Kyle Busch has been posthumously named the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver.
The reveal of Busch being posthumously named the recipient of this year’s Most Popular Driver Award in the Cup Series division, which was based on fan voting, was made during the 2026 NASCAR Awards ceremony in Miami, Florida, on Tuesday, November 10. Busch’s widow, Samantha, accepted the award while delivering an emotional speech to pay tribute to Kyle and express the gratitude, love and support received from the NASCAR community, fellow competitors and fans.
Busch died unexpectedly on May 21 from complications from pneumonia that progressed into sepsis. A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Busch was a two-time Cup Series champion with 234 victories across NASCAR’s top-three national touring series (63 in Cup Series, 102 in O’Reilly Auto Parts Series & 69 in FedEx Freight Truck Series). He also achieved the 2009 O’Reilly championship and holds the most all-time victories between the O’Reilly and Truck divisions.
Busch was campaigning in his fourth consecutive Cup season with Richard Childress Racing at the time of his death and had achieved what would be his final NASCAR victory at Dover Motor Speedway in the Truck division, the latter of which occurred six days prior to his death. Busch had also won his 35th and final Cup career pole position for this year’s 68th annual running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in February.
With the award, Busch is the 21st competitor to be named the Most Popular Driver in the Cup Series division as he achieves the title for the first time ever between the Truck, O’Reilly and Cup divisions. He is also the first competitor not named Elliott or Earnhardt to be named the Most Popular Driver since Darrell Waltrip in 1990.
Chase Elliott, who was named NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver over the previous eight seasons, withdrew his name from the ballot as he was among multiple competitors who encouraged fans to vote for Busch for the award. Ironcially, Chase’s father, Bill, utilized the exact course of action that enabled Dale Earnhardt to be named the Most Popular Driver in 2001 following Earnhardt’s death from the Daytona 500.
With Busch being named this year’s Cup Series Most Popular Driver, Justin Allgaier and Layne Riggs were also receipients of this year’s Most Popular Driver Awards between the Truck and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series divisions. Allgaier, who notched his second O’Reilly championship this season, was voted Most Popular Driver for a sixth time while Riggs, this year’s Truck championship runner-up, was named Most Popular Driver for first time ever. Allgaier holds the record for the most Most Popular Driver Awards in the O’Reilly division at six while Riggs became the 26th competitor to achieve the title in the Truck division.
