Driver nabs award for 12th straight year
DARLINGTON, S.C. — Dale Earnhardt Jr., winner of four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races in 2014 and eighth overall in the final points standings, has been named the 2014 recipient of the Sprint NMPA Most Popular Driver award for the series.
It is the 12th consecutive year that Earnhardt Jr., 40, has won the award. In addition to the trophy he received during Friday evening’s season-ending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony at the Wynn Las Vegas, Earnhardt will collect a check for $10,000 earmarked for the charity of his choice.
“Even after all these years, I never have an assumption that I have won it,” Earnhardt Jr. said after receiving the award. “You just never know. I never anticipated having the support that we have. When I began racing, I knew of my father’s support, he had a ton of fans. … I didn’t assume or anticipate the following that we have, even today it really is just overwhelming. It really is hard to believe and hard to fathom that we continue to win this award; this was a good year because of the victories we were able to deliver on the race track but all those years when we weren’t … it was very difficult to accept the award because I felt we hadn’t performed. But our fans stood behind us. It just says a lot about their loyalty.”
In his speech, accepting the award, Earnhardt Jr. thanked the fans numerous times. And Junior shared an interesting fact about the speech, he didn’t use the teleprompter.
“It was the first time I gave my speech without reading it from the teleprompter or a piece of paper so I hope my remarks came across well because I genuinely do appreciate all the efforts the fans put in.
“I was able to literally witness it in the palm of my hand all year long. The fans were up all day every day voting … that was the most impressive thing.”
Earnhardt Jr. joined Twitter after his Daytona 500 win this year and he got to converse with his fans in a whole new way this season.
“People ask me all the time about what the most positive thing about being on Twitter this year was and I never could give them my honest opinion because I hadn’t won the award, but having won it tonight, seeing those votes every day, seeing that commitment and determination was really inspiring knowing that we had that kind of support. They were up before I was every day, going to town on that … computer. It really meant a lot to me.”
And that fan support was there for Junior on social media, in good times and bad.
“I got to know my fans really in a whole new way this year. We got to talk a lot on social media. When we lost we talked, when we won we talked and that was a great experience for me as well, and all-around an eye-opener to make that connection that wasn’t there before.”
Completing the top 10 in total votes for this year’s award were (listed alphabetically): Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Danica Patrick, Tony Stewart and Josh Wise.
The MPD award, sponsored by Sprint and overseen by the National Motorsports Press Association, is the only NASCAR award determined solely by fan vote. It has been awarded annually since 1953.
Beginning in July, fans were able to vote once daily by visiting www.sprint.com/speed. Those who chose to share their votes via social media (Facebook, Twitter) were allowed one additional vote during each 24-hour window.
Additionally, fans were able to cast votes for their favorite driver by visiting the Sprint Experience at the track during NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race weekends throughout the year.
Bill Elliott holds the record for most MPD awards, winning the fan vote 16 times during a career that spanned 37 years.
Previous MPD Winners
Year, recipient
2014, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2013, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2012, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2011, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2010, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2009, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2008, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2007, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2006, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2005, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2004, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2003, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2002, Bill Elliott
2001, Dale Earnhardt
2000, Bill Elliott
1999, Bill Elliott
1998, Bill Elliott
1997, Bill Elliott
1996, Bill Elliott
1995, Bill Elliott
1994, Bill Elliott
1993, Bill Elliott
1992, Bill Elliott
1991, Bill Elliott
1990, Darrell Waltrip
1989, Darrell Waltrip
1988, Bill Elliott
1987, Bill Elliott
1986, Bill Elliott
1985, Bill Elliott
1984, Bill Elliott
1983, Bobby Allison
1982, Bobby Allison
1981, Bobby Allison
1980, David Pearson
1979, David Pearson
1978, Richard Petty
1977, Richard Petty
1976, Richard Petty
1975, Richard Petty
1974, Richard Petty
1973, Bobby Allison
1972, Bobby Allison
1971, Bobby Allison
1970, Richard Petty
1969, Bobby Isaac
1968, Richard Petty
1967, Cale Yarborough
1966, Darel Dieringer
1965, Fred Lorenzen
1964, Richard Petty
1963, Fred Lorenzen
1962, Richard Petty
1961, Joe Weatherly
1960, Rex White
1959, Jack Smith
1958, Glen Wood
1957, Fireball Roberts
1956, Curtis Turner
1955, Tim Flock
1954, Lee Petty
1953, Lee Petty
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