If you know Brad Keselowski well, then you must be well-versed in his extremely honest, thought-provoking remarks. Very recently, the 41-year-old driver laid down a sarcastic response to one of the fans urging him to start a post-race podcast or a quick debrief, saying, “I can’t afford the fines a weekly podcast would create…” But that doesn’t stop the 2012 NASCAR Cup champion from speaking up.

Right from his honest reviews on the Next-Gen cars to the playoff formats, Brad Keselowski has been pretty hands-on. “Not realistically with the current OEM rules,” was the bold response the RFK racing driver made to the fan frustration of only OEMs winning championships. But now, Dale Earnhardt Jr. can’t help but nod in agreement.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. praises Keselowski’s honest comments on OEM dominance

Speaking on the Dale Jr. Download, he said, “So I mean all these I would say that Brad. I think Brad’s right. Hendrick, Penske, and Gibbs. They’re going to win the majority of the championships. There’ll be some anomalies when one of these teams that has an alliance. They could get up there and get it done. Especially in this new format, whatever it is, I think it gives those teams that opportunity.”

The whole argument centers around how the “Big 3″—Hendrick, Penske, and Joe Gibbs Racing—pick up the championship year on year, without giving the other affiliate teams a chance at it. And the Phoenix final seemed to prove this point, with Toyota and Chevrolet cars combining to lead a staggering 260 of the 319 laps. In the end, Chevrolet’s Kyle Larson claimed his second title, reinforcing the manufacturer’s hold over the sport.

Yet, Ryan Blaney’s Penske Ford’s win in the non-championship battle offered a lone glimmer of resistance, denying Hamlin the crown but also underscoring Ford’s imbalance. While Roger Penske stands tall, the blue oval lacks the depth and consistency of its rivals. Keselowski’s frustration stemmed exactly from that imbalance, calling out what he saw as a structural flaw in NASCAR’s competitive landscape.  As co-owner of the Ford-backed RFK Racing, Keselowski argues that the immense financial and technical backing provided by Chevrolet and Toyota to their elite teams has effectively created an exclusive club.

Junior believes that the affiliate teams could get a shot at the championship if the playoff format changes. Moreover, the 51-year-old veteran couldn’t help but praise Keselowski. He added, ” I think that he has a bit of an agenda here to spotlight this, right? He’s racing for a team that’s not one of these three. And I think what he’s trying to say is, ‘I want some things to change,’ and that’s all this is. Bravo to him. I mean, I think he’s taken an opportunity to shine a light on some things that he’d love to be different — pretty interesting though.” 

Since 2004, almost every series champion has come from one of these three powerhouses or from a satellite team deeply tied with them, like Kevin Harvick’s Stewart-Haas Racing (with Hendrick engines) or Martin Truex Jr.’s Furniture Row Racing backed by Joe Gibbs Racing. Keselowski’s response/accord with fans who feel the championship fight has long been a foregone conclusion, dominated by the same familiar empire year after year. But as the 41-year-old sounds off on his idea to have podcasts, Dale Earnhardt Jr., who’s long been a supporter of the full-season points system, didn’t shy away from clearing the air with Richard Childress Racing amid the heated playoff debate.

Dale Jr. clears off doubts with Richard Childress Racing

Dale Jr. has long been in support of the full-season points system. But the 2025 Xfinity championship race stirred up controversy and renewed intense debate about the playoff format. Despite just two wins all season, Jesse Love clinched the title under the elimination-style system, while Connor Zilisch, who registered 10 victories on a record-setting streak of 18 straight top-five finishes, fell short.

Critics quickly labelled Love an illegitimate champion, arguing the system rewarded a strong finish over sustained dominance. But the NASCAR veteran, Dale Earnhardt Jr., is handling this with great maturity.

Speaking on his podcast, the 51-year-old said, “I paused to say anything that’s damaging to the legitimacy of the championship, or taking up doing anything that might take away, or I wouldn’t want to say. I wouldn’t want to say anything on this show that would rub Jesse Love the wrong way, RCR the wrong way, Danny Lawrence the wrong way. All these people that are part of that program. There’s people that are at RCR, they’re like family to me. That when we see each other, we tell each other we love each other.”

And instead of focusing on the driver (Jesse Love), it all comes down to the game (playoff format). Connor Zilisch and Love entered the finale with a 10-1 win split, making the JR Motorsports ace the clear favorite. With 10 victories, the 19-year-old looked destined for the title. But the playoff system had other plans.

Despite 20 top-five finishes and 23 top-10s, Zilsich’s consistency wasn’t enough under the elimination-style format. But as the playoff committee is burning the midnight oil, attempting to find a way out of the criticism they have faced all year long, it can be said with much certainty that Dale Jr. will definitely be keeping his eyes and ears open for their next move.