CONCORD, N.C. -- For the fourth year in a row, Chase Elliott has won the National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver Award.
The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE was honored with the award Thursday night at the NASCAR awards ceremony. A Hendrick Motorsports driver has earned the honor each year over the last 13 seasons. Dale Earnhardt Jr. took home the award during his time with the organization from 2008 to 2017 before Elliott took the baton from him in 2018.
The honor comes directly from the fans, who were able to vote for their favorite driver once per day with balloting open for the last few months of the season.
Elliott now is fifth on the list of NASCAR Cup Series drivers who have earned the most Most Popular Driver awards. His father, NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, leads all drivers with 16 of the awards. The father-son duo are the only drivers to win a championship the same year they won Most Popular Driver. Bill Elliott did so in 1988 and Chase Elliott garnered the accolade last season after his epic title win at Phoenix Raceway.
Elliott made a return run to the Championship 4 race at Phoenix after winning two races, posting 15 top-five finishes at 21 top-10s with 952 laps led in 2021. Elliott finished fourth in the standings this year after he placed fourth at Phoenix on Nov. 7.
Tune in on Saturday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN to see NASCAR honoring Elliott and other Cup Series drivers at the end-of-the-year awards ceremony.