The racing is over, but there is still one more piece of business remaining in the NASCAR racing season – the awards. Many of those awards are presented to NASCAR, but there is one award that is decided by the fans…that of The Most Popular Driver.
With the Gander Outdoors and RV Truck Series and Xfinity Series banquets complete, the Most Popular Drivers in those series have been revealed.
Known to his fans as “The Melon Man”, Ross Chastain earned the honours as being the series Most Popular Driver. Chastain’s family has grown watermelons for generations and he celebrates each win by smashing a watermelon at the start/finish line and another one in victory circle.
When the 2019 racing season began, Chastain was registered to earn points in the Xfinity Series but after plans for the team fell through, Chastain quickly changed his registration to the Truck Series where he won three races and made it to the playoffs where he finished in second place behind champion Matt Crafton; along with running in every race he possibly could throughout the season. He also won a race in the Xfinity Series, had 10 top fives and 19 top tens.
The award was a great birthday present for Chastain who just celebrated his 27th birthday.
When he was an active driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr was repeatedly voted as the most popular driver. Now as a car owner in the Xfinity Series, his drivers are continuing the tradition. Continuing an eight year run, JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier has been voted as the Series Most Popular Driver. He follows fellow JRM drivers Danica Patrick, Regan Smith, Chase Elliott, and Elliot Sadler.
This is Allgaier’s first win as the sport’s most popular driver.
The 33 year old driver, drove the number seven JRM car to fourth place in the final standings after making it to the Championship Four.
Prior to getting behind the wheel for a race, Allgaier was frequently found in the company of his wife Ashely and daughter Harper.