The National Motorsports Press Association and Sprint have announced that voting for the 2015 NMPA Sprint Most Popular Driver award opened Sunday, September 6.
The NMPA Sprint Most Popular Driver award is the only major NASCAR award determined solely by fan vote. The voting period opened at 12:01 a.m. ET Sunday and will 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
2014-2003 – Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
2002 – Bill Elliott
2001 – Dale Earnhardt
2000-1991 – Bill Elliott
1990 – Darrell Waltrip
1989 – Darrell Waltrip
1988-1984 – Bill Elliott
1983-1981 – Bobby Allison
1980 – David Pearson
1979 – David Pearson
1978-1974 – Richard Petty
1973-1971 – 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