Chase Elliott has enjoyed a largely unchallenged run as the ‘most popular driver’ in NASCAR for a while now. Six long years to be exact. However, there are strong reasons to believe that things have changed. And, that his hold on NMPA Most Popular Driver Award will be over this time around.
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The window to vote for the 2024 edition of the award opened on October 28 and will stay open till 11.59 p.m. ET on November 21. And veteran motorsports journalist Tony Christie found a sign of things to come at the Phoenix Raceway during the season finale.
“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,” Christie wrote on X.
What could be behind the apparent dip in Elliott’s popularity?
His performance in recent years, for one, has been nowhere near his best. Chase failed to make the playoffs last season and failed to create an impact in 2024, even though he made it to the postseason.
To add to it, he refuses to participate in activities that will make him more accessible to fans and help the sport penetrate new markets. For instance, he is firm that he won’t be shooting for the Netflix documentary, NASCAR: Full Speed.
He justified his stance to Dale Earnhardt Jr. earlier this year, saying that he did not want to do things that would take his focus away from the track. Having a camera crew chase him (pun intended) around his house simply won’t work for Elliott.
However, he may end up paying a price for such decisions. His popularity.
The fandom isn’t pleased with Elliott’s lack of effort
As hard as it is to believe, many think Elliott doesn’t deserve to be the Most Popular Driver. One naysayer fan responded to Christie’s post stating, “I’ve thought that was rigged since he won it, he’s not Mr. Personality.”
Not backing the No. 9 driver in 2024 is one thing. However, discrediting his entire record in the award is taking detest to unwarranted territory.
Another fan, seemingly a Kyle Larson supporter, said, “Still am surprised that Larson hasn’t eclipsed Elliotts fandom…”
Larson has, inarguably, produced better results on the track than Elliott in the last three years. It is a surprise that he hasn’t received enough numbers to upstage his teammate in popularity.
Another Larson fan chipped in to fight his case: “I feel Larson might be the most popular now. I see more 5 merch everywhere now. Even where I live.”
One comment touched on how inactive Elliott is when it comes to “earning” the award. It read: “Chase does almost nothing to earn that title. I wish he had a personality but he just doesn’t.”
All these opinions beg the question, will Elliott still be a fan favorite if it weren’t for his last name?
Only the superset of fans can provide the final answer on this one. And they will do it on November 21. All that’s left to do is wait.
