With this week's race running on Saturday night, NASCAR fans had a free Sunday to kick back and survey the world around them -- which meant most of us tuned into other sports. (What, go outside? Spend time with the family? Do chores? Are you insane?)

Anyway, in between watching the Tennessee Titans pull the equivalent of a start-and-park, we got to see some of our favorite drivers pop up in commercials. Over at Scene Daily, Jeff Gluck makes an interesting point about the way that NASCAR can increase its brand and reach even when races aren't going on.

"NASCAR is constantly searching for ways to penetrate the 'stick-and-ball' sports market and attract new fans, occasionally with a little success," Gluck writes. "But as the sanctioning body well understands, a terrific way to spread its message is to have sponsors that use the drivers in advertising campaigns."

Here's the thing -- I'm so close to all this media stuff that I can't possibly be an impartial observer. But what I'm wondering is, what's the perception of various NASCAR drivers in the world outside? Tony Stewart, obviously, has a solid rep because of the Old Spice/Burger King "Estrada" commercials, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. looks like everyone's conception of a good ol' boy, but what about the rest? Do you think the average non-NASCAR fan can differentiate between Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards and Kasey Kahne? Is there more that these drivers ought to be doing to establish their own personas (a la Michael Waltrip, the down-home genius of the NAPA commercials)?

Personally, I think that NASCAR needs to do all it can do to spread its image far and wide; I'm not one of those "keep it a Southern thing" fans. So what's your take? Which drivers are doing the best job of spreading the NASCAR gospel to the unwashed masses?

NASCAR commercials in non-racing broadcasts good for the sport [Scene Daily]