Earnhardt wins 11th Most Popular Driver award

LAS VEGAS – Dale Earnhardt Jr. set a record Thursday with his 11th consecutive win as NASCAR’s most popular driver.

Earnhardt, who was presented with the NASCAR NMPA Most Popular Driver Award at the annual Myers Brothers luncheon, broke a tie with 16-time winner Bill Elliott for the most consecutive years as winner.

“I don’t really keep track of the stats or the score, but Bill was a great driver and ambassador for the sport,” Earnhardt said. “He represents the sport really well to this day, as does his son Chase, who’s coming up and carrying on the family name. But, I’ve always looked up to Bill as a driver so it’s pretty neat.”