NASCAR Q&A: Chase Elliott remains the peoples' choice, with no challenger in sight

Can anyone challenge Chase’s hold on “Most Popular” status?

Doubtful, at least for the time being. NASCAR’s popularity award was once basically owned by Bill Elliott, Chase’s dad, who was such a lock he had to ask to be removed from the ballot in 2003 just to let someone else have a chance.

That chance went to Dale Earnhardt Jr., who salted away the trophy until retirement four years ago, at which time the next Elliott generation picked it up and locked it away. That won’t likely change unless, say, Ryan Blaney (it helps that he’s Chase’s friend) saves a puppy from a fire on Sunday morning, wins the race that afternoon, then donates his winnings to Anheuser-Busch.

Even then, it’d be close. Meanwhile, we’ll just await the possible arrival of Hailie Deegan in the Cup Series — only then will Chase likely see some competition. Hailie did, after all, win the 2021 popularity vote in her first Truck Series season.

What’s up, a doc?

Many have become familiar with the Netflix docuseries, “Drive to Survive,” which has made Formula One fans out of a bunch of Americans who otherwise wouldn’t know Daniel Ricciardo from Dick Trickle.

As a result, and to the surprise of no one, NASCAR has taken notice and there’s talk with NBC about giving similar treatment to NASCAR for the coming year. NASCAR president Steve Phelps tossed out a line that always brings mixed feelings among the longtime fans.

A docuseries, Phelps said, would be a way “to showcase our sport in a different way to a different audience.” Here’s assuming front-end negotiations include NASCAR demanding some form of quality control and veto power over assorted content.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Will Hailie Deegan have to arrive for Chase Elliott to be challenged?