This is somewhat unbelievable, but it had been since Daytona in July that Dale Earnhardt Jr. got the most crowd noise during pre-race driver introductions – at least in the six races where SB Nation’s decibel meter was used.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Is Back On Top – At Least In Crowd Noise Ratings
That seems crazy, but look at who had gotten the loudest reaction since then:
- Indianapolis: Local favorite Jeff Gordon got the most noise.
- Bristol: Brad Keselowski incited the crowd with "Kyle Busch is an ass!"
- Atlanta: Earnhardt Jr. was fifth thanks to a bad starting spot; the crowd wasn't warmed up yet when he was introduced (Busch drew the loudest reaction).
- Richmond: Fans spent more vocal energy booing Busch than cheering for Earnhardt Jr.
- Dover: Drivers were supposed to introduce themselves to the crowd, but Earnhardt Jr. walked right by the microphone and didn't say anything.
- Fontana: Jimmie Johnson got the loudest reception in his native Southern California.
Measurements weren’t taken at Pocono, Michigan, New Hampshire or Kansas, but it’s likely Earnhardt Jr. got the most noise in one or more of those events. Still, the sport’s most popular driver hasn’t topped our charts in a few months.
In that respect, Charlotte marked a return to normalcy. Earnhardt Jr. heard the most noise, ahead of Busch and Johnson.
Here are the full ratings:
| Driver | dB | Type of Noise | Comment/Explanation | |||
| 1 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 85.8 | Cheers | Finally back on top | ||
| 2 | Kyle Busch | 84.3 | Boos | Kyle's boos angrier than JJ's | ||
| 3 | Jimmie Johnson | 84.0 | Boos | Gets Gordon's reaction from 5 yrs ago | ||
| 4 | Mark Martin | 83.7 | Cheers | Most fans appreciate Martin | ||
| 5 | Jeff Gordon | 83.4 | Mix | More cheers as he gets older? | ||
| 6 | Tony Stewart | 83.2 | Cheers | Wildly popular now; used to get boos | ||
| 7 | Kasey Kahne | 82.1 | Cheers | Fans didn't expect RPM brake failure | ||
| 8 | Carl Edwards | 81.8 | Cheers | Outside pole-sitter | ||
| 9 | Brad Keselowski | 80.8 | Mix | Unusual amount of noise for BradK | ||
| 10 | Joey Logano | 80.5 | Cheers | Always cheered; growing popularity |
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