As the son of legendary driver Bill Elliott, Chase Elliott carved his niche with some stellar performances. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion not only dominates the track but also the hearts of fans. Elliott’s connection with fans has been a cornerstone of his career. From his early days in the Xfinity Series, his popularity remains unmatched, even when he was not performing up to the mark. In 2024, he won NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver title for the seventh time in a row.

Yet recent developments have ignited a frenzy among his fan base. A peculiar detail on his fellow driver Kaz Grala’s Wikipedia page has sparked buzz among fans. The site announced that Grala would be crowned the Most Popular Driver in 2025.

Notably, Chase Elliott has been the most popular Cup series driver since 2018. Even when he missed almost half a dozen races in 2023, he won the award. Apart from the Cup Series, he has also won the most popular award in the Xfinity Series twice between 2014 and 2015. However, the recent Wikipedia edit about Kaz Grala has sparked a frenzy among Elliott’s fans. The achievement section of Grala’s Wikipedia page reads, “NASCAR Most Popular Driver winner (2025-onwards).”

Notably, Grala is one of the less talked about drivers in the NASCAR world. The Boston native has been in NASCAR since 2018. He has featured in 159 races across three tiers. Despite having 40 Top 10 finishes, he has won just a single race, that too in the Truck series in 2017. In 2023, he performed amazingly in the Xfinity series with nine Top 10 finishes, including two Top 5 finishes. However, after spending years bouncing between teams in NASCAR, he finally landed a significant opportunity in 2024.

Grala joined Rick Ware Racing for the NASCAR Cup Series and competed in 25 races and the prestigious Daytona 500. Though he finished the season ranked 35th with only one top-20 finish, the experience marked a milestone in his career. “For me, 26 races are huge. It’s so hard to sit in one of these things. This gives me enough chances to try to prove I belong here,” Grala was quoted as saying by Fox Sports.

Despite a competitive run in 2024, Kaz Grala is yet to land a seat in 2025. Rick Ware Racing has leased his charter to RFK Racing for the 2025 season. It will be driven by Ryan Preece in the No. 60 Ford. However, Rick Ware can field the No. 15 car as an open charter, but there is no confirmation about the driver line-up. Amid these troubles, the latest Wikipedia edit of Grala has created a buzz among NASCAR fans.

Chase Elliott gets flak from fans

The revelation about Kaz Grala supposedly winning the MPD award in 2025 triggered a flurry of reactions from fans. While some dismissed the claim as a joke, others used it as a platform to criticize the MPD voting process and Chase Elliott’s public persona. One fan hilariously wrote, “Wikipedia got the 2025 script.”

This cheeky remark summed up the general disbelief in the NASCAR community. Fans found the idea of Grala winning the MPD award amusing, given his 2024 performance. Despite his hard-fought journey into the Cup Series, Grala finished 35th in the final standings, with an average finish of 28.5 and only one top-20 result. Yet some fans supported Grala by saying, “If the NASCAR community had any taste, this would be true.”

Meanwhile, some fans questioned the need to have MPD awards. “The MPD award needs to be abolished. There’s no need for an award that has NOTHING to do with on-track performance by a driver, crew, team owner, or anyone else involved,” a user remarked. This reaction echoed a growing sentiment among fans who question the relevance of the MPD award. They often argue that MPD overshadows drivers’ on-track achievements. Moreover, the process of choosing the winning driver is based on fan choice, and fans can vote five times a day! That certainly skews the final result.

However, some fans took a dig at MPD and Chase Elliot. One fan says, “Chase will always have the most popular driver. He may be a complete jerk to fans, and sign the fewest autographs of any driver, but none of that matters if your last name is Elliott.” In Elliott’s defense, he followed a policy of staying clear of people after COVID-19, for his safety and for fans’ safety. However, another user echoed the same by stating his own experience with Elliott.

“I’m a former Chase fan who goes to 10+ NASCAR races a year. I’ve stood in the garage when he gets out of the car countless times and seen him just walk away, or sign maybe 5 things and walk away. It was really off-putting,” a user stated. This reaction reflects skepticism about Elliott’s fan interactions. While his on-track success and family legacy have solidified his popularity, some fans feel that he lacks the personal touch that defined older generations of NASCAR drivers. Amid all these discussions, who do you think will win the 2025 MPD?