Back in 2020, when the pandemic forced sports leagues to rethink everything, NASCAR made several changes to keep everyone safe. One of those was moving the pre-race drivers’ meeting from an in-person gathering to a virtual format. Fast forward to 2026; the pandemic is long behind us, but that virtual setup is still being used in the O’Reilly Series. And that’s something Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes should change.

Speaking on his podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared his unfiltered thoughts on the video memo virtual meetings in the O’Reilly series.

“I think it’s time to bring back the drivers’ meetings. I believe that the COVID era, memo, and email were over that shit. Let’s get these boys back in a room. We don’t have to get all the CEOs and all the athletes and celebrities, but we need to. We’re there at the racetrack,” he said. “Those boys are all sitting around on race day with their thumbs twiddling. Let’s get them in a room. Let’s watch the video. Let’s have a couple of conversations. Let’s ask some questions. Let’s do that. Let’s get doing that. I don’t like the email memo video shit because our guys aren’t watching it.”

A driver’s meeting is an essential part of any motorsport event where drivers and the sanctioning body come together in a room to communicate things such as pit road procedures, penalty structures, and any last-minute changes to track conditions or regulations. The meetings also act as a platform for drivers to ask any questions or communicate their thoughts on a specific issue.

But a virtual meeting, albeit necessary in the COVID era, cannot be as effective as an in-person meeting. Because in an in-person meeting, when all drivers are present in the room with the NASCAR officials, the communication, the whole point of a meeting, can be more dynamic, atmosphere-relevant, and more dual-sided.

Having said that, do these meetings actually see drivers raise their issues and ask questions? For better or worse, there’s an answer to that from the driver himself.

Denny Hamlin drops brutal truth about NASCAR drivers’ meetings

During an episode of his podcast in 2024, Denny Hamlin revealed just how effective the drivers’ meetings are. “No one ever (asks) questions anymore,” he revealed. “It’s a charade. It’s there just for the people. It’s just for the VIPs….There’s not one driver listening to that video that they play.”

It’s worth mentioning that in 2017, a fan shared his experience of getting to attend a driver’s meeting at Loudon. He claimed the atmosphere is more ‘serious and official,’ and the meeting commences with the introduction of the VIPs and chief guests.

Then a video is played about the track layout, followed by the crew chief’s notes, followed by the drivers’ notes. After that, the floor was open for drivers to ask questions, of which there were none in his experience, before the meeting was concluded with a prayer.

However, a few aspects of the meeting left the fan surprised, which falls under the same realm as Hamlin’s revelation.

“Everyone was cool and respectful, with the occasional chit chat between drivers and their crews. All of the points raised during the meeting were surprisingly standard, too,” the fan wrote.

Insights from both inside and outside the sport suggest that NASCAR drivers’ meetings have become more of a formality than a truly essential part of race day, something drivers wouldn’t necessarily miss if it disappeared.

Still, there’s a case to be made for keeping them around. Even if they aren’t always impactful, they provide a space where drivers can speak up, ask questions, or raise concerns when needed.

The platform needs to exist for when the right time comes, and with the drivers’ meetings, NASCAR has given drivers that platform. Only in the O’Reilly Series, the platform is still not in person.