“Might as Well Talk to a Brick Wall” – Hailie Deegan Exposes NASCAR’s “Personality” Problem, Which Is Harming Fans’ Dedication Towards the Sport

In all major sports, the veterans have a personality that rookies do not usually have. This is the case with NASCAR as well. Several drivers who have retired or semi-retired have a personality outside of their sport. People know them for things in addition to NASCAR.

NASCAR fans have always admired and loved the heavyweights of the sport, be it during their racing days or after retirement. However, now it seems that nobody has a justified reason to like the new drivers. There is something that the current drivers lack that the veterans have. In a recent episode, Truck Series driver Hailie Deegan opened up about how the current drivers lack the very ingredient that the heavyweights used to have.

Heavy hitters have an influence that the new drivers do not

During an episode of the video podcast, “Unleashed,” the host asked Hailie Deegan if NASCAR needed some new blood to revitalize the sport, drivers who could be as impactful as Dale Earnhardt or the Busch Brothers.

The Truck Series driver revealed with disappointment, “All the heavy hitters, they’re gone. Jimmie Johnson’s back for a few races. But, the heavy hitters are all gone. Like, it’s all new faces. And I think that’s some of the biggest issues with NASCAR right now.”  

She emphasized, “Back then, every heavy hitter that was in it, had a personality. You liked them for a reason.

“Now, fans don’t even know a reason to like somebody. Their car looks cool, but they are like, no personality!” 

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Deegan believes that this has affected fans’ dedication to the sport. She even said, “you might as well talk to a brick wall at that point instead of having a conversation with them.” However, she feels that there are reasons for this.

Hailie Deegan talks about the issues drivers now face compared to 20 years ago

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When the sport loses its charm, the fans’ dedication gets undetermined. They lose loyalty to the sport and with time, even stop following it. Deegan connected this to the newer generation of drivers lacking personalities as she talked about the changes that the sport has seen in the past twenty years.

She said, “I think you have to be a little bit more politically correct now. Maybe a lot more. There are a lot more corporate people and partners that are involved in it.”

“Times have changed, and that’s something that has majorly affected the NASCAR world … is drivers being able to fully express their personality without getting in trouble with their sponsor,” she concluded.

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