NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award

NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award is awarded to the fans' favorite NASCAR driver in the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide 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 is 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.

List of Sprint Cup Series recipients

1950s

1956 Curtis Turner
1957 Fireball Roberts
1958 Jack Smith
1959 Glen Wood

1960s

1960 Rex White
1961 Joe Weatherly
1962 Richard Petty
1963 Fred Lorenzen
1964 Richard Petty (2)
1965 Fred Lorenzen (2)
1966 Darel Dieringer
1967 Cale Yarborough
1968 Richard Petty (3)
1969 Bobby Isaac

1970s

1970 Bobby Allison
1971 Bobby Allison (2)
1972 Bobby Allison (3)
1973 Bobby Allison (4)
1974 Richard Petty (4)
1975 Richard Petty (5)
1976 Richard Petty (6)
1977 Richard Petty (7)
1978 Richard Petty (8)
1979 David Pearson

1980s

1980 Bobby Allison (5)
1981 Bobby Allison (6)
1982 Bobby Allison (7)
1983 Bobby Allison (8)
1984 Bill Elliott
1985 Bill Elliott (2)
1986 Bill Elliott (3)
1987 Bill Elliott (4)
1988 Bill Elliott (5)
1989 Darrell Waltrip

1990s

1990 Darrell Waltrip (2)
1991 Bill Elliott (6)
1992 Bill Elliott (7)
1993 Bill Elliott (8)
1994 Bill Elliott (9)
1995 Bill Elliott (10)
1996 Bill Elliott (11)
1997 Bill Elliott (12)
1998 Bill Elliott (13)
1999 Bill Elliott (14)

2000s

2000 Bill Elliott (15)
2001 Dale Earnhardt
2002 Bill Elliott (16)
2003 Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
2004 Dale Earnhardt, Jr.(2)
2005 Dale Earnhardt, Jr.(3)
2006 Dale Earnhardt, Jr.(4)
2007 Dale Earnhardt, Jr.(5)
2008 Dale Earnhardt, Jr.(6)
2009 Dale Earnhardt, Jr.(7)

2010s

2010 Dale Earnhardt, Jr.(8)

List of Nationwide Series recipients

1980s

1982 Jack Ingram
1983 Sam Ard
1984 Sam Ard (2)
1985 Jimmy Hensley
1986 Brett Bodine
1987 Jimmy Hensley (2)
1988 Larry Pearson
1989 Rob Moroso

1990s

1990 Bobby Labonte
1991 Kenny Wallace
1992 Joe Nemechek
1993 Joe Nemechek (2)
1994 Kenny Wallace (2)
1995 Chad Little
1996 David Green
1997 Mike McLaughlin
1998 Buckshot Jones
1999 Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

2000s

2000 Ron Hornaday, Jr.
2001 Kevin Harvick
2002 Greg Biffle
2003 Scott Riggs
2004 Martin Truex, Jr.
2005 Martin Truex, Jr. (2)
2006 Kenny Wallace (3)
2007 Carl Edwards
2008 Brad Keselowski
2009 Brad Keselowski (2)

2010s

2010 Brad Keselowski (3)
2011 Elliott Sadler

List of Camping World Truck Series recipients

1990s

1995 Butch Miller
1996 Jimmy Hensley
1997 Ron Hornaday, Jr.
1998 Stacy Compton
1999 Dennis Setzer

2000s

2000 Greg Biffle
2001 Joe Ruttman
2002 David Starr
2003 Brendan Gaughan
2004 Steve Park
2005 Ron Hornaday, Jr. (2)
2006 Johnny Benson, Jr.
2007 Johnny Benson, Jr. (2)
2008 Johnny Benson, Jr. (3)
2009 Ricky Carmichael

2010s

2010 Narain Karthikeyan
2011 Austin Dillon

NASCAR Mexico Series Recipients

2009 Jorge Arteaga
2010 Jorge Arteaga (2)
2011 Jorge Arteaga (3)

References

• Sprint Cup Series
• Nationwide Series
• Camping World Truck Series
• Wheaties Fuel Most Popular Driver