KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been a dominant figure in NASCAR during the last 15 seasons.
He wasn't the winningest driver, but every year since 2003 he was chosen as the sanctioning body's Most Popular Driver.
Best known to most auto racing fans as "Junior," his retirement after last season left a massive void in the sport and in fans' hearts ahead of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series KC Masterpiece 400 on Saturday at Kansas Speedway.
"It's lost its appeal a little," said Sandy Atwood, of Auburn, Kansas, who sported a blue "Dale Jr." shirt and sat along a fence near the pits with her two children on Friday at Kansas Speedway. "I've been a Dale Earnhardt fan for 37 years _ two different guys, same name _ so I don't have anybody out here. My kids do. That's why we're here."
Atwood also was a fan of Earnhardt's iconic father, Dale Sr., who died during a wreck at the 2001 Daytona 500.
Now, she's waiting for another driver to capture her imagination. But can anyone ever really fill Junior's shoes?
"It's possible, but the young guys have to get out there _ they have to get out of their (motor) homes, come over here to the fans and talk to the kids," Atwood said. "You hook a kid; you hook a parent. My kids are hooked, so we're here. If I didn't have kids, I wouldn't be here."
Atwood's 5-year-old daughter, Ella, adores Paul Menard, and her 9-year-old son, Lane, is a passionate Chase Elliott fan.
The general sense among other Cup Series drivers is that Lane isn't alone.
"We're fortunate to have a great fan base, but we probably won't win (Most Popular Driver)," Kevin Harvick said Friday, a few hours before winning the pole for the KC Masterpiece 400. "I'd say the next guy that's going to take that reign is going to be Chase Elliott."
Elliott's father, Bill, won Most Popular Driver a record 16 times from 1984-2002.
"The bottom line is when you look at our sport there is only a few guys that come through this sport that have the name, the history, the heritage of that NASCAR family and carry that through their career and Chase is one of those guys," Harvick said. " ... His dad won a few times in the Most Popular Driver, and he's the next Dale Jr."
Junior's grandma, Martha, might disagree. She recently told Dale Jr. _ who, in turn, told the Twitterverse _ that Harvick was her favorite current driver.
She's not alone in hoping a veteran driver can succeed Junior as the Most Popular Driver.
"Originally, I was a Tony Stewart fan, but I enjoyed watching Junior just because of who he is and the type of person he was," Chris Griffin, of Wichita, said as he walked around the infield in a blue "Junior" shirt. "... Part of me wants to think it will be a veteran driver (who becomes Most Popular), but I don't know who that would be."
Jimmie Johnson is a seven-time champion, but even with his gilded record and sterling resume he's never eclipsed Junior's star.
Harvick and Kyle Busch are more divisive drivers _ beloved or reviled by NASCAR diehards.
Martin Truex Jr.'s surge into the elite ranks, including last season's championship, make him a contender as well, but he's yet to demonstrate the mainstream, national crossover appeal that made Junior such a star.
Truex also doesn't seem too interested in winning a popularity contest.
"I don't have one," he said when asked for a Most Popular Driver sales pitch. "If you like me, fine; if you don't, I could care less. It would mean a lot if I won, but I don't want to give a sales pitch to try to convince anyone. I am who I am. I feel like I try do things the right way and if you don't like, that's OK, too. Everyone has an opinion."
Local favorite Clint Bowyer, who is from Emporia, Kan., shared a similar opinion after joking during a press conference on Friday at Kansas that he hoped Junior was changing a diaper at that very moment.
Bowyer's always been immensely popular around Kansas City and was gaining clout nationally too before a run of bad luck and winless seasons dimmed his star a bit.
"I'm happy with where I'm at," said Bowyer, now in his second season with Stewart-Haas Racing. "I don't need a vote or a trophy to understand that. I'm part of a big thing in a big sport in this world, and that's certainly gratifying enough for me."
Still, someone's going to win Most Popular Driver this year _ and it won't be Junior.
Atwood said her NASCAR fantasy league defines her rooting interest these days, so there's hope for the sport to keep its core fans engaged _ even the ones still reeling from Junior's absence.
She also allowed that she really likes Ryan Blaney's podcast, so he has a chance to convert her.
"I don't want to pick an old guy, because in a few years he'll be gone," Atwood said. "Besides, Jimmie's already won seven titles. You don't jump on that bandwagon now."
However, she cautioned that it's up to the young drivers in the sport to give fans a reason to care _ be gregarious, sign autographs for kids, don't be clock-punchers or robotic brand pitchmen.
"I've got to see their personality," Atwood said. "To develop a following, they have to show who they are rather than get out of the race car and go back (to the hauler)."
William Byron _ who is in his first Cup season with Hendrick Motorsports, where he's teammates with Johnson, Chase Elliott and Dale Jr.'s replacement in the No. 88 car, Alex Bowman _ hopes to help fill the Junior void in time.
"Being in the 24 car is a good start," Byron said. "Whether they were supporting (former No. 24 drivers) Jeff (Gordon) or Chase or whatever, hopefully they can transition to being fans of ours. Once we get going here and can hone in on what we need as a team, I think that we are going to be competitive and competing for a lot of wins.
"If they want to be a part of something that is just starting and hopefully will win a lot of races, now's the time to get on the ground floor."
That's certainly NASCAR's hope. Get fans to support its emerging talent and form a lifelong _ or at least decades-long _ bond.
