Dale Earnhardt Jr.
"You look at Richard Petty and Bill Elliott and I've always felt that if you win this award once then you are in good company. I'm real proud of it. The fans have hung in there and gave me one heck of a Christmas gift."

Darrell Waltrip
"I put the most popular driver, the Bill France Award of Excellence and my championship trophies; I put them all up together," echoed Darrell Waltrip. "It's the fan's voice. They are the ones that say, 'We like this guy, we like what he does,' and they vote for you. That means a lot to any of us."

Richard Petty
"Anytime you win a 'Most Popular' award it's great. It is something that you really don't work for, but rather it just happens," said the seven-time champion Richard Petty. "The Most Popular Driver Award makes the driver feel good because you’re not out there to be the most popular driver; you're out there to win races. You win it at the end of the season, and it's like a big bonus."