In what has become an annual occurrence, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was named NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver for the 14th consecutive time on Friday night at the Sprint Cup awards banquet in Las Vegas.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins NASCAR Most Popular Driver Award for 14th straight year
As they have done every year since 2003, fans again voted Dale Earnhardt Jr. as NASCAR’s most popular Sprint Cup driver.
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The honor came despite Earnhardt missing 18 races (half the schedule) related to symptoms stemming from a concussion sustained in a June 12 crash at Michigan International Speedway. The 42-year-old Earnhardt maintained eligibility for the award as fans could vote for any driver who declared to run for the Cup championship prior to the start of the season.
Earnhardt has won the Most Popular Driver Award every year since 2003; he is two shy of tying Bill Elliott’s record of 16.
“I try not to think about winning or losing the Most Popular Driver Award, it’s a bit of a gift,” Earnhardt told reporters after accepting the award. “Whether we win the award or not, we get a lot of great support from the fans all season long and I certainly got some extra support this year through the injury and all the stuff.
“It was unfortunate to be in that position, but the fans were great. That was an incredible motivator for me during my recovery to get healthy. Not a lot of people that go through those type of situations have that kind of support group but the fans really made a world of difference.”
Earnhardt has continually been undergoing a rehabilitation program as he recovers from his third concussion in four years. He is targeting a return for the 2017 season-opening Daytona 500 in February, and says he is on pace to receive medical clearance before the end of the year.
In preparation for returning, Earnhardt plans to take part in a private half-day test sometime this month at an undisclosed short track. If that goes well, the Hendrick Motorsports driver will participate in an open Cup Series test at Phoenix International Raceway in January.
“I had balance and vision issues and some nausea when I was going through the illness, so we’ll just make sure that I don’t have any vision issues and no nausea,” Earnhardt said.
“I don’t expect anything, because I’ve been through the simulator several times. I was getting sick in the simulator before I was injured. I have been able to do the simulator without any nausea or any vision issues at all.”
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