Receiving unprecedented support from voters – and the entire industry – the late two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch has won the 2026 National Motorsports Press Association’s Most Popular Driver award.
Busch’s wife Samantha accepted the award on his behalf – receiving a standing ovation – during the NASCAR Cup Series Awards Banquet at the Adrienne Arsht Performing Arts Center in Miami Beach Tuesday evening.
The NMPA Most Popular Driver Award It is the only major award of the evening decided solely by race fans. Busch, the 2015 and 2019 NASCAR Cup Series champion earned 261,612 votes and also received massive vocal support from the entire industry following his sudden passing in May of this year.
Busch, 41, is the winningest driver in the history of NASCAR’s three premier series, amassing 231 wins among the three divisions including 63 in the NASCAR Cup Series.
“Oh, I want to cry thinking about it, he wanted that award for so many years,’’ Busch said told reporters before the evening. “And I’m so thrilled he got it. Maybe the coolest thing is how the other drivers came together in order to really rally their fans behind him.
“I think a lot of people see them as competitors or think they don’t like each other, but at the end of the day NASCAR Is a big family and just seeing Chase [Elliott] and [Kyle] Larson, being like, ‘no give this to Kyle, give this to Kyle.
“I know he’s up there going, ‘I finally got it.’ We all know Kyle. Also for the kids it’s really special. When I told Brexton he was like, ‘no way, no way’ He was really pumped and it was exciting for them.’’
“He was such a big part of this sport and so wonderful to hear the last couple months what an impact he had.’’
Newly crowned, three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson and Spire Motorsports’ driver Carson Hocevar finished second and third in the voting.
Two-time and recently crowned 2026 champion, JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier received the Most Popular Driver honor for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. His JRM teammate Rajah Caruth and 2025 series champion, Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love received the next highest vote total.
And Front Row Motorsports driver, this year’s championship runner-up Layne Riggs was voted Most Popular Driver in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Kaulig Racing’s Brenden Queen and the 2026 series champion, TRICON Garage driver Kaden Honeycutt rounded out the top-three in voting.
Busch’s recognition this season comes after a historic run of titles from Hendrick Motorsports driver, 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Chase Elliott, who claimed the Most Popular Driver Award from 2018 to 2025 and, in support of Busch, asked to have his name removed from the 2026 ballot.
Previous winners of this stories 44-year old award include Elliott’s father, the 1988 Cup Series Champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, who holds the record with 16 Most Popular Driver Award designations. Fellow NASCAR Hall of Fame driver and two-time Daytona 500 champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the award 15 times.
— National Motorsports Press Association —