We might know Dale Jr. for the NASCAR legend he is, but it doesn’t mean he didn’t dip his toes in other motorsports. Can you believe as a child he was a fan of F1? “I think that there are years where Formula 1 for me is incredibly entertaining, and back when Schumacher and those guys were going at Mika [Hakkinen]. There were some years where you get really plugged in,” he once revealed. And when he stepped into the vibrant world of Formula One at the 2025 Miami Grand Prix, he was ready for a change of pace but was even taken aback. Surrounded by multi-story hospitality complexes and a fanfare that felt more like a city festival than a race, he couldn’t help but be impressed.

What he saw in Miami left a lasting impression, and Jr. walked away with certain mental notes. As the century-long debate between NASCAR and F1 over which is better than the other continues, Earnhardt Jr. is able to understand what works and doesn’t work for both organisations.  And he makes it clear that NASCAR is in hot pursuit.

For Dale Earnhardt Jr., the most obvious difference between Formula One and NASCAR can be summed up in one word. In a recent interview with Puck News, Dale Jr. gave a very honest review of what F1 does better than NASCAR.

“It’s money. F1 has so much support from sponsorships and partnerships that allow them all that creativity. Really, the sky’s the limit in terms of how big they make the event feel. And that’s really NASCAR’s challenge.” Junior said after attending his first-ever Formula One race at Miami International Autodrome. Junior’s not wrong. When you compare NASCAR to F1, the sponsorship game is much different. Sure, for a team like Hendrick Motorsports, it’s not too tough, but when it comes to the smaller teams, it becomes a challenge. If we look at the numbers, let’s compare the 2005 Daytona 500 to a recent installment of the race. From 60% of Fortune 500 companies becoming sponsors, that number has fallen down to 20%. On the other hand, F1 teams have broken the $100 million mark from sponsorships consistently.

It’s allowed the F1 experience to level up the game. Junior was stunned by the scope of what he witnessed. “First of all, the race was fun to watch, and the product on the racetrack was entertaining. But it was the build-out of all of the hospitality that was wild to me. When F1 comes to your area, it is massive. It affects everything. The footprint, and how it expands out beyond the race itself, was really impressive.” Don’t take his words lightly. F1 brings in so much business for the cities. In 2023, it had a massive $349 million impact on Miami, a number that has gone up to $500 million this year.

All of this might sound like Junior isn’t happy with NASCAR, but he knows the sport is pushing its boundaries. International stars like Daniel Suarez and Shane van Gisbergen have added a fresh spark to the sport, capturing attention and helping broaden the sport’s appeal with every race they run. “But it’s NASCAR’s goal as well. That’s why we’re in Mexico City and why we went to Chicago. That’s why you hear the rumors about races going to San Diego, Brazil, and Canada. So intentional effort to really expand our reach and who we connect to and create new fans outside of our traditional geographical footprint.” 

The efforts are clearly working. Last year’s Chicago Street Race had a $128 million impact on the city’s economy. Not bad for a sport that is limited to America right? Going up against a giant like F1 that draws a global audience, NASCAR holds its own. Just take the past weekend for example; despite the delays, the hassle and the weather acting up, the NASCAR community was overjoyed with Daniel Suarez’s domination in the Xfinity Series by taking the win in Mexico City. This broadens the horizon of the fan base to Mexico as well, and this is exactly what Dale Junior implies. And while F1 dazzled with its showbiz muscle, the Hall of Famer still finds NASCAR more satisfying where it matters most.

He went on to add, “And that will draw in interest from new partners, and we’re seeing that already on the, you know, the broadcasting side with new partners like Prime and TNT coming in and. So there’s a, you know, it’s a long process of gaining momentum, building on that momentum, taking advantage of it, pulling all the right levers.” 

Does that mean Junior has turned into an F1 fan over NASCAR? Let’s see what he had to say after the Miami GP. “Because people want to know, ‘Well, did you like it better? Did you like it more?’ But I don’t think that’s a fair question. It’s not about liking it better or more — it’s just a different kind of motorsport. Whatever love that I have for NASCAR, whatever that pie is, didn’t change. I think that’s fair. Is it a great experience? Would I go again? Absolutely. Especially in another country. I got an American version of the global sport that F1 is. If I were to go to Monaco or another country and see it, it would be even completely different. It would be even more epic, right?”

For now, let’s see what Dale is up to in NASCAR next weekend.

Dale Jr’s double duty at Pocono

Few tracks on the NASCAR circuit have as rich a personal history for Dale Earnhardt Jr. as Pocono Raceway. In 35 career starts at the tricky triangle, Junior notched 2 Cup series victories, both in 2014, along with 11 top-five and 15 top-10 finishes, making it one of his more successful venues during his driving career. Now, the NASCAR Hall of Famer is set to tackle Pocono from an entirely different angle: atop the pit box as a crew chief.

This Saturday, during the Explore the Pocono Mountains 250, Earnhardt Jr. will step in for JR Motorsports regular Xfinity Series crew chief Maddy Lindley, who is serving a suspension due to a lug nut infraction at Nashville. In his place, Dale Jr. will call the shots for Connor Zilisch, the young talent piloting the No. 88 car. It’s Zilisch’s first start at Pocono, making Junior’s insight and tactical presence all the more valuable. Zilisch then shies away from the pressure, posting a tongue-in-cheek reaction to social media: “ Pressure is on. New face in the pit box this weekend.”

As for Dale Junior, it’s another hat added to his already packed resume. Driver, owner, broadcaster, podcast host, and now a substitute crew chief. With a hundred laps of chess-like racing on tap and a young driver hungry for a breakout moment, all eyes will be on the No. 88 team come Saturday afternoon. For Zilisch, it’s a shot to make a name. For Dale Junior, it’s a return to a familiar battleground, just from a higher vantage point.