Dale Earnhardt Jr is set to get a place in the NASCAR Hall of Fame tonight. Recently, he looked back on everything that led him to be a part of that elite company.

Along the way, he acknowledged all of his Most Popular Driver awards and credited them for his inclusion. He also spoke about how those awards matter to him, more so in light of his father’s career.

He said, “The award means more to me than it might mean for somebody else. To be completely transparent, Bill Elliott’s winning the Most Popular Driver award all these years, 16-17 years. Then I came, Dale Earnhardt, of we believed the Dad phenomenon as the most popular driver. There’s some kind of trick that Bill Elliott and his team are pulling to win this award. The way that Dad is less popular, Dad’s the most popular, that’s our thought. Bill won the award, but in our minds… So finally, here it is, Dad’s going to win this.”

What else did Dale Earnhardt Jr say?

In 2001, Dale Jr accepted his father’s only Most Popular driver award, which was awarded posthumously. When he spoke at the ceremony all those years ago, he admitted that his father would have been proud to win the award. According to Dale Jr, accepting his father’s award drove home how important that award was. In other words, it matters a whole lot more to him than probably any other driver.

So, every time he won the award himself, Dale Jr imagined that he was winning it for his dad. He also acknowledged the importance of the fans in this endeavor. To be precise, every time they vote, they want their favorite drivers to win. So, they are the most important element of the Most Popular Driver award.

One thing is for sure, the former Hendrick Motorsports driver truly appreciates the sport and has done a lot for it.

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