UPDATE: Joey Logano took the checkered flag in the first period of NASCAR’s new Driver Ambassador Program, finishing in the top spot in the system designed to raise the promotional level of the sport. In conjunction with the start of a new media rights cycle in ‘25, NASCAR this season began a program with INFLCR that awards points to drivers based on how much they promote the sport whether through actions like media interviews or in-person appearances. The system also assesses the quality of the appearances and has dynamic scoring based on factors like whether the driver is a past champion. NASCAR re-directed some of the $1.1B in annual media rights revenue that the sport receives to help arrange the program, which has been set up as a competition that takes place over two terms each year.
The first term for ’25 just wrapped up in recent weeks, and sources say that Team Penske’s Logano came in first, while Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson came in second and Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney came in third. Industry executives have access to a mobile app that keeps track of the scoring. Other notable results include a fifth-place position for Trackhouse’s Daniel Suarez, who was essential in helping NASCAR promote its first Cup Series points race in Mexico City earlier this month. For finishing atop the order in the first term, Logano will be awarded $1M, people familiar with the system said.
ORIGINAL POST 2-5-2025: [NASCAR’s] its new “Driver Ambassador Program” modeled after the PGA concept is now in full swing. Several million dollars are said to be at stake for drivers.
Drivers earn one point for every 15 minutes of their time doing something considered “promotion” (such as media interviews or appearances at tracks) outside of the mandatory sessions (postrace news conferences, etc.) or traveling to events. And depending on a driver’s star power, which is determined by a formula, they earn multipliers on those points (up to five times multiplied for the top five stars).
Whoever earns the most points gets the most money from the DAP fund, but the payouts go down the list in an attempt to get drivers motivated to do more on behalf of promoting the sport. So when Elliott and Bubba Wallace recently flew to Chicago for the day to visit Barstool Sports, they racked up a bunch of points for their time and moved up in the overall standings.
— The Athletic —