As NASCAR nears the end of its season, the sport is "in a lull" with ratings and attendance down this year, and one thing that everyone "in and around the sport is looking for is the next big star," according to Joe Posnanski of NBCSPORTS.com. There are as many reasons for the sport's lull as there "were for stock car racing's explosion in the first place." Now the sport is looking for someone who can "capture the attention and imagination of everyone." The NASCAR Next program is a company-wide effort to "identify and develop future stars of the sport." NASCAR is on the "lookout for young drivers with talent, of course, but they also are looking for drivers with a story, with a spark, with an ability to reach both fans and businesses." Alon Day, a native of Israel, is part of the NASCAR Next program and is "looking for sponsors, hoping to get a full-time ride in the Truck Series or Xfinity and work his way into the big time." NASCAR Senior VP & CMO Jill Gregory said, "We know we have a very strong core fan base, and they're very invested in all of our national series on a weekly basis. But we also know that if we want to continue to grow, we have to grow that fan base. We have to get younger. We have to get more diverse." Posnanski noted the NASCAR Next program "doesn't spend much time at all on the track." Instead, it tries to "help potential stars, like Day, develop their stories, help them meet potential sponsors, give them some media training and talk to them about their social media plan." Gregory: "You've got to be able to drive the race car and be competitive. After that, it's a whole variety of things" (NBCSPORTS.com, 11/4).
