“Dale Jr.’s fans have really staked a claim on this award for the past decade, but the vote could get interesting this year,” NMPA President Kenny Bruce said. “We’ve had some close competitions in the past, so there are actually multiple drivers who could break the streak, and Danica (Patrick) is certainly one of them.”

Fans may vote once daily throughout the season at MostPopularDriver.com. There are 39 drivers on the ballot this year, including Earnhardt and series rookie Danica Patrick. Voting will end at 11:59 p.m. ET Nov. 17. The winner will be announced at the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Luncheon during Champion’s Week in Las Vegas in December.

Earnhardt’s 10-consecutive awards make up his full tally. Bill Elliott is the most decorated driver as far as the Most Popular Driver Award goes, winning the honor 16 times. The Most Popular Driver Award has been handed out every year since 1956.

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“It was an honor to hear that I won this year and am now tied with Bill (Elliott) for 10 in a row,” Earnhardt said. “I’ve enjoyed this award, because it’s a testament to my fans. I appreciate their loyalty and dedication.”

Winning the fan-voted award for 2012 tied Earnhardt with semi-retired driver Bill Elliott for most-consecutive Most Popular honors. Elliott’s streak of 10-straight ended with his 2000 award. He withdrew himself from consideration for the award in 2001. That year, the honor went to the late Dale Earnhardt. In all, Elliott leads the way with 16 Most Popular Driver Awards.

At the beginning of the season, all drivers eligible for Sprint Cup Series points were eligible for fan votes for the award. In September, the field was whittled to the top-10 vote-getters to that point: Kyle Busch, Earnhardt, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart.

Each year, NASCAR fans show their passion for their favorite driver in the NMPA NASCAR Most Popular Driver voting,” NMPA President Rea White said. “This award is not only for the driver, but also for the fans as something they can claim as their own at the end of the season.”

Throughout the contest, more than 934,000 votes were cast. Fans were allowed to vote once daily.

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