![\"Bill](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/497e64c9-c97b-41bd-81f4-e8f0c0eb3572.jpeg\" "\\"Bill")
George Tiedemann\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\nVoting for this year\u2019s National Motorsports Press Association NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver has begun, but missing from this year\u2019s ballot is Chase Elliott, who has claimed the award for eight consecutive years.<\/p>\n
Elliott asked that his name be removed and requested fans vote for Kyle Busch this year. The 30-year-old Elliott\u2019s decision mirrors that made by his father, Bill Elliott, in 2001 after the sport lost seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Dale Earnhardt in the season opening Daytona 500. At that time, the elder Elliott had won the award for 10 consecutive years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was a young child (when Earnhardt died), but looking back on that, I just always thought that was a really cool and admirable nod to, frankly, one of his biggest rivals,\u201d Elliott said about his father\u2019s decision. \u201cJust something I always had a lot of respect for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elliott said that before making his decision he thought about what Busch meant to his career and their relationship. He also considered the noise the fans made for Busch during his career.<\/p>\n
George Tiedemann\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
Bill Elliott in 2001, with a little Chase Elliott.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know he kind of embraced that villain role,\u201d Elliott said about Busch. \u201cMaybe people totally didn\u2019t like him, but they sure did make a lot of noise for him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just felt like because of that and because of a lot of the things that I\u2019ve got the chance to see behind the scenes of things that he did for his fans and how much he cared about the sport and for his supporters, I felt like he deserved to win that vote.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe people totally didn\u2019t like him, but they sure did make a lot of noise for him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not me saying that he wasn\u2019t going to win by any stretch, but I do think it\u2019s an opportunity for me to encourage the great supporters that I have and the people that have supported my family over the years to show that love and show that energy to Kyle and his family. Ultimately, I believe that he is a deserving winner of it. He has my vote.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elliott admitted that he admired Busch.<\/p>\n
![\"NASCAR](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1a24e622-2847-42f0-9d22-f9fe1c1b6d28.jpeg\" "\\"NASCAR")
Alex Slitz\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
Chase Elliott (left) and Kyle Busch in 2024.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a racer\u2026 it was really hard not to admire his craft and how good he was behind the wheel, and just some of the things that he changed the game with from a race car driver\u2019s perspective\u201d Elliott continued.<\/p>\n
Carson Hocevar asked to have his name removed from the ballot in support of Busch but said he was told by a former public relations person who was \u201creally close\u201d to Busch that he wouldn\u2019t want to win by default. So, Hocevar said he would keep his name on the ballot but encourage his fans to vote for Busch.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would be very disappointed if they voted for me,\u201d Hocevar said. \u201cWe can try and win another year.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chris Buescher said he could see where the drivers might support a movement to make sure Busch received the Most Popular award.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt seems like a last little bit of tribute on this season to be able to do that,\u201d Buescher said. \u201cChase (Elliott) stepping up and doing that (removing his name from the ballot) is probably the biggest start to it to see that unfold.\u201d<\/p>\n
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