"They’re carrying the torch": When Dale Earnhardt Jr. urged NASCAR to market 'good guys' Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney

During an interview in 2017, Dale Earnhardt Jr. discussed the marketability of NASCAR and how certain storylines in the sport weren't getting enough attention. Earnhardt, who announced his retirement at the start of 2017, had won the Most Popular Driver award for the last 14 seasons and urged NASCAR to promote the then-emerging stars in stock racing, Chase Elliot and Ryan Blaney.

While Earnhardt Jr. would go on to win his 15th Most Popular Driver award in a row, the most for any driver since the award's creation, he believed the sport needed to market its upcoming prospects.

Speaking to Jeff Gluck, Dale Jr. said:

"I think there needs to be more effort to market Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Bubba Wallace. They’re doing a great job with Daniel Suarez, but they need to really get these guys in front of not only the NASCAR fans, but more mainstream media (like) Rolling Stone.Those are great things for those guys, because they’re carrying the torch, man. And they have the personalities. They’re so funny, you know? And they’re good guys. They’re not brats."

Earnhardt claimed that those three drivers have the 'personalities' to become the face of NASCAR and help the sport 'return to its peak'. The HMS driver added that NASCAR needed to push their marketing of these drivers to appeal to a wider audience.

"For the health of the sport, I think it’d be awesome if they grabbed onto (Ryan) Blaney or Chase (Elliott) or somebody like that. They’re going to be successful and are going to be around a long time. That would probably be better for everybody," Jr. said.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. addressed whether racecar drivers can be entertainers

During the aforementioned interview, Dale Earnhardt Jr. also pondered whether some drivers could be considered 'entertainers'. He said that Spencer Gallagher was someone he found 'certainly entertaining' when giving interviews.

Earnhardt Jr. claimed that Gallagher had a great outlook and approach to racing as he was 'very cavalier' about it despite being competitive. The HMS driver circled back to Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott, alluding that they could replicate Gallaghers' appeal and market themselves.

Jr. mentioned that there comes a point for every racecar driver where they might need to be witty and entertaining while interacting with media and the public. However, Earnhardt. said that on the track, one tended to be competitive.

"When you’re in the car, I don’t think you’re much of an entertainer. But outside of the car, you are an entertainer many times during the week," Jr. said.

Interestingly, Chase Elliott looks to have filled in Dale Earnhardt Jr's shoes as he won his 7th consecutive Most Popular Driver award for the 2024 season. As for Ryan Blaney, the Team Penske driver who won the 2023 Cup championship, has also established his brand and fanbase in NASCAR.