NMPA moves Most Popular Driver Award to Friday

The award has been a part of the annual Myers Brothers Awards Luncheon held the day before the Sprint Cup ceremony in recent years.

However, Sprint's sponsorship of the program, which began this year, provided the NMPA the opportunity to make the presentation as part of Friday's ceremony.

It will mark just the second time in recent years that the award has been moved to Friday's program. In 2001, Teresa Earnhardt, widow of seven-time premier series champion Dale Earnhardt, accepted the award on behalf of her husband during the annual awards show.

Earnhardt's son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., has won the MPD award for the past 11 seasons. Only NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott has more MPD awards with 16.

The Sprint NMPA Most Popular Driver Award is the only major NASCAR award determined solely by fan vote. Originally determined by a vote of drivers, the award has been presented each year since 1953. Lee Petty was the first recipient.

This year's NASCAR awards ceremony, televised by FOX Sports 1 (9 p.m. ET), will honor NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick and the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing team. Also recognized will be those drivers who made up this year's Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field.

The Myers Brothers Award will remain the centerpiece of the Thursday luncheon, also slated for the Wynn. The Buddy Shuman Award, the NASCAR Marketing Achievement Award, the Crew Chief of the Year Award, the MAHLE Clevite Engine Builder of the Year Award as well as other NASCAR contingency awards are also presented during the Myers Brothers event.

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