Chase Elliott claims the 2023 Most Popular Cup Driver award is an ‘extension of my family’s place in’ NASCAR
Chase Elliott has continued his domination of the Most Popular Driver Awards.
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Bill Elliott and Chase Elliott (Via IMAGO)
Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott was awarded the sixth consecutive NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver award at Nashville Boardway. He has been the victor since Dale Earnhardt Jr. retired in 2017. Eliott secured more votes than reigning champion Ryan Blaney and retired veteran Kevin Harvick.
While it wasn’t a surprise Elliott won, it is a bit concerning that the HMS driver has won despite having the worst season of his career. It would’ve been more suiting if Blaney or Harvick was the victor as they had much more to offer this season. But at the end of the day, the fans have backed their favorite racer and bestowed him the honor.
Elliott, while talking about winning it at Nashville, pointed out that he sees this award as a reflection of the place the Elliott family has in NASCAR. He is grateful to the fans for their support in tough times and the love they have shown over the years.
Really this award, in my eyes, has been a reflection and an extension of my family's place in the sport. I recognize my spot in line and recognize what they've done. The reason it is special is because of the fans and how supportive they have been to my entire family, myself included, over the years and I am so grateful for what they do for us. They've been phenomenal.Elliott said, as reported by AP.
Going into the 2024 season after a winless 2023 that saw him miss out on the playoff for the first time, his priority will be to reward fans with on-track performance. This year has been bad for him from the start due to a tibia injury that made him sit out six races. He failed to regain momentum after the incidents and just survived the season hoping for the best next year.
The Elliott’s and Earnahrdt’s has been dominating the award for the last 33 years
In the last 33 years of the sport, only Four drivers have won the Most-Popular driver awards. Dale Earnhardt won the award for most popular driver award in 2001, after his tragic death in the Daytona 500. He ended the 11-year award-winning streak of Bill Elliott, who is the father of Chase Elliott.
From 2002, Dale Sr.’s son Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the award for 15 consecutive years before retirement in 2017. Since then, it has been the Chase Elliott domination. Bill Elliott holds the record for the most Cup Most Popular Driver Awards with 16, one more than Dale Jr.
Elliott seems to be in the right spot to break this record, if he is able to keep the hunger for racing alive Elliott can race for more than 10 years in the Cup series and his fandom doesn’t seem to be diminishing. The sport might need the arrival of a new star to topple him.
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Justin P Joy
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