Dale Earnhardt Jr. always shares his straightforward views on races, earning nods from NASCAR fans everywhere. And this time it’s about the big wreck at Daytona’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 on August 24, 2025, which occurred early in Stage 1 on lap 27 when Bubba Wallace got bumped by Kyle Larson, spinning him into a chain reaction. Drivers like Wallace, Larson, Austin Cindric, and Alex Bowman were caught in the 17-car mess that reshaped the playoff bubble. But who is truly to blame?

Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft, took some heat, admitting, “I f—ed up by not telling Bubba we were three-wide.” The crash led to heated talks, with Denny Hamlin later calling out Wallace for the bump that started it. This added fuel to fan debates on social media and forums. Yes, every wreck involves drivers, but does blame always need to follow, or is wrecking just part of the game? Here’s what Dale Jr. had to say about the blame culture.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. tackles the blame culture head-on

On the “Dale Jr. Download” podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr. pushed back against the NASCAR community‘s rush to assign fault for the Daytona big wreck, boiling it down to three words: “It just happens.” He expressed frustration with the immediate finger-pointing, saying, “The big one, who’s to blame for the wreck? Why is everybody so f—–g wanting to blame f—–g someone for this?”

This direct shutdown came amid discussions sparked by Denny Hamlin‘s comments blaming Bubba Wallace, but Earnhardt highlighted how such incidents are inherent to restrictor-plate racing at tracks like Daytona, where tight packs lead to unavoidable chaos. Earnhardt drew from his decades in the sport, noting the evolution of fan and media reactions.

“I’ve been around this sh-t a long time. And when the big one happens… it just happens,” he added, emphasizing that past wrecks didn’t always trigger prolonged blame games. This perspective ties into his own career, where he navigated similar crashes during the 2001 Daytona 500, finishing second amid the tragedy of his father’s fatal crash, teaching him that racing’s risks don’t always need villains. Dale Jr.’s words resonate as the playoffs approach, reminding everyone that strategy and luck play roles beyond individual errors.

By calling out the “insistent” need to blame, Earnhardt Jr shut down the narrative, pointing to how conversations dragged on for days until Hamlin weighed in. This stance supports drivers like Wallace, whose spin started the pile-up but stemmed from typical drafting bumps. Earnhardt’s take encourages focusing on the excitement of close racing rather than scapegoats.

Meanwhile, beyond wrecks, Earnhardt Jr also addressed team dynamics in a separate exchange.

Dale Jr. counters Hill on JRM strategy

Dale Earnhardt Jr. responded to Austin Hill‘s criticism of JR Motorsports (JRM) for not helping his No. 21 car at drafting tracks, despite being Chevy teammates. Hill said, “We never had the JRM cars help us. It doesn’t matter if they’re Chevy Alliance or not. They don’t help us at all. They would rather work with a Toyota or Ford than us.” Earnhardt fired back on his podcast, explaining it’s a strategic choice based on Hill’s dominance at Daytona and Talladega, where Hill has nine wins in 22 drafting races since 2022.

Earnhardt clarified his advice to JRM drivers, stating, “With all due respect to Austin Hill, he has got the best track record in the Xfinity Series at Daytona [and] Talladega in the last handful of years. So, I tell my guys, ‘Listen, if you want to run second, help Austin Hill.’” This highlights how pushing Hill to the lead reduces the chances of passing him, a lesson from Hill’s consistent front-running. JRM’s success, with 14 wins in 24 races this season across eight drivers, shows their focus on internal competition over alliances.

He added, “Help that 21 all you want. Yeah, you’ll go to the front, but your likelihood of beating him and winning the race, it kind of goes down.” This counters Hill’s frustration after a DNF at Daytona, where JRM swept the top three. Earnhardt Jr stressed it’s not personal but about maximizing wins, noting Hill’s skill makes him “f—–g hard to get around” once leading.