If there’s one thing that makes a driver stand out from the rest of the competition besides results on the track, it is merchandise sales. This race off the track started when Dale Earnhardt became a household name after his seven championship triumphs. He became a brand himself, and his influence spread far and wide beyond the confines of NASCAR racing. The Goodwrench jacket and cap are still selling like hot cakes even today on eBay. And it looks like Hendrick Motorsports stars are following in Earnhardt’s footsteps, but unlike Earnhardt, this is not a one-sided affair anymore.

NASCAR revealed its mid-season ranking of merchandise sales, and the results offer a glimpse into how fan allegiance is shifting. While the NASCAR brand itself held the top overall spot, what caught many people off guard was who topped the list among individual drivers. Chase Elliott held the most popular driver title for 7 consecutive years, but the 2025 season has taken an unexpected turn.

For the first time, Elliott found himself below another driver, not on the points table but in the popularity chart. Kyle Larson, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, became the top-selling driver in NASCAR merchandise, which is a remarkable climb as his reputation grew immensely this year. While the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola crossover didn’t go according to plan, it surely made a seismic impact on the merch sales numbers.

Kyle Larson is redefining NASCAR stardom

While Chase Elliott claimed the National Motorsports Press Association’s Most Popular Driver award for 7 consecutive seasons, a stretch that began in 2018 after Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s retirement in 2017, Larson’s surge in popularity this year suggests a shifting tide within the NASCAR fanbase.

Adam Stern, a reporter at Sports Business Journal, posted a tweet on X stating, “@KyleLarsonRacin is the leading @NASCARdriver in merchandise sales halfway through the 2025 regular season. @ChaseElliott has been No. 1 in recent prior years.” The article published by SBJ highlights the trend shift made by far this year.

“He’s contending with his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Chase Elliott, to be the sport’s most popular figure as the series holds a tripleheader at Nashville Superspeedway (including the 14th of 26 points races for the Cup Series),” wrote Stern. Elliott has always been seen landing in the Top 2 across all categories and often only behind the NASCAR brand itself over the past few years. In 2023 and 2024, Elliott placed second and first, respectively, while Larson remained close behind at number 3 for both years. According to NASCAR Holdings, the official Top 15 list of merchandise sales shows the NASCAR brand still at Number 1 overall, but Kyle Larson now leads all drivers. Followed by Chase Elliott, Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, and Ryan Blaney at the 3rd, 4th, and 5th positions, respectively.

Larson’s recent run of strong performances might be the reason for this. His high-profile appearance in the Indy 500 and his attempted ‘Double’ for the 2nd time, with the Coca-Cola 600, has drastically boosted his visibility and appeal. “NASCAR also told SBJ that trackside merchandise sales at the Coca-Cola 600 last weekend were the highest since 2010, with catalysts including limited-edition numbered hats and collectible diecast for the Coke 600 event brand itself, as well as souvenirs around the Larson “Double” entry with the Indy 500 and a Dale Earnhardt Jr. collaboration with Budweiser and MLB,” Stern mentioned. But beyond his performance on the track, Yung Money’s rise, true to his nickname, can be attributed to his branding and some other unforgettable storylines.

The limited edition merch drops tied to his Indy 500 attempt, his collaborations with Hendrick Motorsports, including the ‘Hendrick 1,100’ gear, and memorable appearances in NASCAR’s digital platforms like the game on Roblox that surpassed 100 million visits have all fueled the fan engagement. “The Daytona Beach-based sanctioning body also said its social channels were up 16% in engagements year over year during the Coke 600 and had a 6% increase in visits to its digital properties on the day of the 600 at 2.4 million,” elaborated Stern, on the stats received from NASCAR.

If this trend continues and Larson goes on to win his second championship, it is hard to see Elliott retain his tag as the most popular driver.

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How Kyle Larson and Scott McLaughlin found a common ground after Indy 500 chaos

After a high-pressure start to the 2025 Indy 500 unraveled into chaos. Kyle Larson found himself at the center of criticism following a sarcastic thumbs-up gesture aimed at Scott McLaughlin, who had just crashed during the formation laps. Rather than letting the moment spiral into a public feud, Larson did something that not many expected.

“Nah, he texted me, and we’re all good… Kyle texted and apologized. He didn’t mean it, and I know he didn’t,” McLaughlin humorously told FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass. Scott McLaughlin, despite being visibly crushed after the crash, calling it the “worst moment of my life”, didn’t dwell on the bitterness; rather, he talked about the sincerity of Larson’s apology and its impact. “Kudos to him for reaching out; he didn’t need to,” he added.

The context behind Larson’s gesture reframed the entire perspective of the criticisms. “You can assume he was just frustrated… Forty minutes is cutting it close. But if you want to run the risk? That’s up to you,” McLaughlin said, offering a surprising acknowledgement of the pressure that Larson faced that day. But McLaughlin didn’t get off the hook easily as he later tweeted, “Guess im out of the best driver in the world talks,” a hint at Larson’s infamous 2024 claim of being better than Max Verstappen.

McLaughlin later confirmed that he was just poking fun at the other driver and indeed it is normal in the motorsport community. In a weekend full of failure and frustration, both drivers chose humor and humility, and that’s the kind of sportsmanship that fans won’t forget anytime soon.