New NASCAR Marketing Numbers Show One Driver Is In Big Trouble

For the first time since the Bush Administration, NASCAR may soon have a new Most Popular Driver. 

And I ain't talking about George W. Bush. That's right. I'm talking about his DADDY!

With the NASCAR season reaching the halfway point (sort of), the series has released updated marketing & merchandise numbers as we towards June. All the usual suspects are on the list, including Chase Elliott and the Earnhardt fellas. 

Yeah, Dale Sr. is STILL in the top-10 all these years later. That should shock nobody, by the way. 

Anyway, the big takeaway for me? For the first time in years – and I mean YEARS – there's a new driver atop the list.

Kyle. Larson. 

Chase Elliott and NASCAR have a problem

That may not seem like much, but … it's certainly a talker. And, more importantly, it spells bad news for Chase Elliott. 

Elliott has been the Cup Series' Most Popular Driver – as voted on by the fans – since 2018. Before him, Dale Earnhardt Jr. held that title from 2003-17. 

Chase's daddy, Bill Elliott, held it in 2002, Dale Sr. was obviously the choice in 2001, and Elliott again held it from 1991-2000. 

The last time an Elliott or an Earnhardt wasn't No. 1? Darrell Waltrip, in 1990. Yeah, it's been a while. 

Frankly, this is what I've been saying for years now. Hell, I said it last week, when IHOP chose to feature Dale Jr. in their brand-new commercial ahead of NASCAR's debut on Amazon Prime. 

Dale Jr. has been retired for nearly a decade now, yet he's still the most marketable face in the sport? That's an issue. 

When Chase Elliott broke into the Cup Series in 2016, NASCAR banked on him being the new Dale Jr. For a while, it seemed like he would be. 

Chase piled up MPD awards, got into a fight with Denny Hamlin, won a ton of races for about a three-year stretch, and took home a Cup title in 2020. It was all ham and eggs! 

But, it appears, his recent cold streak has finally caught up to him – at least at this point in the 2025 season. Elliott has won one points-paying race in two years – and that came at Texas … in April of '24. 

For that counting at home, that's one win over the past 108 races. One. 

Beyond that, Chase just … doesn't really seem interested in holding the mantle, which is perhaps the most depressing part of this equation. He's a private dude, which is fine, but not great for marketing. With Kevin Harvick retired, and the 2017 Hamlin feud in the rearview, he no longer has any enemies on the track. 

Again, that's good for Chase, but bad for marketing. 

And, most importantly, he just hasn't won a ton over the past few seasons. At all, really. 

Kyle Larson, on the other hand, has won a billion races, led a billion laps, and is probably the most marketable driver in the series right now given his two recent attempts at the Indy 500. 

Obviously, these numbers don't mean anything right now. And they could be just that – numbers. Chase Elliott fans are fierce, and they could easily push Chase across the finish line once again later this year when Most Popular Driver opens. 

But that list? It's a wake-up call for Chase, and a red flag for NASCAR. 

The latter is certainly taking notice. The former may not care at all.