Kyle Busch voted NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver posthumously for 2026

NXTbets Pro | Published On: November 11, 2026

Kyle Busch won

Kyle Busch was voted the NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver, and NASCAR announced the result at the season-ending awards banquet in Miami. The honor went to Busch posthumously, the first time he had won the fan-voted award in a 25-year NASCAR career. The result also ended a long run of winners from the same small circle of star names. Busch became the first driver not named Earnhardt or Elliott to take the award since Darrell Waltrip, giving the selection a place in NASCAR history. The award carried extra meaning because it went to a driver after his death. The fan vote reflected the support he continued to receive. The trophy marked that fan support and the recognition of Busch’s career.

Samantha Busch accepted

Busch’s widow, Samantha Busch, accepted the trophy on his behalf, giving the presentation a personal and family-centered moment. The award was tied to the life of a driver who died at age 41 from complications of severe pneumonia and sepsis. Tributes and support for Busch’s family poured in after his death, and the ceremony extended that attention into the formal stage of NASCAR’s year-end honors. The fan-voted award carried a different tone. Samantha Busch’s acceptance turned the moment into a public acknowledgment of the family left behind. It also underscored the support Busch received from fans. The trophy was a gesture of recognition from the people who followed him through his career and then responded to his death with support. That made the award feel personal from the start, with his widow standing in for him as the sport closed the season.

Chase Elliott stepped aside

Chase Elliott’s decision to step aside shaped the race for the award as much as Busch’s popularity did. Elliott had won the previous eight NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver awards, a streak that defined the category for years. He asked the National Motorsports Press Association to remove him from consideration, and that move opened the door for a new winner. With Elliott out of the running, the fan vote had room to move in another direction. That shift gave the award a fresh result without erasing the context that came before it. Elliott’s long run had made him the standard by which the category was measured, so his exit marked a clear break from the recent pattern. Busch’s selection then took that break and gave it historical weight. The award now sits with two stories at once, Elliott’s choice to step away and Busch’s posthumous recognition. Together, they turned an offseason honor into a significant moment of the NASCAR awards night.