Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the favorite son. He’s the favorite son of the fans who seem to keep Dale Sr.’s spirit alive by rooting for Dale Jr. I get that. I’m there too. Despite a rough and tough season, the fans stick behind Dale Jr.. So much so that he’s won the Most Popular Driver award, again.
Richard Petty won it 9 times starting in 1962. Then in 64, 68, 74-78.
Bobby Allison won it 8 times starting in 1970 to 73, then 1980 to 83.
Bill Elliott though is the man to beat in the category of the Most Popular driver. Elliott’s won the award 16 times starting from 1984, spanning ‘84 to 88, interrupted by Darrel Waltrip in ‘89 & 90, then Bill Elliott ran with it from 1991 to 2000.
In 2001 Dale Earnhardt (Sr.) took the award in his afterlife, and Bill Elliott won it once again, for the last time, in 2002.
Since 2003, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been the recipient of the award ever since.
I feel bad for the rest of the competition. We should make a runner-up kind of, we haven’t forgotten you award for those coming in 2nd!
NBaP Tidbit: Rumor (?) has it that the award will be renamed to The Bill Elliott Award once Bill retires from the sport.
