I saw that too, it surprised me.
To tell the truth, it surprised me that Bill won it so many times.
Dale Earnhardt was clearly the fan favorite but never won the award until after he died and Bill Elliott removed himself from the ballot.
I felt that somehow the voting was "organized" and wasn't a true indicator of a driver's popularity, for years Bill had little success and no wins, yet he was voted the most popular driver.
Go Junebug !!! LOL