Earnhardt, Elliott Dead Heat for NASCAR Most Popular Driver Vote

Grands!® Biscuits NMPA NASCAR Most Popular Driver Poll Approaching 2 Million Fan Votes

Elliott, Earnhardt Battle For Top Spot In Nationwide Voting

MINNEAPOLIS — September 27, 2002 — An award that began in 1956 has reached a milestone its founders never envisioned.

Sitting just shy of two million total votes, the Grands! Biscuits NMPA NASCAR Most Popular Driver Award has now received more votes in six months than it has in the rest of its history combined. The highest vote total in any single year prior was 400,000 in 2001.

In the meantime, 15-time award winner Bill Elliott has made a major jump in the balloting and the battle between him and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is incredibly close. The two are in a virtual dead heat in the balloting. Jeff Gordon is a close third, followed by Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, Bobby Labonte, Michael Waltrip, Kyle Petty, Rusty Wallace and Kevin Harvick.

NASCAR fans can continue to vote online once per day at www.nascarpopulardriver.com. Voting continues through Nov. 17.

The Grands!® Biscuits NMPA Most Popular Driver of the Year Award will be presented during the NASCAR Winston Cup Awards Banquet weekend in New York. Several fans have voted at www.nascarpopulardriver.com in record numbers since voting began March 4.

Sponsored by Grands!® Biscuits, the NASCAR Most Popular Driver Award is administered by the NMPA. A coveted award since it was first presented in 1956, it has become even more so in recent years because votes are now cast by NASCAR Winston Cup fans. Previous award winners include such legendary racing names as Richard Petty, David Pearson, Elliott, Bobby Allison and Dale Earnhardt, Sr., who was awarded the honor posthumously in 2001.

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