For decades, Daytona Speedweeks was a multi-day festival of racing that transformed Daytona Beach into the heart of NASCAR for weeks. However, fast forward to today, and those structures have now been condensed into just a few days of qualifying, practice, and the Daytona 500 itself, with nearly all events squeezed into a much shorter window. And now with the Speedweeks culture fading into the background, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is highly doubtful about its return.

Speaking on his Dale Jr Download Podcast, the 51-year-old veteran has made his stance very clear.

“I don’t know that they are eager to do that. I don’t know that that’s interesting for the owners have a role or the owners have some leverage. They want to go down there and spend more money doing things or would they rather just go to Bowman Gray?… I don’t know that they’re tearing up list,” he said.

It is no secret that the owners and NASCAR leadership have played a role in reshaping Speedweeks.

Owners balance the cost and physical demands of a longer schedule against the benefits, and a condensed calendar reduces travel time, equipment wear, and expenses for teams, a particularly relevant consideration in an era where financial prudence is emphasized.

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Insiders argued that shorter speedweeks make logistical sense and align more with modern broadcasting needs, allowing crews and drivers to prepare more efficiently for the regular season.

But the old speedway win just built toward one race; it created a buzz that made the Daytona 500 feel like the combination of a true celebration.

With marquee events like the Clash now held at different venues and the compact schedule failing to capture the same atmosphere, the tradition is definitely fading.

With the NFL schedule change, the Super Bowl now takes place closer to the Daytona 500 and dominates sports media attention, making it hard for NASCAR events earlier in the week to draw viewers and coverage.

Combined with NASCAR’s cost-cutting focus and logistical changes like the Next-Gen car, this has led to trimming many of the traditional Speedweek events.

And while this new tradition emerges, the speed weeks are a far cry from reality.

And while Junior raises alarms about Daytona losing its roots, the veteran has also publicly criticized NASCAR executive Elton Sawyer.

Junior slams NASCAR’s top brass amid fuel-saving strategy

Elton Sawyer stored up something in the 51-year-old following his recent remarks about fuel-saving tactics at superspeedways, sparking renewed debate over how the sport’s top leadership is handling the issue.

The controversy comes as frustration grows across the NASCAR community about the increasing use of conservative driving strategies, especially at tracks like Daytona and Talladega, where the sport’s high-speed drama has not been a defining feature.

With the 2026 NASCAR season approaching, fans and insiders alike have grown increasingly impatient with fuel-saving tactics that often reduce the intensity of superspeedway races.

Drivers are frequently forced to run below full throttle, sacrificing speed to stretch their fuel and limit pit stops. While the strategy can be effective, many feel it conflicts with the aggressive, wheel-to-wheel style that makes NASCAR racing thrilling to watch.

The debate ignited when Elton Sawyer, NASCAR senior vice president of competition, suggested that the fuel-saving issue may be overstated and possibly more about perception than reality.

Sawyer implied that without commentary from the broadcaster or radio scanners, fans might not notice the fuel conservation tactics and still enjoy the race.

Junior didn’t hold back in responding to the challenge to Sawyer’s position and defending fans’ concerns.

“I do know one thing. I do not like that they go out there and run half throttle in two seconds off the pace. I don’t like it. Yeah, I don’t like it. So, Elton, we don’t like it,” he said.

51-year-old veteran rejected Sawyer’s point about how the issue was only noticeable because people talked about it.

“And to say, ‘Well, if we don’t talk about it, is it really a problem?’ If it’s not, if the casual fan doesn’t realize what’s going on, then we shouldn’t consider it an issue. I don’t know if I like that. I don’t love that he said that.”

This public clash between one of the sport’s most respected voices and a high-ranking official highlights an ongoing struggle over what NASCAR should be at its core.

As the fuel-saving debate continues to gain momentum, it may lead to renewed security of race rules and potentially force NASCAR to reassess how competition is managed at its most iconic events.