Elliott, who had won the award eight straight years, is urging fans to back Busch instead after the two-time champion's death.
Chase Elliott has taken his name off the ballot for NASCAR's Most Popular Driver award, ending what had been a lock for eight straight seasons from 2018 through 2025. The move is a tribute to Kyle Busch, the two-time Cup champion who died suddenly on May 21 at age 41 from complications from pneumonia.
Busch, who won 63 Cup races, remains on this year's ballot alongside 34 other drivers. Elliott encouraged his supporters to redirect their votes, saying Busch "has my vote" and asking fans to "show that love and show that energy to Kyle and his family."
Elliott pointed to family history as inspiration. His father, Bill Elliott, won the award for ten consecutive years and sixteen times overall, and stepped aside from it in 2001 after Dale Earnhardt died in that year's Daytona 500. Speaking Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway, Elliott called his father's gesture "a really cool and admirable nod to, frankly, one of his biggest rivals," something he said he had always respected.
Several other Cup Series drivers have also used social media to encourage fans to vote for Busch this year.