races for Evernham, including the Brickyard 400 in 2002. Despite the treatment working, later that year he was readmitted to the hospital because of complications. Only question among everyone in the sport that keeps coming up is "Could he continue this dominance?". Current NASCAR Cup Series drivers name their favorite driver Watch on As the sport has many drivers who have passionate fan bases. 1953 - Lee Petty. 9, which he made famous in the 1980s. 10.1 Full-time drivers. His trademark bow to the fans has become a staple at the end of a race just like a burnout. For most of its 75-year history, and particularly since the early 1970s, the focal point of the NASCAR Cup Series has been the season championship. Bobby Allison and Richard Petty are tied for third with eight awards. The medals will be presented after the Feb. 5 Busch Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Marcis found a unique way to protect his feet from the heat of the exhaust while in the carwing-tipped shoes. The winner of the most awards is Bill Elliott with 16 in the NASCAR Cup Series. Mark Martin Martin was Denny Hamlin before Denny Hamlin. The 2003 NASCAR Cup champion was always cool on the track, not being aggressive and earned the respect of many drivers. The cooling system in his car failed, but he was in the lead at Martinsville despite the temperatures beyond miserable. Fans still have plenty of time to vote, but in early October, here are the top 10 drivers in the Most Popular Driver content -- in alphabetical order . Smith will run the full Xfinity schedule for Kaulig. With a car that was 22 mph slower than the competitors, he used the draft to find his way to the front and eventually win a race. 1. That all changed in 2010 when his career really took off. He was the first NASCAR champion to win back-to-back-to-back championships from 1976-1978. Bodine has a lot of layers as he's competed in all three top NASCAR touring series, but his best success has come in the Camping World Truck Series. That humor has also landed him a spot on NASCAR Raceday and Victory Lane, where his craziness just makes the weekend at the track more fun. The interesting thing about Lorenzen was that he never ran a full schedule. With NASCAR in its two-week break, the NBC Sports NASCAR Power Rankings puts together its top 10 list of drivers in the sports history. NMPA Hall of Fame member and 1988 Cup Series champion Bill Elliott holds the record for most popular driver award wins with 161984-1988, 1991-2000 and 2002. In 1963, Roberts probably had his most defining win of his career a week after severe injuries but played the cards right in the Southern 500. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Elton Sawyer named to NASCARs top competition position, Chandler Smith to attempt Daytona 500 for Kaulig Racing, Landon Cassill wont return to Kaulig Racing Xfinity car full-time, NASCAR to award medals to top three finishers of Busch Clash, MORE: Dale Earnhardt Jr. to run Xfinity race at Bristol, MORE: Stewart-Haas sets crew chief lineup, MORE: Chandler Smith to attempt Daytona 500, MORE: NASCAR to award medals to top three finishes in Clash. 8.1 Full-time drivers. 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