Chase Elliott may have experienced a less-than-stellar Cup season, but the Hendrick Motorsports driver continues his dominant reign in the off-season. With voting open till November 30 for the Most Popular Driver Award, it was hardly surprising to find Elliott in contention after five previous wins. But a new addition in the run was stunned to discover himself amidst NASCAR champions and fan favorites. 

When Josh Williams took a stand against the racing body’s inordinately high fines, the future Kaulig Racing driver had no idea it would firmly place him in the hearts and minds of the racing community. But the current top contenders for this year’s MPD indicate that’s exactly what happened with the Xfinity Series racer.

Josh Williams in elite company with NASCAR champions in the off-season

Playoff drivers dominated all three NASCAR series when it came to receiving maximum votes this year. In the Cup Series, Chase Elliott finds himself the odd one out in the company of 2023 champion Ryan Blaney and playoff contenders Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, and Ross Chastain. While Larson was a favorite to win the title, Chastain won over the crowd by winning the season-ending race in Phoenix. Busch’s popularity also seemed to have soared with his move to Richard Childress Racing this year. But there is one name in the Xfinity Series that came as a surprise to the driver himself.

By parking his racecar on the start/finish line at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, Josh Williams refused to abide by racing officials’ instruction to “Park It” in the garage. Frustrated with NASCAR’s adamance to retire racecars at the smallest of issues, Williams, then racing for DGM Racing, drew attention to the challenges of drivers and race teams that lacked funding. The support he received was beyond his wildest imagination. And his inclusion in the Top 5 drivers with the most votes so far proves it stood the test of time. 

Along with Xfinity champion Cole Custer and playoff drivers Justin Allgaier, Sheldon Creed, and Josh Berry, Williams is the fifth name on the list released by Jayski. In response to the post, the astonished driver only had one word in response, “wow.”

Though he made the bold move by parking his car mid-track, Williams did not voice any disrespect toward the organization itself. Instead, he utilized his moment in the sun to raise funds for children’s hospitals. Despite the phenomenal response, the 30-year-old driver had not expected to create a revolution.

Watch this story: Chase Elliott’s Season of Injuries and Surgeries

“I never would have thought it would have escalated to something at this level,” Josh Williams said earlier this year in an interview with Autoweek. The experience made him realize, “People have been wanting to voice their opinion about some of the things going on in NASCAR lately, but I guess I was the guy that finally committed to it.” The impact was lasting enough for his inclusion with the top racing stars of the season, such as Elliott and Larson.

Chase Elliott made the owner’s playoffs popular this year

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Although Chase Elliott missed the mark this year due to his snowboarding accident, it did not lessen his regard in the racing fandom. In fact, his qualification in the owner’s playoffs made the fans appreciate the largely ignored owner’s championship’s significance. 

In the Truck Series, champion Ben Rhodes and title contender Carson Hocevar found favor with the audience. Along with last year’s winner Hailie Deegan, Stewart Friesen and Matt DiBenedetto rounded up the Top 5 contenders in the third-tier series of NASCAR. You can still vote till Thursday and help your favorite driver win the award this year!

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