The polls have officially opened for the 2019 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) Most Popular Driver Award presented by Hooters.
VOTE: 2019 Monster Energy Series Most Popular Driver
From Sept. 4 at noon ET through Wednesday, Dec. 4 at noon ET, fans can cast a vote for a single driver once per day at www.nascar.com/mostpopulardriver or the NASCAR Mobile app. Votes shares via Facebook or Twitter also count as double.
Eligible drivers include those who have declared series points and must be in the top-32 positions in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points standings by the start of voting.
This year’s Most Popular Driver Award recipient will be announced during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee, Thursday, Dec. 5 on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Fans also can place their votes for the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Most Popular Driver. To be eligible, drivers in the Xfinity Series must have declared series points and be among the top-25 positions in the standings, while Gander Trucks drivers need to be among the top-20 in the standings at the time votes begins.
Xfinity Series: Vote for 2019 Most Popular Driver
Gander Outdoors Truck Series: Vote for 2019 Most Popular Driver
Since the program’s full inception by the NMPA in 1983, 20 drivers have won the coveted award. NMPA Hall of Fame member and 1988 Cup Series champion Bill Elliott holds the record for most popular driver award wins with 16 coming in 1984-1988, 1991-2000 and 2002. Former Hendrick Motorsports driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the award 15 consecutive seasons from 2003 to 2017.
Chase Elliott, son of Bill Elliott and driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, received the honor in 2018.
“I’m so honored to win this award,” Elliott said after receiving the award in 2018. “With all of its history, the success Dale Earnhardt Jr. has enjoyed and the success of the Elliotts and Earnhardts (winning Most Popular Driver) for so many years is awesome. It’s kind of crazy to watch that come full circle. To be able to receive the award this year is special, and I’ll certainly enjoy it.
“Performance on track and wanting to do well is my biggest hope. I just want to make all of the people proud that voted for us all year. Those are the things that mean so much to me.”
RELATED: Past Most Popular Driver Award winners