For years, NASCAR has wrestled with a major problem—where are the modern-day superstar drivers? Gone are the days of Dale Earnhardt’s intimidating presence, Jeff Gordon’s mainstream appeal, and Tony Stewart’s fiery charisma. While today’s Cup Series grid is full of immensely talented drivers, few have reached the rockstar status of past legends.
Now, 2014 NASCAR Cup champion Kevin Harvick has weighed in on how to fix the issue—and according to him, it all starts with getting drivers in front of the fans.
Harvick’s Formula for Creating NASCAR Superstars
🏁 Step 1: More Fan Interaction
📢 Step 2: Build Personal Brands Through Storytelling
💰 Step 3: Reignite Sponsor-Driven Marketing
NASCAR has already introduced a new driver marketing program, aiming to increase visibility and help drivers build their brands. But Harvick believes the key to success lies in a more direct, old-school approach.
“Well, the drivers need to be in front of the fans more, right?” Harvick said. “How do we build the drivers’ brands? How do we make them rockstars?”
The first step, according to Harvick, is making sure today’s drivers are actually engaging with fans on a personal level—at the track, in communities, and across all forms of media.
The 2009 Financial Crisis—and Its Lasting Impact on NASCAR’s Star Power
Harvick also pointed to a crucial turning point in NASCAR history—the 2009 financial crisis, which fundamentally changed the way businesses invest in the sport.
“Since 2009, the way businesses do business is different,” Harvick explained.
Prior to 2009, sponsors poured millions into not just backing race teams but also building up individual drivers as brand icons. This meant drivers got mainstream exposure in commercials, late-night talk shows, magazine covers, and nationwide advertising campaigns.
That kind of investment made drivers household names.
🕶️ Jeff Gordon had Pepsi and DuPont commercials.
🏆 Dale Earnhardt Jr. was everywhere with Budweiser and later Mountain Dew.
🔥 Tony Stewart had Home Depot turning him into a marketing machine.
But after the financial collapse, sponsorship dollars tightened, and marketing efforts shifted away from drivers and more toward corporate ROI—a shift that left many modern stars struggling to gain mainstream recognition.
“The sponsors really promoted the sport as I was coming through, helping you grow a brand because you were exposed to so many things and different news outlets across the country.”
Without that same level of backing, today’s drivers have had to rely on their own efforts to break through the noise—but many simply haven’t had the tools or support to do so.
Can NASCAR’s New Driver Incentive Program Fix This?
NASCAR’s latest driver marketing initiative aims to give drivers more creative control over their personal branding—something Harvick fully supports.
“I think what this driver incentive program does is it allows the drivers to get creative with their own brand.”
The idea is to give drivers more opportunities to market themselves, whether that’s through social media, television appearances, streaming, or other creative outlets.
But for this program to succeed, teams and drivers will also need to step up.
🚨 Teams must invest in media training to ensure their drivers are comfortable engaging with mainstream outlets.
🎙️ Drivers must embrace modern content creation, from podcasts to YouTube vlogs.
💡 NASCAR must help place its stars on big platforms, such as ESPN, late-night TV, and major brand campaigns.
Final Thoughts: Will NASCAR’s Next Generation Step Up?
Kevin Harvick has laid out a clear blueprint for turning today’s drivers into true rockstars.
✔️ More face time with fans
✔️ Better branding strategies
✔️ Stronger sponsor partnerships
But the real question is—will today’s drivers embrace the challenge?
In a world where social media influencers dominate attention, NASCAR stars have a golden opportunity to reinvent themselves for a new generation of fans.
With NASCAR’s new initiative in place, the hope is that the next wave of racing legends will finally break through the mainstream barrier—just like Earnhardt, Gordon, and Stewart did before them.
The future of NASCAR’s popularity depends on it.
