Who is the most famous NASCAR driver in history?

NASCAR has produced quite a few drivers who have become massively popular among the masses.

Who is the most famous NASCAR driver in history?

Richard Petty and Jimmie Johnson

NASCAR has been around for several years and has a rich history that is full of remarkable moments. The sport has become a global phenomenon, and with the speed at which it is growing, the sport is well on its way to becoming one of the most viewed motorsports events on the planet. A major chunk of credit for the ever-increasing fan following of the sport goes to the NASCAR drivers.

The Most Popular Driver award is given every year to the most popular driver in the Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and Truck Series. While many have claimed the award over the years, there is only one person who is considered the most famous driver in NASCAR’s history, as they have won the award multiple times in the France family-owned racing championship.

That prolific driver is none other than the 1988 Winston Championship winner, Bill Elliott. He is popularly known as Awesome Bill from Dawsonville in the NASCAR arena. In his career, he has amassed an impressive 16 Most Popular Driver of the Year awards. During his prime years, he was an absolute menace on the racing track, and only a few were able to match him during racing events.

While Elliott has held the title of Most Popular Driver in NASCAR for many years, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the most famous driver in terms of fan following. Moreover, he is second on the list of the Most Popular Driver, with 15 awards to his name. He is a huge stalwart of NASCAR; the American has participated in a massive 631 Cup Series races, and 144 Xfinity races in his career that spans over 26 years.

Jimmy Johnson and Richard Petty earned NASCAR stardom with their dominance

When it comes to amassing the maximum number of Most Popular Driver of the Year Awards, there is no one in close proximity to Bill Elliott, and Dale Jr. The two are in a league of their own. However, that is not the only criterion for ascertaining the most popular personalities in the competition. Most often, the award goes to a driver who has the most fans for his character on and off track instead of the best driver of the year.

Jimmy Johnson and Richard Petty
Jimmy Johnson and Richard Petty

Richard Petty is a huge name in the sport, who did his racing between 1958 and 1992. If this is not a statistic enough, the American participated in a whopping 1184 NASCAR Cup Series over a span of 35 years. In modern racing, reaching such numbers is just not a possibility. Moreover, during his long run, he won 200 races, 712 Top Ten finishes, and a highly impressive 123 pole position.

The drivers that have been discussed above are all esteemed personalities. Still, there is one other driver without whom the conversation of most popular drivers in NASCAR history is just not complete. Jimmie Johnson is a huge name in motorsports and has a huge fan following all across the globe. Moreover, whenever he is seen around a NASCAR track, his aura is just something else, and why wouldn’t it be, considering he has won the NASCAR Cup Series a brilliant 7 times from 2006 onward?

He is one of a kind, and so far in his Cup Series career, he has participated in 637 races, during which, he has won 84 times with 374 Top Ten finishes, and 36 pole positions. The man’s record speaks for itself, and he is one of the most popular drivers in the sport, even though he does not feature on the Most Popular Driver’s list.

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