With just days remaining for nationwide fan voting, Dale Earnhardt Jr. continues to lead the Grands! Biscuits NMPA NASCAR Most Popular Driver Award - but fans and fan clubs for other drivers appear to have picked up their support. Fan clubs and web sites for several drivers have urged their fans to vote regularly at www.mostpopulardriver.com, as votes have tightened to determine which drivers will finish in the top 10 of the final tally. "The fans have really jumped on this, wanting to make sure their driver finishes as high as possible," said Kenny Bruce, president of the National Motorsports Press Association. "Among the top 20 drivers, several are separated by fewer than 5,000 votes, so a good effort in the final week could make a big difference in who finishes where. The right kind of effort could make a big difference in the top five as well."

Jeff Gordon is second in the voting, followed by Kevin Harvick, Michael Waltrip and Tony Stewart. Rounding out the top 10 are Kasey Kahne, Dale Jarrett, Mark Martin, Jimmie Johnson and Bobby Labonte. The most coveted NASCAR award behind only the national driving championship itself, the Most Popular Driver is determined by an online vote by fans at www.mostpopulardriver.com. The winner will be announced during the NASCAR Nextel Cup Awards Banquet weekend, Dec. 3-4 in New York City. A record 3.7 million votes have been cast, and Earnhardt Jr. has led since voting began in February. The driver standings may change this final week, however, as fans hope to move their favorite drivers into the top spot before the balloting ends at 11:59 p.m. (EDT), Monday, Nov. 22, the day after the final race of the season at Homestead, FL. The NMPA NASCAR Most Popular Driver Award has been given since 1956. The National Motorsports Press Association administers the award, which is sponsored by Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits.

(Williams Company PR)

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