NASCAR Most Popular Driver finalists announced
Fans can again vote for the NASCAR Most Popular Driver Award, choosing from among 10 finalists announced Wednesday.
The National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) announced the finalists after more than a half-million votes were cast to get the list down to the final 10. Vote totals will be reset to zero with voting continuing over the next 10 weeks, coinciding with the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup.
The 10 finalists are, in alphabetical order: Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart.
Fans will have 10 race weeks to cast their vote once a day at www.mostpopulardriver.com to determine the winner from the final 10 drivers. Voting will conclude at 11:59 p.m. ET Nov. 18, and the winner will be announced at the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Luncheon in November.
Earnhardt Jr. collected his ninth consecutive Most Popular Driver Award at the end of the 2011 season, joining Bill Elliott as the only drivers to win the award eight years in a row. Elliott holds the record for most consecutive Most Popular Driver wins with 10, and he also holds the record for total wins with 16.
He removed himself from voting after earning the honor the 16th time.
"The voice of the fan continues to be heard through the Most Popular Driver award," NMPA president Rea White said. "These drivers are each great representatives of the sport and of its fan base."
For more information, or to vote on the NASCAR NMPA Most Popular Driver Award, fans should log on to www.MostPopularDriver.com.
