“The Dudes a Douchebag”: NASCAR Slammed for Chase Elliott Favoritism Yet Again in Most Popular Driver Rankings

Neha Dwivedi | 16/11/2024
Nov 9, 2024; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Elliott (9) during qualifying for the Championship race at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

With just a week left until the NASCAR Awards banquet, the organization is stirring up excitement on social media, to increase fan engagement. However, a recent post stirred up some unintended controversy as fans took the opportunity to voice accusations of favoritism towards HMS driver Chase Elliott. The sentiment isn’t new; murmurs of partiality have been echoing for a while.

Last year, Elliott won the Most Popular Driver Award for the sixth straight year, a decision that baffled fans since he didn’t make the playoffs in 2023 and was seldom leading races. This year, despite advancing to the Round of 8 and securing a win, questions linger, although it’s evident that his steady performances played a key role in helping him move forward in the competition.

NASCAR recently shared a poster of the top five frontrunners for the 2024 Most Popular Driver Award, listing Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch, Elliott, Kyle Larson, and Martin Truex Jr.

Yet, the spotlight seemed to fall heavily on one driver — the #9 HMS driver. The tweet announced, “Take a look at the current top five vote-getters in alphabetical order for the 2024 Most Popular Driver Award!”

The post set off a torrent of fan reactions, with one comment pointing out, “I go to multiple races every year. I literally see way more Blaney and Larson fans than Elliott. If he wins again I call BS.” Another fan added a dose of cynicism, remarking, “Most Popular Driver award, sponsored by Chase Elliott’s sponsors. I wonder who will win?”

A blunt critique came from another corner, “Chase Elliott winning even though he shouldn’t,” while another fan expressed frustration with Elliott’s enduring popularity, saying, “How is chase Elliott still this popular? The dudes a douchebag. He’s the “golden boy” and dude barely makes any noise for our sport. It’s a joke.”

A NASCAR insider questions if Elliott is still the fan favorite this year

While Elliott’s on-track performance hasn’t waned — with 11 top-5s and 19 top-10s, boasting an average finish of 11.7 across 36 races — his off-track presence is another story.

Unlike his peers, Elliott has steered clear of high-profile gigs like the Netflix Docuseries ‘Full Speed,’ possibly diminishing his visibility among NASCAR fans.

His decision is driven by a desire to keep his focus laser-sharp on racing, yet it may be costing him his longstanding title as NASCAR’s sweetheart.

However, due to such things, Toby Christie hinted at a shift in fan allegiance, observing, “I keep hearing Chase Elliott is the Most Popular Driver, and that may be the case on the East Coast. But I swear I’ve seen more Ryan Blaney merch here at Phoenix Raceway today than anyone else.”

Taking all of this into account, it remains to be seen who will clinch the title of Most Popular Driver this year.

Post Edited By: Srijan Mandal
Chase Elliott

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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