The debate that has dragged on for years seems to be reaching its breaking point. For what feels like forever, NASCAR’s biggest names and longtime veterans have been pushing the sport to restore meaningful practice time. Last month, NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. revealed he’s been hearing rumblings that the sport may bring back additional on-track practice for the 2026 season. And with a new update popping up, could stock car racing fans finally be getting what they wanted?

Ever since the sanctioning body slashed sessions down to a mere 20 minutes in 2022, teams have been left scrambling, trying to devise setups, gather data, and fine-tune performance with almost no runway before Sunday’s green flag. Now, with the rumor mill spinning faster than ever, a potential shift is gaining momentum, and fans are already rallying behind the possibility of a long-awaited change.

NASCAR rumor claims that practice time has doubled

Recently, a bold NASCAR fan took to Instagram, writing a simple, “I’ve heard from a few people now that the Cup Series could be looking at more 50-minute practice sessions in 2026, instead of two 25-minute sessions.” That was enough to send the NASCAR community into a frenzy. But this isn’t the first time such a rumor has made its rounds.

Last month, on the episode of the Dale Jr. Download, while nothing is confirmed, Dale Jr. said he had heard credible whispers about expanding practice windows. Junior shared, “Also, hearing a little rumor, there could be a little more practice back on the schedule next year. . . I’m hearing this more so in Xfinity, that there’s just conversations around, ‘Should we have more weekends [that] there are more practice?’”

For now, any plans for extending sessions remain unofficial. As the 51-year-old emphasized, it’s still “a conversation” rather than a done deal. But based on what he’s been told, NASCAR is at least exploring the idea of adding more track time at select events, potentially limited to the 2026 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and perhaps the Craftsman Truck Series. This could be a major win for drivers entering NASCAR from other disciplines, as the extended practice time will give them more time to acclimatize to the stock car racing format, especially the ovals.

Junior strongly backed the idea, noting that Xfinity and Truck Series drivers, many of whom are new to these cars and often racing at unfamiliar tracks, desperately need more laps, even if it comes with extra costs. He added, “Our Truck drivers, our Xfinity drivers, they need the laps. . . we’ve got a lot of guys that are going into these cars that haven’t driven them before, that are going to racetracks they’ve never raced before, and they’re getting 10, 20 minutes of practice.”

Over the years, NASCAR has dramatically reshaped its pre-race routine. Gone are the days of long practice sessions, qualifying rounds, and a full happy hour. In their places are condensed, cost-efficient systems. Currently, the NASCAR Cup Series runs a two-group format with 25 minutes per group. The Xfinity and Truck Series get an additional 25 minutes when visiting road courses, completing a 50-minute full-field session. Across all three series, there is no practice at superspeedways, except for the Daytona 500.

While fans crave more on-track action, many within the sport point to the necessity of extra practice for less experienced drivers, particularly those transitioning from other racing disciplines. Shane Van Gisbergen, for example, has mastered road courses but has faced a steep learning curve on ovals, improving only as he’s gained more track time. And now, with the rumor making rounds, NASCAR fans are praying that it comes true.

NASCAR fans immediately welcome practice rumors

As rumors of expanded practice time for 2026 spread through the NASCAR community, fans wasted no time sounding off, and for me, the reaction was immediate relief. One fan summed up the long-standing frustration, saying, “Good. Cutting practice time hasn’t saved the teams any money, but certainly made the full weekend experience at the track worse.” Another echoed that sentiment even more bluntly with a simple, “About time.” After years of condensed sessions and rushed data gathering, supporters feel the sport is finally listening.

Beyond the emotional side, fans also pointed out the practical shortcomings of NASCAR’s current format. One viewer laid it out clearly, “I think my main issue was 25 minutes give or take a few red flags wasn’t really enough to learn anything. I get we want to cut costs, but it just felt kinda pointless if it wasn’t 30-50 minutes.” Others agreed that any increase in track time, whether for veterans or newcomers, would immediately make races more meaningful. As another put it, “Good. A step in the right direction.”

And while some comments were straightforward, others carried the excitement of a long-awaited change finally gaining traction. One fan celebrated the rumor outright, writing, “More practice is a very good thing. I hope this happens.” Another kept it short and spirited: “Happy 50 Minutes.” Together, the reactions paint a clear picture. Fans overwhelmingly support the return of fuller practice sessions and believe the sport has been overdue for this course correction.