Hendrick Motorsports has always made it tough for fans. Well, it has drivers of the cadre that make picking the favorite difficult. And it was never more evident than when Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson raced together. They were competitors, rivals, and the best of friends. So, when the latter went from idolizing the four-time Sprint Cup champion to winning five titles of his own, fans were split. “It’s an awkward, interesting dynamic,” Johnson reflected later. But since Gordon’s retirement in 2015, things have never looked turbulent. Not until now. But it’s not just in NASCAR, it’s in the entire motorsports industry.
What does it take for a driver to outsell the entire IndyCar field in merchandise at their biggest race? Gary Davis, Vice President of Hendrick Automotive Group, in a 2021 Forbes interview, said, “He’s helped increase our online engagement and sales leads, and the exposure we’re getting is measurable.” More than just filling trophy cabinets, Kyle Larson’s rise in NASCAR has changed the way the sport markets its stars, shifted products, and attracted crossover audiences. Even though Larson was a one-time participant, he outsold full-time IndyCar veterans in 2024 when it came to Indianapolis 500 item sales. As a result, sponsors and racetracks have been forced to reconsider how star power affects their bottom line. And this has led to the previous HMS favorite driver giving way.
Kyle Larson becomes Hendrick Motorsports’ new fan favorite
Chase Elliott has lost his position as NASCAR’s uncontested merchandise king for the first time in years. According to internal industry tracking data supplied by teams and licensed merchants, Kyle Larson has surpassed his Hendrick Motorsports teammate as the top-selling driver in NASCAR products as of the midway mark of the 2025 regular season. This is a big change inside Hendrick Motorsports, a team that Elliott’s enormous fan base has long controlled. Since Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s retirement, Elliott, the 2020 Cup Series champion and five-time Most Popular Driver, has continuously dominated the sport in apparel sales. However, Larson is currently reaching new commercial heights thanks to his large audience base and cross-platform dominance.
Yung Money’s surge coincides with his well-reported entrance for the Indianapolis 500 and his headline-grabbing attempts to run the entire NASCAR Cup Series season. Trackside sources indicate that Larson outsold full-time IndyCar veterans in their backyard and led all drivers in merchandise sales over the Indy 500 weekend. Since then, NASCAR officials have verified that the pattern has continued into the 2025 season, with Larson dominating the overall mid-season Cup Series sales. “Larson has become a force that transcends series,” one NASCAR licensing executive told The Athletic under the condition of anonymity. “You’re seeing younger fans gravitate toward him, dirt racing fans buying Cup gear, and even casual IndyCar fans taking interest. It’s a perfect storm.”
SBJ’s Adam Stern has recently collected data to reflect it through an X post. The post is captioned, “@KyleLarsonRacin is the leading @NASCAR driver in merchandise sales halfway through the 2025 regular season. @ChaseElliott has been No. 1 in recent prior years.” So now, it’s safe to say that even the insiders have taken notice.
.@KyleLarsonRacin is the leading @NASCAR driver in merchandise sales halfway through the 2025 regular season.
@ChaseElliott has been No. 1 in recent prior years. https://t.co/PYsxBcmv5K
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) May 30, 2025
William Byron joins Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott as a strong competitor, adding another level of challenge to Hendrick Motorsports’ fierce internal rivalry. Byron’s steady on-track performance and rising popularity among younger fans make him an important part of the team’s dynamic, even if Larson and Elliott frequently make headlines with their fan bases and merchandise sales. His rise heightens the struggle for dominance inside Hendrick, forcing all three drivers to improve their performance and putting the organization under pressure to carefully handle branding, sponsorships, and talent in a cutthroat setting.
Gary Davis, vice president of Hendrick Automotive Group, has openly credited Larson’s value in boosting the company’s brand reach. “Kyle’s success has driven value for our brand—on the track and off,” Davis said in a 2021 Forbes interview. “ The announcement of the Prime partnership earlier this year has increased Larson’s attractiveness among Gen Z customers. According to Fanatics’ statistics, the collaboration, which involved one of the most popular companies among younger audiences, came at the same time as a new line of clothing with a Larson theme and limited-edition items that sold out in a matter of hours on launch day. The amount of social media activity surrounding the drop exceeded Elliott-specific stats and even eclipsed playoff-level involvement.
The statistics speak for themselves, even though Hendrick Motorsports doesn’t openly match up its stars. Larson’s current pace could end the season as NASCAR’s top seller, something no one other than Elliott has done since 2017, according to multiple product partners. This internal conflict is indicative of a larger change in NASCAR’s fan interaction trends. Larson’s ascent represents a new type of NASCAR popularity, one that is driven by performance across disciplines, digital-native sponsorships, and a wider cultural reach, in contrast to Elliott’s appeal, which has always been based on legacy, loyalty, and Southern fanaticism.
Depending on how well each driver performs on the track and how well their teams use their public personas, this trend may or may not continue. But for the time being, Kyle Larson is carrying on the Hendrick Motorsports merchandising tradition.
Kyle Larson’s 2025 Double Duty Attempt Ends in Disappointment
On Sunday, May 25, 2025, Kyle Larson’s bold attempt to complete the “Double“—racing in both the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day—ended in disappointment following collisions in both races. Reflecting on the day’s events, Larson expressed regret over the outcomes. “I hate the way the day went,” Larson said. “I wish I could hit the reset button. I feel terrible for everybody, especially for [car owner] Rick Hendrick.” He further acknowledged the challenges of attempting the Double, stating, “The Double is a tough undertaking. The window of time is just too tight.”
Larson started the Indianapolis 500 in second place. His car was never the same after he slammed the wall on Lap 38, after having led the race early. A few laps later, he spun out, sending him across the front stretch and requiring several pit stops for changes. On lap 91, however, he was a part of a multi-car collision that caused his race to finish early. He swiftly left for Charlotte, North Carolina, to compete in the Coca-Cola 600, despite the setback. However, a spin on lap 42 and the ensuing crash between Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, and Daniel Suarez, who raced three wide ahead of Larson off Turn 4, marred his NASCAR race. They became entangled. Suarez clipped Larson’s car’s right rear end after spinning across the course. Larson finished 37th on lap 245 after driving the wrecked No. 5 Chevrolet to the garage to end his day.
This is Kyle Larson’s second attempt at the Double; delays caused by bad weather previously prevented him from winning the Double in 2024. In 2001, Tony Stewart became the only person to finish both races on the same day. Even though Larson’s 2025 attempt did not turn out as planned, his attempts to demonstrated the tremendous difficulties and commitment needed to compete in both renowned events on the same day.
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