Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Denny Hamlin have often seen eye-to-eye on major NASCAR topics over the years, from driver safety concerns surrounding the Next Gen car to broader conversations about the sport’s future and business structure. However, when it comes to broadcast quality, the duo has now reached a crossroads. While Hamlin prepares for his own NASCAR broadcasting debut, he has taken a far more laid-back stance on remote coverage, and Junior made it very clear he is not buying Joe Gibbs Racing’s biggest media take.

The argument started after Hamlin defended The CW’s increasing use of remote broadcasting for the O’Reilly Auto Parts races in 2026. Instead of sending the entire booth on site every week, some races have been called from NASCAR’s Charlotte production hub using live race feeds and remote technology. As far as Hamlin is concerned, it doesn’t make a difference.

Dale Jr., however, was having none of this. “Imagine the 1979 Daytona 500 done from a studio in Charlotte. I get that CW does a hell of a job. And I don’t mind that it’s done in the studio. But for anyone to claim it makes no difference is disingenuous,” the 51-year-old veteran wrote on X.

The complaints about remote broadcasts, including awkward timing, missed moments, and a lack of connection between the booth and the atmosphere at the track itself, are what drove Hamlin to firmly defend the CW’s approach in the first place.

“Guys, please, stop caring about sh** that just doesn’t matter. It does not change your viewing experience, wherever the broadcasters are. It does not change your experience as long as they do a good job. Who cares? Stop it,” the Joe Gibbs Racing driver had said previously.

But now that Hamlin is set to venture into the world of broadcasting himself, it remains to be seen whether his stance on the issue changes. Fresh off his All-Star Race win at Dover, where he pocketed NASCAR’s $1 million prize, Hamlin revealed on his podcast that he will serve as an analyst during The CW’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race this week at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Skepticism aside, though, The CW has quietly become one of NASCAR’s biggest surprise success stories of the 2026 season. Despite early doubts surrounding the network, the series ratings have climbed consistently throughout the year. Several races have crossed the one million viewer mark, including Iowa drawing 1.008 million viewers and Indianapolis pulling 1.137 million viewers. Talladega reportedly brought in 1.26 million viewers, marking the first time since 2017 that the opening stretch of the Xfinity Series season consistently cleared seven figures.

A huge reason behind that success has been the booth itself. Adam Alexander, Jamie McMurray, and Parker Kligerman have earned widespread praise from fans throughout the season, with many viewers calling it NASCAR’s freshest television lineup in years. The CW also expanded pre-race coverage and leaned heavily into storytelling in personality-driven segments rather than just non-stop technical analysis. But that does not mean everything has gone smoothly.

Earlier this season, one CW affiliate accidentally cut away before the finish of the O’Reilly race at Atlanta, instantly triggering backlash from fans. Other viewers have also criticized streaming limitations on the CW app, while some continue to blame the remote production setup for occasional missed calls and delayed reactions during races.

In their own way, both Dale Jr. and Hamlin are right. Objectively, The CW has performed well. But NASCAR is also a sport built on feeling, engines shaking the booth, spotters screaming over radios, and the sudden on-site sense that chaos is ready to erupt at any moment. That energy cannot be fully recreated from a different city.

As Hamlin takes on his new broadcasting role, Junior understands exactly what it takes and what it means to be behind the booth. With Amazon Prime Video making its second appearance in NASCAR coverage, Junior is gearing up for another season with the $2.8 trillion company.

Dale Jr gears up for Round 2 of the Prime Video broadcast

The NASCAR Hall of Famer did not exactly hide how much he enjoyed his first year in NASCAR broadcasting. From the moment Amazon entered the Cup Series broadcast world in 2025 at the Coca-Cola 600, Junior repeatedly praised the platform’s willingness to experiment and allow personalities to breathe a little more naturally compared to traditional television.

“I’m honoured to be part of Prime Video’s entry into NASCAR,” Junior said when the booth was first announced. “It’s an exciting opportunity… to be part of the innovation that Prime Video is going to bring out to our sport and the fans.”

Once the races actually started, Junior looked even more comfortable. The chemistry between Junior, Steve Letarte, and Adam Alexander throughout the five-race stretch was a hit with fans. At one point after Ross Chastain’s Coca-Cola 600 win last year, Junior even casually drank beer live on air during the celebration, later praising the atmosphere Prime created around the broadcast.

Now Prime Video is officially gearing up for year two. The streaming giant returns this weekend with the 2026 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, kicking off another exclusive five-race NASCAR stretch under the sport’s massive $7.7 billion media rights deal.

And yes, Junior will once again be right in the middle of it. Prime is largely sticking with the same core booth that fans embraced last season.

Junior returns alongside Alexander and Letarte for race coverage, while the overall production itself is getting even bigger for 2026.