On Tuesday night, during NASCAR’s year-end Awards Banquet, NASCAR honored the champions of the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, and Craftsman Truck Series as well as the award winners for several contingency award categories.
No contingency award is more anticipated than the National Motorsports Press Association’s Most Popular Driver Award, which is a fan-voted award handed out to the driver deemed most popular each season in the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, and Craftsman Truck Series.
In 2025, there were no surprises as all three of 2024’s Most Popular Drivers continued their reign for another season.
That’s right, Chase Elliott is now an eight-time NMPA Most Popular Driver in the NASCAR Cup Series as he took home his eighth consecutive award on Tuesday night in Scottsdale, AZ.
Driver No. 9 is still No. 1! @chaseelliott wins the 2025 NMPA Most Popular Driver Award for the eighth time! pic.twitter.com/0CxyyIj1DJ
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 5, 2025
After receiving the award, Elliott thanked his legions of fans in a video post for the latest award.
Thank you to all the fans who voted for me as the 2025 NASCAR Most Popular Driver! I don’t take this award lightly and truly appreciate all the support each and every one of you shows to me and my family. pic.twitter.com/dhp2souftE
— Chase Elliott (@chaseelliott) November 5, 2025
“Thank you for the votes. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to do that and support us in that way and support me in that way,” Elliott also said in a written statement. “But it’s so much more than the votes. I tell a lot of people this, that I talk to about it, that it’s really about the people and the support that I get to see firsthand.
“I know not everybody has that vantage point or that perspective, but it truly is incredible, and every year it blows me away to travel to parts of the country that you would never think that people are that passionate about what we’re doing. I just want to make sure everyone understands that I’m forever grateful for that, whether we win the award or don’t win the award. I think I have some of the best fans in the world and really appreciate you guys supporting me and pushing us and wanting the best for our team and being there on the good days and the bad.”
With Elliott’s latest MPD Award, the Elliott family has now obtained a total of 24 NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver Awards, as his father, Bill Elliott, captured 16 Most Popular Driver Awards over his NASCAR Hall of Fame career.
Elliott is two shy of his father’s longest consecutive MPD Award streak of 10, and he trails the all-time leader for most consecutive Most Popular Driver Awards, Dale Earnhardt Jr., by seven. Elliott had a resurgent year in 2025, a season where he reached victory lane twice and finished eighth in the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings.
Justin Allgaier, the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, took home his third consecutive NASCAR Xfinity Series NMPA Most Popular Driver Award.
The fans love themselves some @J_Allgaier!
Congratulations on winning the 2025 NMPA Most Popular Driver Award in the Xfinity Series! pic.twitter.com/VILylwlH9G
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) November 5, 2025
This award is the sixth all-time for Allgaier, who captured three wins in 2025, which brought his career total to 28 victories, and he finished third in the overall NASCAR Xfinity Series championship standings.
Joining Elliott and Allgaier for a second season was Rajah Caruth, who took his second consecutive NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series NMPA Most Popular Driver Award.
He goes back-to-back! @rajahcaruth_ is the 2025 NMPA Most Popular Driver in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series! pic.twitter.com/RNGjDF1HKi
— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) November 5, 2025
Caruth, the driver of the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado, snagged his second career win this season at Nashville Superspeedway, and he finished the season sixth in the championship standings.
