Mike Joy names phones, social media as issues with young drivers in NASCAR

During his time in media, Mike Joy has seen decades and generations worth of NASCAR drivers come and go. There is something about the latest iteration of drivers that makes them different, perhaps in a bad way, from the stars of the past.

Mike Joy believes that there is plenty of talent and personality in NASCAR. However, there might be something keeping today’s drivers from sticking out like the drivers used to.

Talking to Kevin Harvick on his Happy Hour podcast, Joy pointed out what he sees as the biggest reason drivers aren’t connecting through the media like they used to. Phones.

“I think that maturing process is hindered by what is permanently attached to our pocket, and that’s the cellphone,” Joy explained. “A lot of these younger drivers, and I’ll even put Larson and Bell into that category, their social skills have pretty much been determined by their cellphones. That’s their interaction with their peers, and people skills and media skills take a while to develop. And Christopher Bell’s a great example. He wasn’t even on our radar the first couple of years in Cup because he wasn’t out with the media, you know?

“His personality, his external personality, took a while to develop. And like I say, now, he’s a spokesman, he’s a leader in our sport. So is Kyle Larson. But these younger drivers, it’s really taking a while, maybe longer than it should, to bring it out of them and try to make them into stars. We have stars, we have great drivers in this series, and I guess it’s up to you and me and the people that will follow us this season, to make heroes out of them.”

Mike Joy and Kevin Harvick on driver personalities

Kevin Harvick somewhat agreed with Mike Joy. Harvick also pointed out that NASCAR weekends have gotten shorter. Drivers aren’t staying from Thursday to Sunday in whatever city they are racing in that week. Instead, they show up on Friday or Saturday, more times than not, and that’s it.

NASCAR has limited exposure to the drivers. Less practice, less testing, fewer opportunities for fans to connect. The relationships in the media aren’t the same either. Some of that you can’t help as the times change and culture changes. However, there are plenty of things that could be changed.

There really is no reason a major American sport like NASCAR should be limiting practices, testing, and development. Yet that is what NASCAR has chosen to do since 2020. Meanwhile, Formula One is trying to make it loud and clear that tons of money is being pumped into every race weekend.

The NASCAR season is long. It is difficult. There is plenty of time for race fans to get to know the drivers. But, as Mike Joy and Kevin Harvick pointed out, the effort has to be there.