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Dale Earnhardt Jr Undermines Joe Gibbs’ Driver’s Achievement as NASCAR Tries to Overcompensate

Published 03/27/2024, 12:17 AM EDT

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Despite the overwhelming and dominating performance from its drivers at Phoenix and Bristol, Joe Gibbs Racing cars couldn’t repeat their success as its road racing sensation ascended the very first stage of the race. While the #20 driver led the JGR squadron with a P2 finish, the past race at COTA marked another achievement for the 29-year-old. NASCAR mentioned him and put out a post commemorating his success. However, NASCAR veteran Dale Earnhardt Jr wasn’t a big fan of this and spoke his mind in his podcast, revealing why he thinks it’s not such a big deal.

Dale Earnhardt Jr unimpressed with Christopher Bell’s NASCAR achievement

With three of its drivers finishing in the top 10, Christopher Bell being the runner-up, his teammate Ty Gibbs finishing just behind him, and Martin Truex Jr getting a P10 finish, it was certainly a smooth ride for Joe Gibbs and Co. at the 3.41-mile Austin track. The #6 race of the season also marked the 150th start for Christopher Bell, and the organization was quick to point this out before the race.

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But, Dale Earnhardt Jr wasn’t that impressed with the number, especially when he himself has 631 Cup Series starts among some of the greats in the sport like Richard Petty, who has over 1000 starts. Speaking on his podcast, Dale Jr Download, Junior actually congratulated the driver but then mentioned the obvious, saying, “They’re kind of trying to butter him up a little bit they feel bad you’re not being overlooked look we tweeted about your 150th start we tweeted about your 50th start .” 

Right after mentioning Bell being overlooked in Netflix’s docuseries, the JRM co-owner got straight down to the point. He said, “150 it’s not like a it’s not treat. It’s not tweet worthy. It is not social media content like 400 maybe because you’re getting close to I think once you get to 500 yeah now you’ve done it right you’re in that club.” 

Another incident that caught the attention of NASCAR fans was the post-race run-in between Christopher Bell and Kyle Busch. Reflecting on this, this former NASCAR driver and NBC analyst shared his thoughts, taking the blame away from Bell to put Busch in the crosshairs.

Kyle Petty blames Busch for the COTA spin

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Bell seemed like there was only one name on his mind as he went on to hit both Kyle’s in the field one after the other. First, the #20 Camry spun around Larson, and shortly after going into the corner, it was Busch who was sent for a spin. The “Rowdy” after the race was seen furious, confronting the driver, essentially saying that this is not the end of it.

But veteran Kyle Petty has come out to share his thoughts on the incident. Petty didn’t see anything wrong with the way Bell raced the RCR driver. Instead, Petty simply said it was Busch who drove to the corner on lap 41, like there was nobody else on the track, and Bell filled the gap to the left of the #8 Chevrolet, which caused Busch to spin out. “Kyle Busch drove that corner like he was the only car on the racetrack,” said Petty. Christopher Bell filled the hole to the inside. Kyle cuts back across Christopher Bell. That’s what you learn to do every racetrack you ever race on; fill the hole.”

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Cornered by ‘Heated’ Kyle Busch, Christopher Bell Pleads Innocence After Taking Out ‘Both of the Kyles’

While Busch was boiling hot, Bell was pretty confused about what he did wrong there, but will this be the return of the ‘bad boy?’ Tell us your thoughts on what Dale Earnhardt Jr believes and on entire the incident in the comments below.

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Written by:

Kishore R

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Kishore is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports. He actively covers live events and does detailed race analyses, helping fans understand the very nitty gritties of the sport. Using the right mix of storytelling and game expertise, Kishore can take his readers on a journey to see how a particular race was for some of their most loved drivers, like Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott.
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Edited by:

Shivali Nathta