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NASCAR WCUP: Online Voting Opens For Most Popular Driver Award

18 July 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Voting for the Most Popular Driver Award kicked off today at the National Motorsports Press Association's (NMPA) official site, www.motorsportspress.com. This is the first time since the award's inception in 1953 that stock car fans will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite NASCAR Winston Cup driver online.

ThatsRacin.com, the largest independent online motor sports site with more than 100,000 visitors per month, built and will maintain the NMPA site. The NMPA site features information about the organization, examples of award-winning motor sports journalism and photojournalism, as well as the organization's Hall of Fame.

"People will come to the site every day to vote for their favorite driver," said www.ThatsRacin.com Segment Manager Stan Kleine. "They will also come to see the finest motor sports journalism in the country."

Last year's Most Popular Driver, Bill Elliott, has won the award each year since 1984, with the exception of 1989 and 1990 when Darrell Waltrip scored the most votes.

"It's a good day for the NMPA," said NMPA President Jim McLaurin. "A lot of the work our members do goes unnoticed by the racing community. This gives us a central place for people who like racing to see great work."

Fan will also be able to vote for a flat fee of $0.89 at 1-900-73-RACIN. ThatsRacin.com debuted in 1998 with promotion in Knight Ridder's 31 newspapers through the weekly That's Racin' print product. The site offers stock car racing news and feature coverage, contests, free fan Web sites, downloadable wallpapers and screen savers, threaded discussion and a real-time chat area for fans.

Text provided by Jenny Bonk

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot photos and racing art, please visit The Racing Image Galleries and The Visions of Speed Art Gallery

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