"It's just good for the whole sport." The importance of NASCAR's cross-pollination with other pro sports leagues

Eddie Kalegi - Staff Writer

Joey Logano stops by Yankee Stadium (Photo Credit: New York Yankees on Facebook)

When Michael Jordan entered the NASCAR team ownership ranks ahead of the 2021 Cup Series season, it marked a significant pivot for the sport. Not only was Jordan a household name, and also became just the second African-American leader of a full-time premier series operation, but it ushered in an era of increased connectivity between NASCAR and professional “stick and ball” sports.

That term alone has become a buzzword amongst countless racing fans in recent years, as many believe the sport’s leadership has become too concerned with playoffs, producing ‘game 7 moments,’ and now, putting together a largely gimmicky in-season tournament that are modeled off of other professional sports leagues, but struggle to seamlessly translate to racing, a sport with far more complexity and nuance that make formatting such events all the more difficult.

While certainly a valid argument, there is an additional wrinkle that is equally true; Michael Jordan has brought new eyes to the sport. NASCAR’s best opportunity to continue to bring in younger fans is to cater to, and ultimately poach, fans of other sports, something that was undeniably lacking over the past decade.

“I think we’ve taken a step back,” Bubba Wallace said. “Now over the last couple of years we’ve been getting it going back up in the right trajectory.”

That aforementioned upward trajectory has been especially present this year, as the sport has had numerous events tied in with Major League Baseball, ahead of the August matchup between the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves at Bristol Motor Speedway. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kyle Larson have both participated in recent activations for the sport at MLB games, while as pictured above, Joey Logano took a detour to Yankee Stadium with his family on Friday prior to this past weekend’s on-track action at Pocono Raceway.

“We’ve all learned and have been using the opportunity to cross-pollinate,” the three-time Cup Series champion said.

Logano, who has become one of the most recognizable NASCAR drivers outside of the garage, acknowledged the importance of attracting the general sports fan.

“Sports fans are usually a certain breed,” he said. “I think there’s car people that just love cars, and they could be NASCAR fans, and I also think sports fans that love sports and people competing can also be NASCAR fans. The more we can expose a non-race fan into what we’re doing, it’s just good for the whole sport.”

Denny Hamlin, a NASCAR Cup Series veteran who co-owns 23XI Racing with Michael Jordan, expressed similar sentiment about the benefits of enhancing NASCAR’s presence in the realm of other sports leagues.

“When you can appeal to another sport’s audience, and show them that this is a sport too, our drivers are athletes, or whatever it might be, maybe you can try to get some new fans into the sport.”

It’s no secret that NASCAR’s predominant American auto racing competitor, the NTT INDYCAR Series, have taken this concept to heart. 2025 Indianapolis 500 champion Alex Palou was courtside at the Indiana Pacers’ NBA playoff game against the New York Knicks later that night, and two days later, I was with my dad at Citi Field when Palou threw out the first pitch for a New York Mets’ baseball game against the Chicago White Sox. Although the majority of people in the ballpark likely had no idea who Palou was, the presence of a driver at a professional sports event inherently produces curiosity, and there’s no doubt in my mind that people in the crowd searched him up, and perhaps a few were inclined to tune into that weekend’s INDYCAR race at Detroit.

NASCAR has been steadily making progress in this field, but it’s clear that more can be done to help the sport return to its relevancy of the past.

“It is mainstream, don’t get me wrong,” Wallace said. “Having those crossovers is very important and crucial for us, our brands, our partners, and our fans too. I think it’s very beneficial for drivers to be active and let us get out there and promote ourselves, and have fun with it too.”