2015 NMPA Sprint Most Popular Driver Award Voting Opens September 6

The National Motorsports Press Association and Sprint are pleased to announce that voting for the 2015 NMPA Sprint Most Popular Driver award will open Sunday, September 6.

The NMPA Sprint Most Popular Driver award is the only major NASCAR award determined solely by fan vote.

The voting period will open at 12:01 a.m. ET Sunday and run through 11:59 p.m.  ET on Sunday, November 22. Fans can visit www.mostpopulardriver.com  to cast their vote for this year’s award.  Votes will also be received via the NASCAR Mobile application.  

Since the award’s inception in 1953, 19 drivers have won the award. NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott has won the award more than any other driver (16 times).  Dale Earnhardt Jr. has won it the last 12 years in a row.

Voting is limited to one vote per person per email address per day. Fans are encouraged to share their votes on Facebook and Twitter.  The official Twitter hashtag for the NMPA Sprint Most Popular Driver Award is #SprintMPD.   

Eligible drivers for the award are those who have declared to compete for the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

“The Most Popular Driver Award is one of the NMPA’s most significant awards, and I’m very pleased to partner with Sprint again this year,” said NMPA President Brian Nelson.  “We expect the 2015 vote to be one of the biggest yet.”

The winner of this year’s award will be announced during NBCSN broadcast of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards on Dec. 4 in Las Vegas.  A $10,000 donation will be made to the winning driver’s charity of choice.

The Most Popular Driver award program is one of the longest-running awards presented each year by the National Motorsports Press Association.

Previous winners of the NMPA Sprint Most Popular Driver Award:

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

NMPA PR