Driver popularity plays a huge role in teams consideration when it comes to hiring drivers. Sometimes, this factor makes a huge difference, especially when it comes to sponsors deciding which car they want to invest their money in. While discussing driver popularity, one key figure came forth to discuss who takes this title and who better to do it than the president of NASCAR himself.

After the recent discussion about Kyle Larson vs Max Verstappen, there has been another driver that has challenged the Hendrick Motorsports  #5 driver. This time the challenger does not come from outside of NASCAR but from Larson’s own team, Chase Elliott. While discussing the current happenings in NASCAR, Steve Phelps steps forward to conclude the debate while mentioning each driver’s USP.

While speaking on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, Phelps gets asked the question as to who he thinks is the more popular driver, and in response to that, the NASCAR president speaks about Larson, saying, “If he wants to race anything, [he will], and he has.” Adding to NASCAR critic’s belief that Larson is a more versatile driver than Max Verstappen, Phelps backs the statement, as he believes that the #5 Chevy driver takes the lead compared to Chase Elliott in that department too.

Phelps continued to draw a comparison between Larson and Tony Stewart, as the former is not a larger-than-life personality while the latter is. After the president spoke about how Larson wins multiple races despite the format he is racing in, he then spoke of the Hendrick Motorsport teammate, saying, “Chase Elliott, on the other hand, isn’t doing all those things.” Phelps stated that Elliott is living with the burden of being one of the most popular drivers, just like Dale Jr did, and believes that there is a chance for that to change in the future.

Although there was no verdict on the debate from Steve Phelps’s side, he did have great things to say about both drivers. Now it’s up to the fans to decide who takes the crown as the most popular driver in NASCAR. Although Kyle Larson was termed the more versatile driver on the NASCAR grid, what exactly was the conclusion to the debate of him vs Max Verstappen? Let’s dive in to learn more.

Kyle Larson’s online rivalry with Max Verstappen

Everything started when Kyle Larson claimed, “I know in my mind I am better than him as an all-around driver” in comparison to Max Verstappen. This caused a wave of fans from both ends to fight to defend their favorite driver. Verstappen did not pay much attention to the statement and gave a neutral answer, saying, “Everyone is good in their own right,” when asked about Larson’s statement.

The 3x F1 world champion explained that he wouldn’t be able to compete with Larson at dirt racing, at least without some practice first. Max Verstappen finds it very cool to watch someone race in different disciplines and be good at it.

Unlike Max Verstappen, who has only competed in go-karting and the Formula Series,  Larson has proven himself in trucks, stock cars, and IndyCar too. NASCAR pundits came to support Larson, as many figures had more than a few words to say about why Larson is the better driver. Ultimately, it was all about being a versatile driver, and Larson undoubtedly wins at that.

There is no news about the two drivers going head to head against each other. But if they did,  who do you think deserves the title of being the best driver in the world? Share your thoughts in the comments below.