Most Popular Driver... Ho hum

Dale Earnhardt Jr was once again named Most Popular Driver for 2011. I don't care, do you?

But Bill Elliott still holds the record for 16x MPD

I agree with you BT. I forgot the exact formula for voting, but it is a rigged outcome. Junior is an ok guy, but it really gets disgusting to see this travesty year after year. No slight to Bill Elliott, but it was the same. He had the decency to finally withdraw his name from voting.

Remember when the only two time DW won the award was in 89' and 90' when he hired illegals to vote for him....

Come on Robbie---He shaved and cleaned up real good,didnt you see?? Or did Reba steal the light

I could care less. It used to mean something back in the day when the actual competitors voted in each NASCAR Series - GN, Modified, Sportsman - for the "Most Popular Driver" in their respective division. Those lists make fascinating reading. The award lost all meaning when it went "public" and the Bill Elliott/Howdy Doodyfan club year after year was allowed to swamp the ballot box with multiple votes.

After all my years at Wrangler Jeans, I did, however, appreciate a CNN Newscaster yesterday stating that Earnhardt's award must of been due to his Wrangler Jeans TV commercials versus his racetrack performance. That's the kind of "pop" a minor personal servicessponsor dreams of. I'm sure it wasn't appreciated by the major beverage company sponsoring Mr. Junior, however.

See my reply below regarding Elliott.

The "fan" vote for Most Popular Driver began in 1984. From 1956-1983 the drivers in each NASCAR seriesvoted on the award. It really did mean something then. Here's who the NASCAR drivers voted as THEIR most popular:

Grand National/Winston Cup/Nextel Cup/Sprint Cup(that still sounds like an open wheel series, doesn't it?)

1956 - Curtis Turner

1957 -Fireball Roberts

1958 - Glen Wood

1959 - Junior Johnson

1960 - Rex White

1961 - Joe Weatherly

1962 - Richard Petty

1963 - Fred Lorenzen

1964 - Richard Petty

1965 - Fred Lorenzen

1966 - Darel Dieringer

1967 - Cale Yarborough

1968 - Richard Petty

1969 - Bobby Isaac

1970 - Richard Petty

1971 - Bobby Allison

1972 - Bobby Allison

1973 - Bobby Allison

1974 - Richard Petty

1975 - Richard Petty

1976 - Richard Petty

1977 - Richard Petty

1978 - Richard Petty

1979 - David Pearson

1980 - Bobby Allison

1981 - Bobby Allison

1982 - Bobby Allison

1983 - Bobby Allison

For what it's worth, Richard Petty at 9 times and Bobby Allison at 7 times lead the voting by their driving peers as Most Popular.

Little known fact: Only ONE driver has ever been voted by his peers as Most Popular Driver in two different NASCAR series in the same year. In 1977, Harry Gant of Taylorsville, NC was voted Most Popular Driver in both the Late Model Sportsman series and the Modified Series by the drivers in those respective divisions. Quite an honor for Handsome Harry who only ran a couple of modified events. No other NASCAR driver has ever been voted Most Popular in two different series in the same year, before or since, by the other drivers or by the "fans" (fan clubs).

I had forgotten about Silver Fox getting the award in 79. A bit comical in retrospect after he & the Woods parted ways after the spring Darlington race. He wasn't even a full time driver for most of the 70s - particularly in 79. But I imagine he got a ton of peer recognition and support after that deal + his willingness and ability to jump in Earnhardt's #2 car. His winning the Southern 500 in Osterland's car in the next race at the track where he lost his ride was a pretty legendary victory.

I was there that day for the 1979 Southern 500. Two things brought the fans to their feet that day:

!) David winning the race in the Osterlund car

2) DW literally falling asleep at the wheel with a HUGE, commanding lead and smacking the wall, opening the way for the Silver Fox. When DW hit the wall, you could hear the cheering over the cars.

I thought the only three seasons he drove full-time was the three years he won the championship - 66,68, and 69. No?

Nascar has to give him something. I mean he cant win on the track. Hasnt won in 3 years and the one race he won with Hendrick was on fuel mileage at Michigan. As long as he is driving he will win this "award".

I would never question Dale Junior's popularity. That is obvious. My comments above reference the change from the drivers themselves voting for the award to the "public" vote. When Harry Melling enticed Alexis Leras to move from Ormond Beach to Dawsonville, GA (after having been NASCAR PR Director prior to the now imprisonned Chip Williams) and take over PR/Marketing duties for his team, Alexis set the standard for creating a driver fan club and rallying it through various means to stuff the ballot boxes for MPD. My hat is off to her and the magnificient job she did laying the groundwork for how to win the voting tally. Dale Jr. was the Most Popular Driver when racing lost Dale Senior before Junior turned another lap. I sure don't dislike Dale, Jr. My girls used to swim in the motel pools and play little matchbox cars with him when we were on the road. His popularity is of no question. However, back when Major League Baseball changed the All-Star game voting to a fan vote, the game lost most of its meaning and today is a snoozer watched by few. I equate that to NASCAR's MPD vote today.

For instance I don't see Bill Elliott ever winning a driver vote "back in the day" for Most Popular. At that point in time, from my own personal observations, Bill Elliott was having absolutely no contact with fellow competitors. As soon as he came in the garage, he was on a creeper under the car, not socializing. At the same time Dale Earnhardt, who was also not winning any votes from fellow competitors, was either in the back of his transporter asleep in his hammock or trying to figure how to get out of the garage and go hunting. Darrell was busy with personal appearances or off running his mouth. The two guys who were always around to answer the questions of young drivers and help them any way they could - Richard Petty and Bobby Allison - were also the two drivers being voted Most Popular by their fellow competitors. No slam against Elliott, Earnhardt or Waltrip, but no way were they going to win a driver vote when Petty and Allison were in the garage helping their fellow competitors. Eliott won his first MPD title the first year of the fan vote. The fans didn't care that he snubbed all the other drivers, kept to himself, and had Alexis deal with the media rather than face the media himself. A different day.

Wally, I'm no fan of Dale Jr but I do understand the fan vote is important, but it sticks in my craw that he is that popular and he can't win, and most times he's not even competitive. Growing up the most popular was a competitive driver and a winning driver. I wish it would go back to when the competitors would have a vote. Maybe 75% competitors, 25% fan vote. Face it, if you aren't a Jr fan then your driver doesn't have a shot at the award. Look at Jr's reaction, his words say it means alot but he honestly acts as if he doesn't care, and even said that weeks ago.

PK, Give Alexis Leras, former head of PR for NASCAR who was hired by Harry Melling and moved to Dawsonville from Daytona ALL the credit for organizing the Bill Elliott Fan Club and orchestrating the fan voting when it began. She was simply awesome. Dan was as outgoing, personable and funny as Bill was reclusive. Lots of times Ernie didn't even come to the track.