Former NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne’s retired crew chief Kenny Francis has shared his thoughts of inspirational figures guiding the sport's declining interest.Francis, who was part of Kahne's crew from late 2005 through 2014, believes the sport has a deeper issue than the current playoff system or the Next Gen car. He said NASCAR has lost the energy that comes from heroes fans truly connect with."The biggest issue the sport has is not the car, the points, the race format, etc. it’s the lack of heros and inspirational people the fans can get behind and relate to, whether it’s car owners, drivers, crew chiefs, engine builders, etc. as the sport and society in general has changed over the years, we have somehow lost the ability to recognize or create those inspirational figures," Francis wrote.Francis pointed to names such as Dale Earnhardt Sr., who rose from humble roots and beat the odds. He also cited Mark Martin, who kept coming back after each setback until he made it along with Richard Childress and Alan Kulwicki.Mark Martin also stepped in and wrote:"Kenny has a point here. I miss the magic you and [Kasey Kahne] had. You two were a killer combo."Kahne and Francis first linked up in the 2005 season finale at Evernham Motorsports and remained paired across three teams, Evernham, Red Bull and Hendrick Motorsports. They claimed 16 NASCAR Cup wins in about a decade.Meanwhile, NASCAR ratings have tumbled by more than 45 percent in the past two decades from the mid‑2000s peak. In 2023, the Cup Series averaged 2.86 million viewers per race, down from 3.03 million in 2022. Track attendance also declined sharply. Speedway Motorsports venues saw a 43 percent fall in ticket revenue between 2005 and 2015, per Sports Business Journal.NASCAR in works to regain viewershipSeveral fans have shared their frustration with the current race format. Many want stage racing and its cautions removed. Others have called for a return to the old regular‑season points chase instead of the current playoff system.Earlier this year, chief racing development officer John Probst said a working group has begun reviewing the format ahead of possible changes in 2026."I don't think we want to get in the habit of making small little tweaks every season to the playoffs. Where we landed was for 2025 not making any changes to the playoffs. ... Basically, we look at that as a workstream for a group of our stakeholders this year, to look at it holistically." (via Reuters).NASCAR is also working on a broader plan to regain its storytelling edge. The sanctioning body is looking for a media agency to reconnect with the blue‑collar fans who have long been its backbone, according to global media brand AD AGE.NASCAR chief brand officer Tim Clark recently said that the agency launch should finish by early September, with first campaigns likely to debut around next year's Daytona 500.