One-time NASCAR Cup Series champion voted MOST POPULAR driver in 2024

NASCAR star Chase Elliot has been named the Cup Series' most popular driver in 2024 by the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA).

The NMPA is a body made up of qualified media members who report on motorsport across a variety of mediums including but not limited to print, radio and television.

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Every year, the organization presents several racing awards, including the Richard Petty Driver of the Year Award, the Myers Brothers Award, the NMPA Pocono Spirit Award, and the Wood Brothers Award of Excellence.

Impressively, Elliot is now a seven-time winner of the Most Popular Driver Award having been given the honor every year since 2018.

That does, however, still leave him eight shy of Dale Earnhardt Jr's record set at 15 consecutive years between 2003 and 2017 and nine shy of the overall record set by his father Bill Elliot at 16 wins.

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Elliot: Thank you to the fans

Speaking to NASCAR upon receipt of the 2024 award, Elliot was keen to show his gratitude: “Thank you to the fans,”

“The fans have meant so much to myself, my career, my family and beyond.

"When I look at that award, regardless whether I won it tonight or not, I’m grateful for the fans across the country and around the world for what they do for me, but I’ve always looked at it as a little bit of just an opportunity to honor and appreciate the legacy that my family has really set up for me.

"I think at the end of the day, I’ve always just tried to carry myself and represent that as they would want me to and try to make them proud.

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“As I look at my fans and the people that genuinely want to see us do well, I just see a lot of dedication and people that are willing to spend their hard-earned money on T-shirts and hats and to come to the races and support us.

"I see a lot of that at the race track, and I don’t want anyone to ever think that I take any of that for granted.”

Clearly, the award is very much about popularity and not just winning, too, with Elliot having only won one Cup Series race this past season and being eliminated after the round of eight in the playoffs.

That came at the 2024 Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 back in April where the #9 Hendrick Motorsports car finished on top.

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