Dale Jr didnt have THAT many fans back then did he?

Question

I was just reading some old stuff from the year he won his 1st busch championship in 1998...which should have given him a lot of fans, but guess who was voted the most popular driver in the Busch series that year??????

BUCKSHOT JONES!!

He beat out the champion dale Jr for most popular driver, but all the Jr fans say they were fans before his father died. How the heck was Buckshot Jones more popular? As far as I remember he never was successful in anything in NASCAR. How did he beat out Jr for most popular...and is that more proof that most JR fans started liking him after his dad died? 2001 was the only year Sr won the Most pop. driver award...after his death.

Answer 1

You know you don't have many fans when the most reckless driver in NASCAR history is more popular than you

Answer 2

Ok, you got me I actually became a serious Jr fan when he signed Truex to drive for Chance 1. If he was willing to take a chance on a basically unknown driver in what's now the Camping World East series. That also happened to live 10 miles from me I was cool with that. BTW in 2001 I was a (and will still pull for) Bobby Labonte fan.

Answer 3

Of course death makes you look more popular.  People look like heros for some reason if they die.  Look at Kennedy for example, didn't really do anything out of the ordinary as president, but once he was assassinated he's become a legendary president.  I must admit as a jr. fan that I became a fan of his after dale sr. death.  People didn't like dale sr. because he was the intimidator and his style of racing was very risky/pretty dirty.  When he passed on, Dale Sr. fans had nobody to cheer for...except his son, the closest person to him.

Answer 4

Wow. I can't imagine Buckshot being voted most popular. I didn't start watching NASCAR until 2001, but all I remember is Buckshot wrecking all the time. Go figure. I've always been a Jeff Gordon fan, so I'm not sure when Jr. became popular.

Answer 5

lol..Buckshot Jones!!

Idk..I can only speak for my all time favorite Jr. fan, my bff and the love of my life, he was his fan back in the Busch series.

And was never a fan of Buckshot Jones.

Answer 6

was the name.."buckshot"...very noticable and not easy to forget...so natually everybody voted for him...im a jr fan and always will be, i will say he aint winning anything but as far  a good person out there on the track..i will stand with him..

Answer 7

I believe most were Sr fans who switched on his  untimely death and keep hoping through their ignorance he will come back in some form through his son.  Might happen but not through JR  

Answer 8

so why would a so called jr fan asked that

i think

Answer 9

Why is all the whining about Jr and Busch?  I was a fan of his then and I am a fan of his now. I have always been a Earnhardt fan. I always will be. I stick to my drivers, not just blow them off when they have a bad year and go cheer for a winning team.

Answer 10

I wasn't a fan till the day his father died....   that was a awesome race and I have not missed one since....

Answer 11

Back in 1998 yes Junior won the championship BUT he was not the most popular driver. I have been a Nascar fan since 1983 when my dad took me to my first race in Bristol. Back in 1998 Buckshot (while he did stink in the Cup series in the 2000's) was a force to be reckoned with back in the Busch series. His #00 was always contending for the win, and always stirred up controversy by purposly wrecking most anyone who got in his way. He was brash and didn't care what NASCAR said THEN. Like any driver who may "disagree" with NASCAR he got summoned to the trailer once too often. It seems by the time he got to CUP they taken all the "fire" out of him. Now of course this is simply my opinion but I did pull for Buckshot back then...his grandparents didn't live too far (at the time) from my mom and dad. But it doesn't surprise me....all the fans loved him because he took on NASCAR and the established older Busch drivers. Sort of the "Darrell Waltrip" of his time. That's what I think....take it or leave it.

Answer 12

I loved Buckshot back in the day. He was never destined to make it to Sunday racing, but he was a damned good driver in the Busch series. Junior inherited his father's legacy. That can't be disputed. My dad used to stick for whoever drove the Bud Car...didn't matter who the driver was...Bonnet, Craven, whoever. Then Jr. got the ride. But my dad has an AMP poster on the bar fridge now. He still has tons of Bud c**p, but not much stuff w/ #9 this year. He pre-bought the #88 cars from QVC before they were released. In my dad's case, he was a Jr. convert and it had nothing to do with #3. BTW...My dad also liked Buckshot....go figure.