“There’s no superstar (yet)”: NASCAR Insider addresses question regarding the sports’ ‘face’ in Next Gen era

NASCAR insider Steven Taranto suggested that the sport currently does not have a "superstar" or a representative 'face' despite the competitive and popular drivers on the field. He also mentioned that the "face" of any league is created by the broadcasters and is 'network-driven.'

The sport has witnessed many fresh faces in the recent 'Next Gen' era. However, there are famed drivers including the likes of Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin who have been in the sport for well over a decade and have gained massive popularity with fans worldwide. However, Steven Taranto feels the sport still lacks a "face."

Replying to a question on his social media, he argued that despite the many popular drivers that the sport currently has, it still lacks a "face".

"I would say right now NASCAR has a strong ensemble cast that represents the sport well and have some mainstream appeal, but there's no superstar (yet) who transcends that and brings the whole sport up with them," Taranto wrote on X.

At the same time, he also mentioned that any of these 'faces' are driven by broadcasters and the network. Citing the example of Josef Newgarden, who was glorified by FOX for their 2025 IndyCar promotional advertisement, Taranto added:

"I also think the "face" of a league is very network-driven and that part's going to determine who that is for NASCAR. What Fox is doing presenting Josef Newgarden as the face of IndyCar (Indy 500 champion, handsome, charismatic, etc.) is a good start and along the lines of how that happens.," he concluded.

The Indycar ad featuring Newgarden was met with massive appreciation right after it was released.

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YouTuber claims NASCAR does not have a "personality" that "resonates" with millions of people

A view similar to that of Steven Taranto was shared by Eric Estepp on his YouTube channel earlier shortly after the authorities announced their new marketing policy, which is to be centered around the drivers in 2025.

Estepp, while reviewing the policy, mentioned that the sport currently does not have a driver who resonates with a very large audience. Citing the examples of Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, who were some of the most competitive drivers in the 90s and whose battles brought a lot of popularity to NASCAR, he mentioned that the field does not have a similar personality anymore.

"NASCAR right now does not have that Transcendent star. They don't have a Jeff Gordon, a Dale Earnhart... They've got the talent, the Kyle Larsons, the Elliots, the Busch. They just don't have a personality or a character that seemingly resonates with millions and millions of people that transcends the sport. Hopefully bribing its stars to go out and promote the sport is effective, time will tell," he said (3:30 onwards).

NASCAR plans to have a driver-centric marketing campaign beginning the 2025 season. The sanctioning body will be paying incentives to drivers who would promote the sport in any way. This could bring a major change to the fanbase and would also assist the drivers financially.