NASCAR in the modern day and age is in a phase of reinvention, with the sport aiming to cater to a younger and diverse audience not only with its on-track racing product but also off the track. One of the avenues the promotion is focussing on to bring that change is the sale of new and improved merchandise to the fans. While Chase Elliott, the most popular driver in the sport still leads the market, NASCAR has caught up to the Hendrick Motorsports driver in 2024 as well.
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The top 5 leaders who sold the most trackside as well as online merchandise last year saw dominance by Chevrolet drivers with Kyle Larson, Ross Chastain, and Kyle Busch. Most notably, NASCAR managed to split Elliott with the most sales from the other drivers with the second most sales throughout the year.
“Who in the hell is buying NASCAR Brand?” reacted one fan in astonishment at the governance’s position on the list. “Imagine getting outsold by nascar brand who tf is buying that,” wrote another, taking a sly dig at the Chevy drivers who came after the governing body.
NASCAR brand lmao
— GuhleW (@GuhleSzn) January 22, 2025
“Who are these people buying NASCAR brand? I went to 7 races last year and I don’t think I saw 7 people wearing nascar branded apparel,” questioned one fan, citing the lack of brand representation during events last year. “Who the F buys NASCAR brand & why is it number 2,” exclaimed yet another fan in amazement.
The sentiment surrounding NASCAR selling merchandise seems muddled by the response. However, it could be an indicator of how the same is reaching a newer fan and attracting them to the sport instead of the hardcore race fans.
NASCAR lead the charts in 2023
While the previous year saw the governance miss out on the top spot, NASCAR’s merchandise sales were the highest in 2023, beating the likes of Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson that year. With more than 25 new retailers onboard and sharing the vision, the same came courtesy of new launches with clothing retailers.
The focus was also shifted to increasing the presence in the children’s toy space, with retailers such as Walmart leading on the front to prospective customers.
The introduction of a physical merchandise buying experience has also boosted sales as reported by Sports Business Journal, with examples from Phoenix Raceway’s infield sales doubling with a walk-in environment for the fans.
With the 2025 season rapidly approaching it is once again time the promotion concentrates on the sales for this year if they plan on overtaking Elliott. The upcoming Daytona 500 and the magnitude of the season opener could be a great catalyst to kick things off.
