Genres – entertainment, sports, really anything – are almost always defined by personalities.
Taylor Swift is the queen of music right now. Tom Cruise still rules movies. Michael Jordan was a sports king who now has a dominating position in shoes.
Richard Petty was also a king, dominating NASCAR throughout the 1960s and 70s. Dale Earnhardt Sr. matched Petty’s record in the 1980s and 90s. Jeff Gordon followed Earnhardt in earning a spot on the Mount Rushmore of NASCAR.
But who is that guy for NASCAR today?
NASCAR Needs a Hero. Again.
Jimmie Johnson was the last in that conversation, who won seven championships including five consecutive titles from 2006-10, but since Johnson’s last championship in 2016, no one has really become the face of NASCAR.
Larry McReynolds, former Earnhardt crew chief turned Fox television analyst, says, “I’ll never be bold enough to say we won’t see another Jimmie Johnson, but I’m just not sure we’re ever going to see another driver winning multiple championships like that.”
Never say never, Larry. For the longest time, no one thought anyone could ever touch Dan Marino’s NFL records.
Many blame the lack of standout stars on rules changes, like the introductions of new cars, including the Gen-6 car in 2013 and the Next Gen car in 2022.
Some also point to the 2014 adoption of a 10-race playoff format in which four postseason qualifiers were eliminated. The eliminations would happen every three weeks until four drivers remained for the final race.
Regardless, the heyday of 1990s NASCAR glory is simply not there anymore, something so many of the drivers seem to acknowledge. It’s hard to imagine a movie like the Days of Thunder starring Tom Cruise and Robert Duvall being made today, but the interest was there in 1990.
It’s a different time.
Kyle Busch says as much. “I’m not sure what it is, but you have the die-hard fans of NASCAR, of Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace, Terry Labonte, Mark Martin, Harry Gant … you name it — guys from the ‘90s, mid-90s, late-90s, all of that,” Busch said. “Our world now, today, of 2024, is a lot different fan base that’s following along.”
“The driver star power, that’s what brings people to the racetrack, is the drivers,” he added.
Who could possibly be the next Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, or Rusty Wallace?
Can NASCAR get back to creating star drivers who become the face of their sport? The fans are there. The tracks are there. Who is the next big name to jump in?
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