"Crank it up and move it forward" - Hendrick Motorsports' owner wants NASCAR to 'think outside the box' to improve the sport

A change in any form can be difficult to implement in any sport, let alone implementing it in NASCAR. Stock car racing and the governing body, as with every sport that has a rich heritage, always try to strike the perfect balance between sticking to its roots and trying to remain relevant in the modern day and age.

NASCAR has always been a traditionalist sport when it comes to the way things work. Sticking to the agenda has always been its key to success. Over recent years, however, the decline in overall viewership has forced the sport to shake things up. Over the past few seasons, fans have witnessed a revolution in the stock car racing world. This change has come as much from the drivers and teams as it has from the governing body itself.

One of the biggest supporters of change in the sport is the co-owner of 23XI Racing, Denny Hamlin. The 41-year-old believes that compalcency has no place in the sport and new, youthful ideas will help it reach new heights. Veterans of the sport, such as Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick, seem to agree with his thought process.

Hendrick echoed Hamlin's sentiments on the topic. He said:

“We need to think outside the box if we want to elevate the sport and really crank it up and move it forward. We’ve got so many good young people and different folks in like Michael Jordan and Denny, Trackhouse (with Justin Marks and rapper Pitbull), just fresh blood. Us old dogs get into a habit of, ‘If it ain’t broke, just do what you have been doing,’ but the young folks have new ideas and we need to accept it to elevate the sport to where it’s never been before.”

Rick Hendrick has his name attached to one of the most successful teams in NASCAR history, which makes his views difficult to ignore.

---

23XI Racing's unique livery for the NASCAR AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway is a good example of fresh thinking and ideas

New teams such as 23XI Racing can afford to take bigger risks than the more experienced teams in the sport. A good example of this mindset came at the AdventHealth 400 weekend at Kansas Motor Speedway. Kurt Busch's No.45 Toyota Camry TRD showed up to the paddock with a unique livery, inspired by a pair of limited edition Nike Air Jordan 1 sneakers.

Busch was dressed to match his car's livery in a striking race suit as he went on to take the team's first victory of the 2022 season.