The 2026 ESPYS Awards, which will be held on July 15 at 8 p.m. ET, recently had the full list of nominees announced by ESPN on Thursday. Motorsports fans were in for a surprise, and NASCAR fans, in particular, were left divided over the sole representative for the series - Tyler Reddick.

Every year, the ESPN network hosts the annual ESPYS presented by Capital One. Unlike traditional awards decided by the panel of judges or experts, this honor is decided by the fans.

This year's nominees for the same have been announced by the organizing committee. For the "Best Driver" category, the four drivers nominated are:

1. Kimi Antonelli, F1
2. Lando Norris, F1
3. Alex Palou, IndyCar
4. Tyler Reddick, NASCAR

In ESPN's press release, this was the only motorsports category. For the voting, fans from all across the world will be given an opportunity to cast their vote for their favorite driver. Beyond motorsports, other categories include Best NFL Player, Best NBA Player, Best Fighter, and Best Soccer Player, among others.

While Reddick appeared as the sole NASCAR representation, he quickly became one of the biggest talking points. Many fans pointed out how there were other drivers like Denny Hamlin, who nearly won the 2025 Cup Series championship and continues to win consistently in 2026.

NASCAR fans weigh in on the 2026 ESPYS nominations

The Athletic’s NASCAR reporter, Jeff Gluck, shared the list of nominees under the category for "Best Driver" in an X post. Fans flooded the comment section under his post, with one fan appearing unconvinced about Reddick’s inclusion in the awards.

"Tyler Reddick gets nominated for half a season of work?" They wrote.

The fan was referring to Reddick's rise to the top of the Cup Series in 2026, with five wins in the first nine races. Reigning F1 champion Kimi Antonelli appears to be included with the same logic. Neither driver had a good 2025 season to show for.

Another fan argued that Denny Hamlin built a stronger case for the nomination, pointing out his ability to compete as a driver for Joe Gibbs Racing while also fulfilling the duties of a co-owner of 23XI Racing, for which Reddick drives. They wrote: 

"Denny Hamlin. None of them own a team they are directly competing against (and putting up a hell of a fight) besides Denny Hamlin."

Yet another fan took a sarcastic dig at Reddick, referencing his recent incident at San Diego, where he gave back the race lead to his teammate Corey Heim after they clashed.

"I wonder if Reddick will unnominate himself to let the others win?? Kinda like he did at Naval Base Coronado…ijs," they wrote.

Besides this argument, many other fans argued over who deserved to win among the nominees. Many backed reigning and four-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou, who shattered multiple records in 2025 and also won the Indy 500, and continues to lead the pack in 2026.

"All things considered, I think Palou is the best here. Spec series, utter dominance. Winner," they wrote.

However, another fan pointed out that since the award recipient is chosen by fan votes, there is a high chance that reigning F1 champion Lando Norris might take home the award because of F1's global popularity.

"Palou is the best on this list but its the Espys so Norris will win by popularity," they wrote.

In the NASCAR debate, even reigning champion Kyle Larson was left out. Do you think the four drivers nominated are deserving of the award? Let us know in the comments.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Yash Kotak