Which makes more noise: Loud cheers or loud boos?
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Wins 2011 Gluckometer Season Championship
The tidal wave of cheers each week for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the avalanche of boos for Kyle Busch can both sound incredibly loud, but more often than not, Earnhardt Jr.’s noise was greater this season.
According to a handheld decibel meter used at NASCAR’s pre-race driver introductions, Earnhardt Jr. got the most noise from race fans in 2011 – though Busch wasn’t far behind.
The “points system” was simple: Each driver was assigned a point total (from 1-10) based on where he ranked in the weekly standings. If a driver got the most noise during a given week, he earned 10 points; the second-most noise was worth nine points, etc.
There were two surprises in the top 10 below. First, I was stunned Trevor Bayne had enough points to make the top 10. It seemed like Kasey Kahne, Juan Pablo Montoya and even Brad Keselowski appeared on the ratings far more often than Bayne.
But Bayne’s early-season momentum after his Daytona 500 win (particularly his first time back at Bristol after winning the 500) was enough to get him a spot in the season top 10.
Here are the 10 drivers who received the most noise during pre-race driver introductions at NASCAR races this season:
| Driver | Points | |||
| 1 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 192.0 | ||
| 2 | Kyle Busch | 185.5 | ||
| 3 | Jeff Gordon | 160.0 | ||
| 4 | Tony Stewart | 126.0 | ||
| 5 | Jimmie Johnson | 115.5 | ||
| 6 | Mark Martin | 114.5 | ||
| 7 | Carl Edwards | 71.5 | ||
| 8 | Kevin Harvick | 35.0 | ||
| 9 | Trevor Bayne | 28.5 | ||
| 10 | Denny Hamlin | 24.5 |
Just missed: Juan Pablo Montoya (24), Kasey Kahne (22), Brad Keselowski (22).
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