As it looks to hold its own in a fiercely competitive entertainment sector and grow where it can, NASCAR is searching for the next driver who will vault into the mainstream consciousness like Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Sr. or Dale Earnhardt Jr. A poll this year found that the percentage of NASCAR fans who don’t have a favorite driver is at an all-time high.

The SRSS Sports Poll in September found 64% of NASCAR fans don’t have a favorite driver, the highest percentage in more than 25 years of the survey and more than double the 31% in the 2009 poll. Meanwhile, NASCAR averaged 2.419 million viewers during the 2026 Cup Series season, down 2% from 2.479 million last year.