Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins NASCAR most popular driver award
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been named NASCAR‘s most popular driver for the eighth straight year.
Earnhardt, who drives for Hendrick Motorsports driver, was presented with the award at the National Motorsports Press Association Myers Brothers luncheon at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
With the win, Earnhardt is getting close to the record 10 straight most popular driver awards won by Bill Elliott from 1991 to 2000. But he has a long way to go yet to top Elliot’s total, as Elliott is the all-time leader, winning the award with 16 times.
Richard Petty has won 10 times, Earnhardt is now at eight and Bobby Allison has seven.
Earnhardt did not have a great NASCAR season, however, finishing 21st in points and missing the Chase for Sprint Cup for the second straight year and third time in four seasons.
It’s part of a downward trend for Earnhardt, who is in a 93-race losing streak dating back to Michigan in 2008.
Team owner Rick Hendrick said he is moving Earnhardt into the same shop with five-time defending Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and pairing him with Jeff Gordon crew chief Steve Letarte.
Gordon will now share a shop with Mark Martin and have Alan Gustafson as his crew chief.
Johnson’s crew chief, Chad Knaus, said it’s “hard to say how it’s going to affect us.”
