The Chex NMPA NASCAR Most Popular Driver of 2006 Award. website in now up and running, fans can vote at mostpopulardriver.com.(3-17-2006)
MORE Internet voting for the NASCAR NMPA Chex Most Popular Driver begins this weekend at www.mostpopulardriver.com. Under the Chex banner for the second year, the Most Popular Driver Award has become the largest fan-based award in motorsports. Since General Mills started sponsoring the award in 2002 more than 13.4 million votes have been cast. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the award the past three years. This year more than 40 Nextel Cup Series drivers are eligible for the esteemed NASCAR NMPA Chex Most Popular Driver Award, which is administered by the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA). It has been awarded annually since 1956 and is one of the oldest awards in racing. Fans may vote on the site once each day beginning this weekend. Voting ends at11:59am/ct, Monday, November 20, 2006.
NASCAR NMPA Chex Most Popular Driver Key Points
Top winners of the award are Bill Elliott with 16 wins and Richard Petty with nine.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.s win in 2005 made him the seventh driver in NASCAR history to win the award in consecutive seasons. The other six drivers are Lee Petty, Bobby Allison, Richard Petty, David Pearson, Bill Elliott and Darrell Waltrip.
More than 14 million votes have been cast since General Mills began sponsoring the award in 2002. Prior to General Mills sponsorship of the award, the most votes cast in a single season were 400,000.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. received a record 1,403,544 votes in 2005. Jeff Gordon finished second with 594,434 votes.(Elevation / General Mills PR)(3-19-2006)
