Dale Earnhardt Jr Saddened With NASCAR’s State of Affairs as It Continues to Lose Its Identity

Published 05/08/2024, 1:16 PM EDT

Did you know that NASCAR has been slowly but steadily changing? Yes, it’s true! And just like any other change, some subscribe to it and some don’t. If you are someone not on the changes pro list, you aren’t alone. You have legend Dale Earnhardt Jr, who is a traditionalist and doesn’t subscribe to the latest changes by NASCAR.

You are probably wondering ‘which’ change we are talking about. Well, there definitely is a LOT happening. From the prioritization of certain track types to the revival of others, the very essence of NASCAR appears to be transforming.

Dale Earnhardt Jr on declining short-track races

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In the recent podcast of Dirty Mo Media, Earnhardt Jr didn’t shy away from expressing his fondness for short tracks. He said “he is a fan” and seemed genuinely upset about how short tracks seem to be getting the shorter end of the stick in terms of growth.

He said, “If you’re a short track fan like me, I think back, I don’t know, five, eight years ago when the short tracks were the best thing going and there was not a lot of excitement about adding more, you know? And so even when short tracks are good, they sort of get, get the short end of the stick in terms of, of, of being a part of any kind of, you know, growth, right? They’re not building new short tracks.

By now, you must be wondering what’s so special about the short tracks?!

Well, he was very clear in the podcast and gave an apt reasoning. He mentioned how the mile-and-a-half tracks weren’t that good back in the day. And they would have to wait for another short track race to pop. According to him, these short-track races added spice to the race. They added drama, problems, and exciting moments—making the sport ever so fun. In his own words, he said if there were more short track races, “our sport would be way better off way more.”

He further shared, “There was a lot of rooting and gouging, beating and banging that would tend to feud and simmer and, and, and, and, and stay hot throughout the year. Those, those rivalries and frustrations bled into all the other events, no matter whether it was a mile and a half or whatever.”

He clearly expressed his displeasure over how short-track growth has been particularly linear. He said, “It’s like short tracks are just kind of slowly just moving out, you know, just slowly moving away”. He did accept that some short tracks have been brought back and perhaps that should cause him to say ‘Woohoo!’, however, he quickly dismissed the optimism around it. He shed light on how there is a long way to go, as even though the North Wilkesboro came back, there are still no point races being held there. He made a pretty strong argument, saying, “It’s not all the way back yet. All the way back is a points race, a 400 miler. That’s all the way back for Wilkesboro.”

However, it is not just the short tracks that Dale Jr is saddened about. He also doesn’t seem too pleased with NASCAR’s recent plan to follow in the footsteps of NFL or F1.

Is NASCAR planning to follow in the footsteps of F1?

Expressing his views, Dale Earnhardt Jr spoke out against the rumors of NASCAR eliminating the Richmond Raceway in the upcoming season. It is rumored that the attendance in Richmond is failing to meet the required limit. Recently even Pocono Raceway, Michigan Speedway, and many more got removed given their sup-par showdown. And if Richmond rumors are true, it would be replaced by the Mexico Street race, thereby following the footsteps of F1 or the NFL.

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In order for a new track to enter the schedule, an old one has to be removed. 🔄 pic.twitter.com/5ukVduZaod
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) May 8, 2024

Earnhardt Jr. denounced the rumored removal of the historic track. He said, “When we lose something that’s been a historical part of our sport for a really long time, it’s getting harder for me to be happy about that or be excited about that. The rumor is we’re probably going to Mexico. It’s frustrating for me because there’s nothing wrong with Richmond and we’re going to leave Richmond to go race in Mexico. We’re going to leave all these traditional ovals to go race a road course.”

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This move by NASCAR to go international may seem big for the sport and the fans. But for some, losing the traditional values on which the sport was built is just not worth it.

Which side of the fence are you at? Do you think that NASCAR walking in the footsteps of F1 and visiting race grounds globally is smart? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by:

Sagarika Das is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports, where she is involved in the event coverage side of things. She brings some of the most exciting and unpredictable post-race interviews from the Cup series to her readers. On the subject of drivers being vocal after the race, Sagarika has done plenty of stories on Denny Hamlin, who she thinks never disappoints when it comes to speaking his mind on the mic.

Edited by:

Shreya Singh

Dale Earnhardt Jr Saddened With NASCAR’s State of Affairs as It Continues to Lose Its Identity

Dale Earnhardt Jr on declining short-track races

Is NASCAR planning to follow in the footsteps of F1?

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