LAS VEGAS (Dec. 2, 2016) – Grass is green, the sky is blue, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. is NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver.

Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS for Hendrick Motorsports and owner of JR Motorsports, was again voted NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver, it was announced on Friday during the annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards banquet in Las Vegas. The award is the 14^th straight for the third-generation star, just two fewer than Bill Elliott’s all-time record of 16.

Thank you fans! You guys are such a huge part of our team and help motivate us in so many ways. pic.twitter.com/hvEek8hkux

— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) December 3, 2016

Earnhardt Jr. was named Most Popular Driver in a season where he missed the final 18 races of the season due to a concussion sustained at Michigan International Speedway in June, a fact that Earnhardt Jr. referenced in his remarks.

“The Most Popular Driver Award is always very humbling to receive, even more so this year with my injury and time out of the car,” he said. “The fans continue to amaze me with their loyalty and the support they've shown throughout my career no matter the circumstance.”

The award, given to the winner of an online vote conducted by series sponsor Sprint and the National Motorsports Press Association, has been presented annually since 1953, when Lee Petty accepted the first trophy. It is the only award in the sport determined by a fan vote. This year, fans began voting in September and the tally ended on Nov. 20, the day of the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Since its 1953 debut, just 19 drivers have won Most Popular Driver. Elliott’s record of 16 triumphs is within Earnhardt’s range, as he has won the award every year since 2003. The last time a driver not named Earnhardt or Elliott won the award was 1990, when Darrell Waltrip was the winner.

Earnhardt Jr. and his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., the 2001 winner, are the second father-son driver duo to win the award. The first was Lee and Richard Petty. Lee Petty won the first two awards, in 1953 and 1954, and Richard won nine times over his career.

Only eight drivers have won more than once. Elliott and Earnhardt Jr. lead the way, followed by the Pettys (Richard with nine, Lee with two). Other multiple winners include Bobby Allison with six, and David Pearson, Waltrip and Fred Lorenzen with two each.