LAS VEGAS — Dale Earnhardt Jr. tied Bill Elliott’s record of 10 consecutive victories as NASCAR’s most popular driver, and was just as nervous accepting it Thursday as he was when he received his first honor.
“It’s real hard to get up there and express your emotions and express to people how much it means to you,” Earnhardt said. “When you win it repeatedly, it gets tougher to show people and tell people how much it means to you because each time you win it, it means a little bit more.”
Earnhardt won the award Thursday at the Myers Brothers Luncheon at The Encore at Wynn. The award is presented annually by the National Motorsports Press Association, and Earnhardt has won it every year since 2003.
Fans vote from February through September on 10 most popular drivers. The field was then reset and fans voted again through the final 10 weeks of the season.
Sports, Pages 28 on 11/30/2012