Chase Elliott may not hold NASCAR’s fan-favorite crown for much longer. The Most Popular Driver award, which he has won for eight consecutive years, suddenly has some serious challengers. Carson Hocevar’s Talladega win, his backing from internet sensation Cleetus McFarland, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. defending him in recent online conversations have made Elliott’s grip on the award feel far less secure. Even veteran Kevin Harvick sees a storm brewing, though not exactly from the direction fans expected.
On his Happy Hour podcast, Harvick opined that Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Kyle Larson, is currently better positioned to truly challenge the #9 driver’s throne.
“I mean, I would say Kyle Larson has a better chance of beating Chase Elliott,” Harvick said. “But on a year that he’s winning and got everything rolling, he might have a chance. I mean, based upon the souvenir sales and things that happen out front, he’s actually beat Chase Elliott a few times in souvenir sales out front.”
Over the last few years, Larson has built one of the most powerful brands in motorsports, becoming a two-time Cup Series champion with his 2025 title win. He’s also won popular dirt track events like the Chili Bowl (in ’20, ’21, and 25) and the Knoxville Nationals (in ’21, ’23, and ’24).
His fan engagement has also exploded in recent years, with reports revealing that he had surpassed Elliott in merchandise sales at certain points during the 2025 season. Last year, Larson’s attempt at the “Double” helped the Coca-Cola 600 record its highest merchandise sales since 2010.
Larson has still never won the Most Popular Driver award. He was officially listed as one of the top five finalists during the 2025 voting cycle, alongside Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Ross Chastain, and Denny Hamlin, which shows that his fan base has some strength. Still, dethroning Elliott, who received 56% of the votes last year, will be an uphill battle, even if Harvick feels there is a chance.
MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – OCTOBER 31: Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, (L) and Kyle Larson, driver of the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, talk on the grid before the NASCAR Cup Series Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 31, 2021, in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)
Discussions surrounding Elliott losing his grip on the award began when fans started debating whether Hocevar’s Talladega victory and his growing partnership with McFarland, who has 4.7 million subscribers and billions of views on YouTube, could completely shift the landscape. Junior, however, perfectly shut down the idea that Elliott was in immediate danger.
When a fan challenged his opinion on social media, Junior fired back with a blunt reminder of his own experience. “I won it 15 times and have a pretty solid understanding of how it works,” the 51-year-old veteran wrote.
Whether Dale Jr. is right or Kevin Harvick’s Larson prediction comes true, the NASCAR community will only know later this November. But with Larson currently stuck in a one-year winless streak since his victory at Kansas in May 2025, it may be difficult for him to change the minds of fans with short sports memories. Compared to that, Elliott already has two wins this season, in Martinsville and Texas. The advantage, as such, seems to be with him.
As for the immediate prize up for grabs, there is the All-Star Race this coming weekend at Dover. Elliott and Larson could have a battle among themselves out there to make a case for both their campaigns. But when it came to picking the race winner, Harvick went with, well, neither.
Kevin Harvick predicts the 2026 All-Star winner
With only the best set to suit up this weekend at Dover, there is a plethora of options to choose from when it comes to picking a winner. Larson, Elliott, and even championship leader Tyler Reddick all have a realistic shot. But Harvick is going with someone who has a chokehold on “The Monster Mile.”
“I’m going to take Denny Hamlin,” he said confidently in his podcast.
Hamlin currently owns three Cup Series victories at Dover, including back-to-back wins in 2024 and 2025. In his latest win, he survived a rain delay and two overtime restarts while holding off teammate Chase Briscoe after leading 67 laps on the day. In the process, he became just the 13th driver to win consecutive Cup Series races at Dover.
As for the 2026 season, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver remains firmly in contention to challenge for the title once again. He is currently second in the standings, 129 points behind Tyler Reddick, which is impressive considering he is also balancing the rapid growth of his team, 23XI Racing, alongside his own racing campaign.
He already picked up a Cup Series win at Las Vegas earlier this season, and given his recent form and experience in exhibition-style races, it is easy to see why Harvick went with the 45-year-old.
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