NEXT STAR?

Jeff Gordon’s assessment of NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers who could transform into mainstream stars:

DALE EARNHARDT JR.

NASCAR’s most popular driver 13 times running “Junior would be the first one to tell you, he’s shy. It takes a lot for him to come out of that comfort zone. He has an amazing personality, and he’s witty and he’s funny and just cool as can be. But you’re just not going to see that every day at the racetrack. I wish we could see more of that.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON

Six-time Cup champion “His success creates a lot of opportunities, and he has taken good advantage of those. But he also doesn’t want to do a ‘Saturday Night Live.’ He doesn’t want to do some of those things. He’s done them, but I don’t think it’s really on his radar.”

CLINT BOWYER

Taking over for Tony Stewart in No. 14 ride in 2017 “If this guy wins races and can win a championship, the core, hard-core fan that built the sport, it will blow up for him. And I’ve told him that. You’ve just got to get the stars to align for him, but he has that.”

DANICA PATRICK

Won Daytona 500 pole in 2013 rookie year “I look at her as a huge success. But she wants more, and I think the fans are certainly wanting to see more. But if she can continue to improve those results, mainly, she has the personality and the marketing and all the things to go huge. I mean, if she wins the Daytona 500, forget about it. It’s on. It’s to a whole new level.”

CHASE ELLIOTT

Rookie who replaced Gordon in No. 24 this season “I think it would take a little bit of a push, but if he were to want to pursue it, if he does and if he has the success I see him having, there is huge potential to step outside the norm.”