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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Chase Elliott earned his eighth consecutive NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver award Tuesday.
The announcement was far from a surprise as the 29-year-old Elliott continues to enjoy the popularity first gained by his father, Bill, a 16-time winner of the award.
Only two drivers have earned the award in the last 23 years, as Dale Earnhardt Jr. won it for 15 consecutive years until his retirement following the 2017 season.
Elliott, who failed to advance to the championship round of the playoffs, was not in attendance at the year-end awards ceremony as only the championship finalists were required to attend.
In a statement, Elliott thanked fans for their votes but noted it goes beyond the votes.
“It’s so much more than the votes,” Elliott said. “I tell a lot of people this that I talk to about it, that it’s really about the people and the support that I get to see first-hand. I know not everybody has that vantage point or that perspective, but it truly is incredible and every year it blows me away to travel to parts of the country that you would never think that people are that passionate about what we’re doing.
“I just want to make sure everyone understands that I’m forever grateful for that, whether we win the award or don’t win the award.”
The 2020 Cup champion, Elliott finished eighth in the 2025 standings with two victories.
The award, administered by the National Motorsports Press Association, is one of the longest-running awards in NASCAR. Voting is conducted by online vote.
Drivers in the top 5 of the voting were (in alphabetical order) were Ryan Blaney, Ross Chastain, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson.
Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and INDYCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.
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