That honor was achieved by younger brother Bobby in 2000. John Probst has been promoted to chief racing development officer; Dr. Eric Jacuzzi has been promoted to vice president of vehicle performance; Dr. John Patalak has been promoted to vice president of safety engineering; and Brandon Thomas has been promoted to vice president of vehicle design. His crazy antics in the garage are well known just as much as his ability to drive the race car. 1. 6-keys: media/spln/nascar/reg/free/stories, at His legacy is set and is still growing with every season. Pearson was able to fire up the engine, and then drove the car to a slow victory. That happened at Daytona in the early 1980s following a crash in the qualifying race. Elton Sawyer has shown incredible versatility throughout his four-plus decades in motorsports, said Steve ODonnell, NASCAR chief operating officer, in a statement released by NASCAR. The team announced Wednesday that Smith, 20, plans to run five Cup races with sponsorship from Quick Tie Products. He won the Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600 three times each. Whether the car had a brightly painted rainbow or it had red-hot flames, Jeff Gordon has always been one of the more popular drivers among the fans. No driver will ever reach the popularity of Pettyand that is fact. It was simply because he gave the champ a run for his money. This video game move sparked criticism from Chastains fellow drivers. The 2003 NASCAR Cup champion was always cool on the track, not being aggressive and earned the respect of many drivers. NASCAR racing has been my life for decades. The living members of this group were honored on February 15, 1998 during pre-race festivities for the 1998 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. No one could have expected him to be so popular so soon. He climbed out of the cab, stood on the bedand back-flipped to the asphalt. He. Cassill, 33, drove the No. The driver of the No. By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Sports January 12, 2023 - 1:36 PM The medal ceremony will take place on a podium in Victory Lane, which will be located beneath the Olympic cauldron at the Coliseum. I knew any list worth it's salt would have Wallace, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, and . Elliott has won Most Popular Driver for the fifth year in a row, and he remains one of just five drivers to win the award since 1984. This is a dream come true for me, Smith said in a statement released by the team. Darrell Waltrip Claimed three titles, winning them in a five-year period in the 1980s. But, after the race, he pulled to the start/finish line with his crew. Petty just took a different path and saw the sport grow to what it is today. Busch races for the Richard Childress Racing team and has a . pic.twitter.com/iM7jihS3VZ, RELATED: NASCAR COO Steve ODonnell Appears To Signal They Will Outlaw Moves Like Ross Chastains Hail Melon Martinsville Move. It got so bad where fans wore shirts questioning Gordon's sexual preference. It will come, but the question is when. @chaseelliott wins the 2022 NMPA Most Popular Driver Award presented by @Hooters! From 1970-79, he won five of his championships and 89 of 326 races meaning he won more than a quarter of the races run in the 1970s. He chased the championship across 23 full-time seasons in the sport, falling short on several agonizing occasions. Most Popular Driver - NASCAR Cup Series | Official Site Of NASCAR Skip to content Top Nav Tickets Shop Quick Links: Schedule 2022 Results Clash Schedule Daytona Schedule NASCAR on TV. Fireball Roberts 1 of 49 As one of the originators of the speedway era in NASCAR in the early 1960s, Fireball Roberts. As soon as Dale Earnhardt Jr. retired. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the award for 15 consecutive. Other past winners of the award include the aforementioned Bill Elliott, Dale Earnhardt Sr., Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Allison, David Pearson, Richard Petty, Bobby Isaac, Cale Yarborough, Darel Dieringer, Fred Lorenzen, Joe Weatherly, Rex White, Jack Smith, Glen Wood, Fireball Roberts, Curtis Turner, Tim Flock, and Lee Petty. He won 37 of his 76 career victories during that time period. The cooling system in his car failed, but he was in the lead at Martinsville despite the temperatures beyond miserable. Thanks to @C_Rice1 and @MattKaulig for the shot in 2022, and for being a great team. 1. Probably the first driver to turn car owner and have great success was Junior Johnson. Despite the treatment working, later that year he was readmitted to the hospital because of complications. Who is the most popular driver of all time? After an altercation with police in Phoenix, Busch was released from Roush and soon began his career with Roger Penske. However, he has become ever popular alongside Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds when FOX does the first half of the season. Missed one race due to the death of his father. In the rear view mirror, seeing that black No. At the same time, popularity in the garage has another way of defining the sport. He scored his best points finish second in 1991. 7. Cale Yarborough Won three consecutive championships (1976-78). All Rights Reserved. That's what earned him induction into the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame. Bill Elliott, Chase's father, won the award a record 16 times between 1984 and 2002, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the award 15 years in a row from 2003 to 2017. The conversation drastically changed on October 30, 2022. As a kid, you always have the goal of one day racing in the Cup Series. The Cup Series returns Aug. 8 at Watkins Glen International (3 p.m. Junior Johnson Johnson was the opposite of a points racer. The 2018 NMPA Most Popular Driver will be announced during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards program Thursday, Nov. 29 at Wynn Las Vegas. That is yet to be seen as his career is just getting warmed up. The highest paid NASCAR driver in the World is Kyle Busch. In this role, Patalak also investigates all crashes and driver protection issues. Kyle was third in line in the family to drive and had a very successful career in NASCAR. Kyle, Richard and the entire Petty family were devastated when such talent and such charm was robbed from NASCAR. But, it's also his rambunctious side that has become popular with many fans. He won the Southern 500 six times and the Brickyard 400 five times. But, as far as popularity, you can't hate someone for doing what they wanted in life. Dale Earnhardt Jr's popularity was secure simply because of the name, and after his father's death, it grew 10-fold. NASCAR Wednesday named former driver and long-time official Elton Sawyer its senior vice president of competition, replacing Scott Miller, who will assume the newly formed role of competition strategist. That will never happen again, guaranteed. Although he won 50 races as a driver and later six championships as a team owner, there would be no driving title for Johnson. But, Rudd would not be denied and a few weeks later, would go on to win. Were extremely excited about continuing our sponsorship of Chandler, Quick Tie CEO Harvel Crumley said. NASCAR Drivers; No. There really is no telling how far "Fireball" could have gone in the sport. Just a huge thank you, he concluded. These will be tremendous prizes for our drivers who are competing inside a venue thats hosted two Olympic Games and is preparing for a third, said Ben Kennedy, NASCARs senior vice president for racing development and strategy. After Earnhardt won the Most Popular Driver Award for 15 consecutive seasons to close out his career, it was Chase Elliott, the son of 1988 champion and 16-time Most Popular Driver Award winner Bill Elliott, who won it for the first time in his third season of full-time competition in 2018. He was also involved in the finish of the first Daytona 500, despite being two laps down to the leader. His remark following a run-in with Kevin Harvick at Pocono was the most infamous quote of the season. Dale Earnhardt The seven-time champion was particularly dominant from 1986-91. He'll have a lot of votes from the fansthat's for sure. He has missed the first two ballots for the NASCAR Hall of Fame but will definitely be inducted within the next few years. Lavar Scott, Andrs Prez de Lara, Jaiden Reyna and Justin Campbell are returning to Rev Racing, which operates the diversity program. We are thrilled that Scott Miller has chosen to remain a key part of the NASCAR competition team. But, Craven's most talked about moment came two years later at Darlington. But, what really set off his popularity in NASCAR was the moment that blasted NASCAR into the main stream. He has 25 wins behind the wheel of the truck and is a two-time champion in the series, winning his second title this season. Petty is the first driver to achieve the seven NASCAR Cup championships, making him an undisputed champion in the NASCAR world. Its unlikely based on recent history, but it certainly serves as a significant change in perception for the Florida native. Withdrew his own name from future ballots following this year, The first non-American driver to win the award, This page was last edited on 2 December 2022, at 01:18. Twelve of his 83 wins (14.5%) came in the sports marquee events. Look for him to be in the Hall of Fame in the next few years. 1 of 20. 1953 - Lee Petty. With a car that was 22 mph slower than the competitors, he used the draft to find his way to the front and eventually win a race. It was termed "Allison Wonderland" in 1988 as Bobby won the Daytona 500 with son Davey placing second. His win sent Harvick's popularity through the roof, and now he finally has accepted the role of being the driver taking over the Earnhardt legacy. The car wasn't black anymore, and the No. 45 cap with the number blackened out in the middle, signifying that no one will run that number in NASCAR. Bold prediction, or was he reaching for a miracle? His transition to the broadcast booth is one of the smoothest by any former driver. And, much like his fellow driver Alan Kulwicki, he was taken away from the sport way too quickly. He won the Daytona 500 and had an opportunity to win the championship in 1992, only to have a wreck take him out of the running. Los Angeles will host the 2028 Oympics. Was it his way of knowing exactly how to adjust the car due to his college degree? Petty has since gotten out of the car but has always remained loyal to his racing roots as he is part of SPEED's NASCAR Raceday and NASCAR Victory Lane. 1 greatest moment in the sport. Petty slid to the infield but stopped just short of the finish line. But, it's the man outside those statistics that make him the most popular driver, and man, in NASCAR history. The ten highest-paid Nascar drivers earned an estimated $120 million in 2019, a tick above 2018 but well below a decade ago when they banked a combined $180 million. It took just two races to cement Jamie McMurray's popularity in NASCAR. But, he didn't celebrate as Earnhardt died on the last lap. Don't forget to vote!: https://t.co/jUZfQDZWSa pic.twitter.com/D1v14X8TYG. He also went as far as challenging the pit crews on the air, saying that if a team performed a four-tire pit stop in under 13 seconds, each member would be given $100 cash from his own account. When he wins, he lets everyone know it, not just on the radio but after exiting his car. He will excel in this role, and we look forward to watching him continue to grow the competition team during this crucial era in our sports history. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jeff Gordon Jimmie Johnson Tony Stewart Kevin Harvick Hailee Deegan won the vote for most popular driver in the Truck Series this season while Justin Allgaier won the title in the Xfinity Series for the third consecutive season. When someone can back up what they say, that's big. 29, and Harvick was at the wheel. His success in the 1980s nearly had him win a championship but also came at a price. In 1986, he won seven races and finished third in points. As long as the fans buy the products, his popularity is secure. landon cassill (@landoncassill) January 18, 2023. An independent group of 51 individuals representing various NASCAR roles were asked to give their objective and educated opinions on who the 50 greatest drivers in NASCAR history were. In 1995, he signed on with Joe Gibbs Racing to race the No. Petty retired from driving in 1992, but in a way, he just never left. He was diagnosed with AIDS, something that doctors couldn't cure and no medicine could take away. Coming off the final corner, Craven had his Pontiac inside Kurt Busch's Ford and the two put on a side-by-side battle right to the finish. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nascar | pageType: stories | Patalak, who has worked at the NASCAR R&D Center since 2005, oversees NASCARs safety team, researching, developing and approving driver and vehicle safety systems. Although his first win came thanks to rain in last year's Coca-Cola 600, Reutimann made sure that was forgotten when he outright won at Chicago this summer. Logano, 32, won the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series championship and finished the season with four wins, 11 top-5 finishes, and 17 top-20 finishes. No other driver, or personality for that matter, will take as much time with his fans to sign an autograph, talk to people and give the time of day to drivers. In 1998, his lone victory showcased Rudd's refusal to yield. The following year, Busch found himself on the wrong end of the lawliterally. It's easy to remember and fans know when they hear that name who is being talked about. 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