ESPN News Services

Oct 23, 2026, 11:46 AM ET

Perennial winner Chase Elliott has opted to remove his name from consideration for NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award out of respect for the late Kyle Busch .

The National Motorsports Press Association announced the start of voting Friday and Elliott's choice not to be considered.

Busch died in May after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming complications. His death stunned the NASCAR community and beyond.

Elliott has won the award every year since 2018, after Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the choice 15 consecutive times before retiring. Elliott indicated in May that he was hopeful that Busch could be this year's winner.

"I just think it's one of those things that Kyle is a guy who really deserves an award like that. He's a guy that's had a lot of fans throughout the course of his career," Elliott said. "I know the boos, and it was fun, but a lot of supporters, a lot of really passionate fans.…