Kyle Larson just showed how NASCAR drivers are not marketable enough

NASCAR as a sport has always enjoyed, or suffered from, a bit of an outlier image in the world of sports, which has been proven yet again by Kyle Larson, albeit unwittingly. The 30-year-old is a driver for Hendrick Motorsports in the highest echelon of stock car racing, a team that is a regular to winning races and championships in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Having bounced back from what looked like a career-ending mistake by the Elk Grove, California native in 2020, Kyle Larson has solidified himself as a champion ever since and is regularly seen as the one to beat in terms of raw talent. His most recent win in the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway solidifies the #5 Chevrolet driver's talent. While Larson is well-known in the sport, he suffers from global reachability.

SportsPro Media, who are in their 13th year of compiling the world's most marketable athletes from all genres of sports, ranked Kyle Larson in 100th place on a list that is 100 ranks long by itself. Sitting last, Larson is the sole representative from the NASCAR fraternity on the list, at par with sports such as snowboarding. This begs one to think about how marketable NASCAR drivers are when considered in a global scenario while being compared to mainstream sports such as tennis and basketball, as well as other forms of motorsport.

Kyle Larson managed to match athletes above his rank in terms of brand strength. Reach and audience for Larson, however, were lower than the bottom 5 in the list that included 100 athletes from all over the world. This shows how NASCAR as a sport still has a long way to go from being a global phenomenon.

In a list dotted with various F1 drivers, NASCAR could learn a thing or two about marketing themselves even better in the future from their open-wheeled counterparts from across the ocean.

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Kyle Larson wins NASCAR race at Homestead-Miami Speedway one week after on-track troubles

The driver of the #5 Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Kyle Larson finally managed to win last weekend in Miami, Florida, a track that has eluded him for a long time. The 1.5-miles at Homestead-Miami Speedway has proven challenging for the reigning Cup Series champion, as he managed to finally visit Victory Lane at the track after multiple appearances towards the front.

Larson elaborated on how winning the race felt after he celebrated with a victory burnout on track after the Dixie Vodka 400, and said:

"We've been capable of it, I feel like. Many weekends we haven't just put it all together."

Watch the interview below:

NASCAR will go live from Martinsville Speedway this weekend for the final Round of 8 race this season.