Possible Chase Elliott Upset & a Kyle Busch Surprise After Most Popular Driver Update Leaves NASCAR Community Happy

“I don’t know if anyone’s gonna dethrone him” —That’s what the 2023 Cup champion Ryan Blaney had to say about Chase Elliott when insiders predicted that he might win NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver award. Since Dale Earnhardt Jr‘s retirement in 2017, the #9 driver of Hendrick Motorsports has literally owned the prestigious title of being NASCAR’s favorite. Such is his popularity that even now when he has had the worst season of his Cup Series career, he still stands among the frontrunners for the title.

But with the voting window edging closer to its deadline on November 30, all hopes run the risk of flickering out for the 2020 Cup champion and his legion of fans. Possibly turning antagonist for them is none other than NASCAR’s “Wild Thing,” Kyle Busch.

Kyle Busch fights Chase Elliott for the NMPA Most Popular Driver award

The 2023 season has long drawn to a close and the best performers of the year have all been getting rewarded in the offseason. With the inaugural fan choice awards behind us, the Most Popular Driver award is the one that fans have been waiting for with bated breaths. In a recent update from NASCAR, it was revealed who the 5 drivers that were leading the voting as of now were and not surprisingly, Elliot’s name made it to the list.

The champion Ryan Blaney, Richard Childress Racing star Kyle Busch, and Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain are currently fighting it out in the lead along with Chase Elliott. Busch boasts one of the largest fanbases in the sport. But there has been an equal, if not greater, number of fans who denounce his antics. At least this used to be the case till last year. This year, although he could not even enter the Round of 12, his move to RCR was extremely well received. And now it seems that he is hot on the heels of Chase Elliott to break his consistency in winning the coveted award.

While NASCAR fans have been warming up to Busch, the opposite might be true for Elliott. In a surprising turn of sentiments, responses to the veteran reporter Bob Pockrass’s update of the current scenario seem to be celebrating the seeming downfall of Chase Elliott.

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A mixed stream of emotions tail Chase Elliott as he is forced to battle Kyle Busch for his crown

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Never before have Chase Elliott’s chances of being voted NASCAR Cup Series’Most Popular Driver received a mixed pot of opinions like this season. Though the likes of Ryan Blaney and others were confident about the fame of the younger Elliott for the award, his name did not pop up as vigorously on some other tables. Beginning from NBC Sports analyst Ricky Allen’s choice of Blaney to Kyle Larson’s pick of Ross Chastain, other names have been in the mix like never before.

With Kyle Busch battling both the champion and the fan favorite, Josh Berry’s reaction sums up the prevailing atmosphere.

The responses that Pockrass’s post received were reflective of the same. Maybe, just maybe, watching Elliott take the trophy home every year has proven to be a bit too much. One fan wrote, “Ok non Elliott fans. Who we voting for because this streak can’t last.” Directness being the approach, another quipped sarcastically, “Part-time drivers, like Chase Elliott, should not be eligible for this award.”

An underdog story is something that never goes out of fashion. Liking the idea that Busch gets the better of Elliott, one follower commented, “Let’s @KyleBusch @SpotterDerek @RCRracing we got a chance to take the most hated driver to the most popular driver in 1 year.” However, for one fan there was something fishy about Busch’s name running up top after all these years. They wrote in suspicion, “As soon as Busch goes to Chevy he gets in the MPD discussion huh (Nothing against Kyle btw).”

It isn’t going to be long before the official results of the polls are announced. Should Kyle Busch end up getting the better of Chase Elliott and the Cup Series champion, his win will be talked about for years to come. For Chase Elliott himself though, it will just be another big hit in a year to forget.

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