Who's the most popular NASCAR driver?

[SuperHornet]

The announcers kept insisting on Junior last night, but they didn't cite sources. Danica was generally regarded at the most popular last year (at least according to her own website). But she's DEFINITELY got something to hang her hat on for that THIS year: she's the first NASCAR driver to accumulate 1M Twitter followers.

The next highest is Jimmie Johnson (530K).

Bite THAT, Junior, Gordon, etc.!

http://savannahnow.com/sports/2014-02-2 ... wwL_HKYa1t

[Gil Dobie]

Dead Dale Sr is still by far and away the most popular.

[clenz]

Well...

Jr has been voted the most popular driver in NASCAR something like 11 times - by the fans.

This is from a couple years ago...but it was his 10th straight...

http://www.mostpopulardriver.com/Home/t ... -Fans.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

DARLINGTON, S.C. (November 29, 2012) – The National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) is proud to announce, on behalf of all NASCAR fans who voted, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been crowned the 2012 NASCAR NMPA Most Popular Driver. The award, given annually since 1956, is Earnhardt Jr.’s 10th consecutive honor and was presented to him today during the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Luncheon at The Encore at Wynn in Las Vegas, Nev. This now ties him with Bill Elliott as the only other driver to be presented the award 10 consecutive years. Elliott is still the all-time leader with 16 overall.

Same award but different press release


http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-fr ... ascar.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
The rest of the top 10 went like this: Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth and Bobby Labonte.

[clenz]

From November 2013...

http://www.sportingnews.com/nascar/stor ... ca-patrick" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Dale Earnhardt Jr. earned a record 11th consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series most popular driver award, breaking the record for consecutive awards he held with Bill Elliott.

The award, voted for online by fans and administered by the National Motorsports Press Association, was presented to Earnhardt on Thursday at the Wynn Las Vegas.



Of the roughly 1 million votes cast Jr got over 700K of them.

[clenz]

Dead Dale Sr is still by far and away the most popular.

This is also true.

The order, all time, from my uneducated/narrow scope opinion is likely something like

Dale Sr
Dale Jr
Richard Petty
Jeff Gordon
Bill Elliot
Geoff Bodine
Mark Martin
Jimmy Johnson
Tony Stewart
The Busch brothers
Keslowski



There are some older drivers I left off because I don't know what kind of following they have as far as "fans"

David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Darrell and Michael Waltrip, Rusty Wallace, Terry Lebonte (who just ran his final 500 and has a ton of fans), Junior Johnson, Lee Petty, Bobby Allison...

I'm sure I'm missing a ton of them...but they are all widly more populat with NASCAR fans than Danica will ever be.

Danica is popular with females and males like Casey who might as well be female. Anyone who actually appreciates NASCAR isn't a fan of hers.

[SuperHornet]

Dead Dale Sr is still by far and away the most popular.

I think everyone would agree with that...except for those who are fans of those who were the Intimidator's on-track enemies....

[clenz]

Dead Dale Sr is still by far and away the most popular.

I think everyone would agree with that...except for those who are fans of those who were the Intimidator's on-track enemies....

At this point there isn't a person alive who can deny Dale Sr was/is/will always be the most popular driver of all time.

Part of that, at this time in history, may be due to the way his career/life ended. Most of it is due to the fact that he was/is/always will be the most popular

[clenz]

Also...Dale Jr joined Twitter less than 24 hours ago...first post was 21 hours ago (so roughly 1-2AM Eastern Time last night) and had 500K followers already.

[clenz]

Oh...

And Dale Jr has a couple of these - something Danica will never have....

Not bad for a first tweet from him...



That tweet has over 25K favorites and nearly 20K retweets.


What's Danica got now?

[clenz]

Danica's most favorited tweet in MONTHS...ever...I'm still checking reads

"Big congrats to dale jr!!!!! @TeamHendrick" with 1,500 favorites.

[clenz]

The only other tweet Danica has that has gotten over 1K likes in a photo of her promoted by her sunglass company from just before the race.


Her average is probably about 50-100. It's probably closer to 50 (or lower) than 100 as the vast majority of tweet are actaully between 20-70 but there is about a tweet or two every couple weeks that jumps to 300-500 that will skew the average....Jr is at roughly 15K for favorites per tweet

Not a good ratio for having over 1million followers.


Dale Jr has more favorites and retweets on that ONE 2AM tweet than Danica has total in roughly the last 7 months.


Danica's first post was also in July 2012...Dale Jr Feb 2014

[clenz]

This one was posted at 6:37AM eastern.

Has way more meaning than anything Danica has ever had come out of her mouth ever in her life...

Has nearly 40K retweets and pushing 30K favorites.

[clenz]

Do you still think it's a contest as to who the most popular is?

[BDKJMU]

The announcers kept insisting on Junior last night, but they didn't cite sources. Danica was generally regarded at the most popular last year (at least according to her own website). But she's DEFINITELY got something to hang her hat on for that THIS year: she's the first NASCAR driver to accumulate 1M Twitter followers.

The next highest is Jimmie Johnson (530K).

Bite THAT, Junior, Gordon, etc.!

http://savannahnow.com/sports/2014-02-2 ... wwL_HKYa1t

Stupid cunt..

[SuperHornet]

At least clenz had some solid links to arguments against me.

You're disgusting tonight, BDK....

[BDKJMU]

At least clenz had some solid links to arguments against me.

You're disgusting tonight, BDK....

Don't get your panties in a wad....

[Vidav]

If Danica were male no one would know her name.

[93henfan]

I've been going to NASCAR races since about 1975. Without looking up who the most popular driver was, I can give some general observations over the past 40 years from listening to driver introductions at many tracks.

Loudest applause:
75-84 Richard Petty
85-87 Bill Elliott
87-01 Dale Sr
01-present Dale Jr

Loudest boos:
75-87 Darrell Waltrip (he was a young gun and took digs at all the legends, which villainized him early)
87-93 Dale Sr (yes, he got loudest cheers and boos )
93-01 Jeff Gordon (when you start beating Dale Sr, you're hated)
Lately - Kyle Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya

To SuperHornet: I know I give you a hard time a lot, but let me give you some honest, no spin feedback from a guy who goes to at least two NASCAR events every year since before he could tie his shoes...

Danica Patrick is not as important as you think she is. There have been several women in NASCAR before she came along. The first woman to qualify and race in both the Indy 500 and Daytona 500 did it almost 40 years ago and her name was Janet Guthrie. Janet Guthrie also has the highest finish of a woman with a 6th place finish at Bristol in 1977, and that was at a time when if your last name was not Petty, Pearson, Allison, or Yarborough you were running a second-tier car.

Did you know that a woman competed in NASCAR's first ever race in 1949 in Charlotte? Her name was Sara Christian and she finished 13th in driver points at the end of that season. Danica Patrick finished 27th last year.

There have been 15 other women compete in NASCAR's premier series (Sprint Cup, formerly Winston, etc).

[bluehenbillk]

Danica is easy on the eyes.

[ASUMountaineer]

The announcers kept insisting on Junior last night, but they didn't cite sources. Danica was generally regarded at the most popular last year (at least according to her own website). But she's DEFINITELY got something to hang her hat on for that THIS year: she's the first NASCAR driver to accumulate 1M Twitter followers.

The next highest is Jimmie Johnson (530K).

Bite THAT, Junior, Gordon, etc.!

http://savannahnow.com/sports/2014-02-2 ... wwL_HKYa1t

Whomp!

[ASUMountaineer]

It's not even close that Junior is the most popular current driver. I love racing, but I'm not a fanatic over one driver. I pull for several: Junior, Smoke, BK, Kasey Kahne. We're close to Kannapolis, and Junior sports the state flag of NC on his car. Hard not to root for that guy.

My great-grandfather bootlegged with the Johnson's and the Petty's. My grandfather and my uncle used to work on race cars at the local tracks. I went to school with Kyle Petty's kids and Terry Labonte's kids. Richard Petty's wife served on our school board for many years. Most folks around the country have no idea how huge racing is in North Carolina. It's pretty big in our family too.

[93henfan]

Most folks around the country have no idea how huge racing is in North Carolina.

Including the TV Networks and NASCAR HQ apparently.

Shutting down N Wilkesboro and Rockingham is a crime not easily forgiven.

[ASUMountaineer]

Most folks around the country have no idea how huge racing is in North Carolina.

Including the TV Networks and NASCAR HQ apparently.

Shutting down N Wilkesboro and Rockingham is a crime not easily forgiven.

Agreed. People went ape when that happened, but just like you can't fight City Hall, you can't fight Bruton Smith. Concord, NC has been trying to fight Bruton Smith, but they keep relenting--even named the street by the track "Bruton Smith Blvd." It's a shame, but they have brought trucks back to Rockingham...progress, albeit small.

[93henfan]

Including the TV Networks and NASCAR HQ apparently.

Shutting down N Wilkesboro and Rockingham is a crime not easily forgiven.

Agreed. People went ape when that happened, but just like you can't fight City Hall, you can't fight Bruton Smith. Concord, NC has been trying to fight Bruton Smith, but they keep relenting--even named the street by the track "Bruton Smith Blvd." It's a shame, but they have brought trucks back to Rockingham...progress, albeit small.

I love short tracks, so seeing N Wilkesboro with grass growing through the cracks really bothers me.

I'm heading to the Martinsville race next month. Can't wait.

[andy7171]

You guys are crazy. I'd definately fuck Danica. With 93's dick even.