For everyone, 2026 brought back memories of 2001, as Richard Childress has now lost the face of his franchise in two different eras. And both drivers spent years being booed despite their decorated résumés. One was the Intimidator. The other was Rowdy. Neither ever tried to soften his image, though the later stages of their careers brought admiration from many. Still, there’s one parallel that now stands out – more so, because of how Busch had talked about the exact thing some years back.

Hearing that, several emotions take over. Call it poignant, unsettling, eerie, chilling – all can be true at the same time. Both drivers built enviable careers, with fame following their every step. Yet, neither ever won the Most Popular Driver award.

“I mean, it’s a fact. He never won the most popular driver award, which I’m pretty sure I’m never going to win. But he did finally win it in the year in which he died. And they gave it to him. Well, they didn’t give it to him. He was voted. But I think that’s because the tables finally turned where people were like, ‘O, damn!’” Busch said on the Rubbin Is Racing podcast in 2019.

Across more than two decades in NASCAR’s three national divisions, Busch amassed 234 combined victories — 63 in the Cup Series, 102 in the Xfinity Series, and 69 in the Craftsman Truck Series, the latter two marks standing as records. And two Cup championships – he was once the definition of domination at every level the sport had to offer. He raced with an aggression that was at once polarizing and magnetic; drivers feared him, fans were split on him, and arenas were never quiet when his name was announced.

Earnhardt Sr.’s résumé, too, hardly needs introduction. Seven Cup Series championships. Seventy-six Cup wins. Countless iconic moments that transformed NASCAR into a national phenomenon. “The Intimidator” became the face of an entire generation of stock car racing.

But the tremendous popularity of Bill Elliott, who dominated fan voting in the 1980s and 1990s, was a major factor in Sr. never lifting the crystal. Elliott won the MPD 16 times, including 10 consecutive honors through 2000. However, Elliott made the heartfelt choice to withdraw from the 2001 Daytona 500 ballot following Earnhardt’s untimely death on the last lap, urging supporters to honor Earnhardt instead.

As a result, Dale Sr. received the lone Most Popular Driver award posthumously. The award itself is entirely fan-voted and has long reflected emotional connection as much as on-track performance. Throughout the season, fans cast ballots, frequently recognizing legacy, relatability, and personality just as much as the wins or the titles.

And that’s what made Kyle Busch’s comments stand out even back in 2019. He realized that fame doesn’t necessarily follow brilliance. Sometimes fans don’t completely express their gratitude until they understand what they’ve lost. Now, after Kyle Busch’s own sudden passing, many across NASCAR are revisiting those words with an entirely different perspective.

Chase Elliott is open to following Bill Elliott’s gesture

After Kyle Busch’s demise, the discussion around NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver award has suddenly taken on a far deeper emotional significance. And now, Chase Elliott is openly considering whether history should repeat itself.

In response to NASCAR journalist Steve Toranto’s question regarding whether he had considered withdrawing from the Most Popular Driver ballot, like his father Bill Elliott had done for Dale Earnhardt in 2001, Chase did not rule out the possibility.

“I really haven’t processed all of that, I guess, to get to that point. But I would certainly be in favor of him winning, whatever it took. Yeah, I think it would be really deserving for him to have that honor,” Chase Elliott said.

That answer immediately caught attention across the NASCAR world because of what it represented. As you know, back in 2001, following Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s fatal crash at Daytona, Bill Elliott voluntarily withdrew himself from the Most Popular Driver voting.

Now, more than two decades later, Chase Elliott finds himself in a remarkably similar position. The Hendrick Motorsports star continues to be the face of the fan vote in modern NASCAR after winning the Most Popular Driver award eight times in a row. However, Kyle Busch’s unexpected death has completely altered the emotional atmosphere around the sport.

Additionally, the prospect of Chase Elliott commemorating Kyle Busch in the same manner that his father honored Dale Earnhardt seems nearly meaningful to many fans, as one generation of NASCAR history seems closely linked to another. But, at this point, it’s unclear if Chase will eventually withdraw his name from consideration.

However, the fact that he is even open to considering it speaks much about the respect Kyle Busch held in the garage, even by drivers who had been in direct competition with him for years.