This is a dream come true for me, Smith said in a statement released by the team. NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award is awarded to the most popular NASCAR driver in the Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series every year since 1956. pic.twitter.com/iM7jihS3VZ, RELATED: NASCAR COO Steve ODonnell Appears To Signal They Will Outlaw Moves Like Ross Chastains Hail Melon Martinsville Move. Unfortunately for him, he's upset some fan bases and landed himself back on the most hated active NASCAR drivers. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Junior, who won 26 times in Cup, repeated much of his fathers successes on the sports biggest tracks but fell short of joining him in scoring championships. Earnhardt and co-host Mike Davis raise the bar with unparalleled perspective, candid commentary, and fascinating, first-person insight into the life of a broadcaster, celebrated racer. Then, during the first Chase for the Cup, Busch made a believer out of everyone that he was champion material. Elliott continued his career with his own team in the mid-1990s but got a resurgence in 2001 when he signed with Evernham Motorsports to bring Dodge back to NASCAR and also bring back the No. In 1998, as part of its 50th anniversary celebration, NASCAR gathered a panel to select the "50 Greatest NASCAR Drivers of All Time." Busch races for the Richard Childress Racing team and has a . When he came on as a broadcaster, it was one of the most natural transitions anyone had seen. It was his unique celebration that earned him the popularity with the fans, and it is surely to only go up with each season. He won the championship three of those years. He was the original "Most Popular Driver" in NASCAR. Prior to joining NASCAR, Sawyer served as director of team operations for IMSAs Action Express Racing. 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. His most popular and signature win came at Talladega that same year when Waltrip popped out the roof of his Chevrolet, thanks to the new escape hatch. A young face, great driving ability and great determination sum up Kasey Kahne. Getty In NASCAR, he became arguably the most popular driver of the 2000s by winning 49 career Cup Series races from 1999-2016. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 2. That is determination. Rudd would win the race, pull into victory lane and have to be pulled from the car in order to get some fresh air. He debuted at Rockingham, and right away, it was seen that the talent was there. Richard Petty He went from seven-time champion to cultural icon. The award, which is determined by a fan vote, has been. The two sit 1-2 in all time victories, but the two were most famously known for their duel in the 1976 Daytona 500. This man isn't blowing smoke, but he does know how to smoke the competition. View . Im thankful to the France Family and everyone at NASCAR for the opportunity they gave me seven years ago, and I appreciate the chance to stay in the fold to help however and wherever I can. No one could have expected him to be so popular so soon. X Most Recent @nascarcasm At-Track Driver Wins eNascar Fantasy Fastlane Garage 56 Lineup Gallery Memorable Moments Most Popular Driver NASCAR 75 NASCAR Competition NASCAR Roots Paint Scheme . Patalak, who has worked at the NASCAR R&D Center since 2005, oversees NASCARs safety team, researching, developing and approving driver and vehicle safety systems. Los Angeles will host the 2028 Oympics. Smith finished third in the Craftsman Truck Series standings last year, recording three wins, nine top fives and 16 top 10s. 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 . But even before his title, Labonte had gotten the break he needed to become a very strong and very popular driver. It's hard to say, but Hamlin made the most of the opportunity. As a kid, you always have the goal of one day racing in the Cup Series. 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. When someone can back up what they say, that's big. He tried to follow up his victory in 2001 with another run but didn't make it. Much like his father, Davey was a great driver and knew his way around the race car. That all changed in 2010 when his career really took off. 1958 - Glen Wood. Voting has opened for the National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver Award, presented by Hooters, providing daily opportunities for people to weigh in. He was the first NASCAR champion to win back-to-back-to-back championships from 1976-1978. 10/10 10. The team announced Wednesday that Smith, 20, plans to run five Cup races with sponsorship from Quick Tie Products. The problem with that wreck, more than the damage, was that car was the only one Long owned and put a major dent in his pocketbook. Sawyer joined NASCAR in February of 2015 as managing director of the Craftsman Truck Series. After Earnhardt won the Most Popular Driver Award for 15 consecutive seasons to close out his career, it was Chase Elliott, the son of 1988 champion and 16-time Most Popular Driver Award winner Bill Elliott, who won it for the first time in his third season of full-time competition in 2018. 2/2 During this period, Ill be training and preparing for the opportunity to win. The image of Bodine being carted off to the ambulance, all the while trying to take off his oxygen mask, earned the respect of everyone. Among Lee Pettys win was the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959. At that point, fans began to hate Busch as he would go on to win the following week at Bristol. Thought to go into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on the first class of inductees, Pearson was surprisingly left out. That year, Dale Earnhardt. 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. Or, could it have something to do with his most famous sponsor, Hooters? . There really is no telling how far "Fireball" could have gone in the sport. The medal ceremony will take place on a podium in Victory Lane, which will be located beneath the Olympic cauldron at the Coliseum. The only reason Adam is low on this list is because his popularity was cut off before it could ever start. As soon as Dale Earnhardt Jr. retired. 9.1 Full-time drivers. Let's go racing, boys.". The living members of this group were honored on February 15, 1998 during pre-race festivities for the 1998 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. When he made the first Chase in 2004, he finished third, then second the next season. Following his lengthy driving career, Elton held key leadership positions for several race teams and here at NASCAR for the last eight seasons. His trademark bow to the fans has become a staple at the end of a race just like a burnout. We are thrilled that Scott Miller has chosen to remain a key part of the NASCAR competition team. After more than 40 years around race cars week after week, its time to step back and look at the next chapter of my life in motorsports, Miller said. Pearson up high, Petty down low, and the two connect out of Turn 4, with each hitting the wall. The mark he leaves on the organization is significant. The list also includes Christopher Bell, reigning champion Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr., Alex Bowman, and Ryan Blaney. But, who knew that popularity had two different sides. The Cup Series returns Aug. 8 at Watkins Glen International (3 p.m. He has missed the first two ballots for the NASCAR Hall of Fame but will definitely be inducted within the next few years. His popularity among the fans is evident by his nickname "Smoke." But for Kevin Harvick, his popularity came at a sacrifice. Here is a list of those five drivers, listed in alphabetical order. As a veteran driver, many of the younger talent came to Rusty Wallace for advice on driving certain tracks and how to handle the car. Since joining NASCAR in 2014, Jacuzzi has led the team tasked to design the aerodynamic elements of the race vehicles for all three national series including the Next Gen car as well as the Garage 56 car scheduled to run in the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans. Before even stepping into the broadcast booth, Darrell Waltrip was certainly a character in NASCAR. When he joined NASCAR in 2016, Scott lent immediate credibility to the position. The winner of the most awards is Bill Elliott with 16 in the NASCAR Cup Series. 2. But, in a way, his legacy lives on. 8:09 pm ET, NASCAR requiring fire-resistant underwear for drivers, Report: Travis Pastrana to enter Daytona 500 for 23XI, Kyle Larson to race 2024 Indy 500 for Arrow McLaren, Kevin Harvick to retire at end of 2023 season, Frankie Muniz to race full-time in ARCA in 2023, Dale Jr. and other NASCAR stars purchase CARS Tour, Chase Elliott named 2022 NASCAR Most Popular Driver, Additional cities interested in NASCAR street races, NASCAR reveals format for 2023 Clash at the Coliseum, Biggest questions for final NFL teams left standing. His excitement for the sport is uncanny, especially when NASCAR heads to Bristol. For Dave Marcis, his racing career spanned over 30 years and saw him win only five times. Do you REALLY know @chaseelliott? Long continued to race, but after an engine fiasco at the Sprint All-Star Race a few years ago that saw him penalized $250,000, we didn't hear much from him. His win in the 1960 Daytona 500 can be credited to him discovering the use of drafting. 3. GettyJoey Logano (left) & Ryan Blaney (right) race at Phoenix Raceway. Another driver that was popular among his peers and fans alike was Davey Allison. section: | slug: chase-elliott-wins-nascar-most-popular-driver-award-for-a-fifth-straight-year | sport: nascar | route: article_single.us | He debuted on the NASCAR national series scene in 1983, racing in what is now the Xfinity Series. But, his popularity among the ladies is rather obvious. Will this wild move lead to Chastain dethroning Elliott? Logano, 32, won the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series championship and finished the season with four wins, 11 top-5 finishes, and 17 top-20 finishes. In fact, the two drivers had careers that nearly were parallel in statistics. Everyone knew what Petty meant to this sport. NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers is an alphabetical list of NASCAR drivers. His popularity among the drivers in seeing how he backed up his word made him very popular. It was a white No. Petty has since gotten out of the car but has always remained loyal to his racing roots as he is part of SPEED's NASCAR Raceday and NASCAR Victory Lane. His career was cut short, but his popularity reigns supreme. Davey Allison Truly his fathers son (Bobby won the championship in 1983), Davey checked every box that might be listed under champion in the early years of his career. In his new role, Sawyer will oversee all aspects of on-track competition, inspection, rule development and officiating, focusing specifically on NASCARs three national series Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Truck Series. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. Mark Martin is without question the most popular, most respected and overall most liked driver in the garage. But, what really set off his popularity in NASCAR was the moment that blasted NASCAR into the main stream. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nascar | pageType: stories | Elliott won three races for Evernham, including the Brickyard 400 in 2002. His nickname was "The Professor," and in NASCAR, it's hard to find those kind of legends to give that kind of insight. He may not have reached a level like his famous father, but Kyle certainly held his own. The venue hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1932 and 1984 Olympics. 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. He has also previously held competition roles at Red Bull Racing and Evernham Motorsports. However, thanks to one track and another family member, Allison's popularity in NASCAR was set in stone. Petty retired from driving in 1992, but in a way, he just never left. Chase Elliott (front) & Kevin Harvick (rear) both have received votes for Most Popular Driver. Winning the title was noteworthy prior to the RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co. joining NASCAR as its primary sponsor, but the stacks of money provided by the Winston cigarette brand increased the importance of the championship exponentially. This town was particularly very special, racing at Nashville over the summer with Dad and just seeing that energy and fire and really across the country. In fact, it was where he locked up his 2000 championship. Chase Elliott sits in fifth with four wins. 7. As one of the originators of the speedway era in NASCAR in the early 1960s, Fireball Roberts was a name everyone recognized in the sport. His unfortunate death a year later from pneumonia following a scary crash with Ned Jarrett and Junior Johnson cut short a promising career. 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