“Get Rid of Those Emotions” – Dale Earnhardt Jr Urges Bubba Wallace, Kyle Larson, & Rest of the NASCAR Community to Move on After $550 Million Sale

Parting ways is never easy. Especially when it’s about a place that has given heaps of fond memories to drivers and fans alike. However, the NASCAR community has to let go of one such historic track.

The Auto Club 400 will be remodeled as a brand new, shorter race track. But since the news of the racetrack’s sale surfaced, NASCAR drivers and fans could not help but get emotional about it all. And now, Dale Earnhardt Jr is requesting an end to this emotional frenzy.

In a recent episode of Dale Jr. Download, Junior talked about how everyone is so invested in knowing the future of the Fontana racetrack. Moreover, he revealed that track presidents are trying to relay as much information as possible to fill everyone in on the plans.

However, amidst it all, the JR Motorsports owner urged the NASCAR community to not get very emotional and focus on what’s waiting for them in the near future. He said,

“I have seen some renderings. I know a little bit about what I think is going to happen with this race track. The first idea for reconfiguring this racetrack was… in some way somehow they want to do all this. Now let’s move on, track’s going, all right. Everybody get rid of the emotions of that. Okay? Get rid of those emotions. Track’s gone!”

Furthermore, Junior assured that NASCAR would not be losing the racetrack entirely. He said,

“So, what the track [authorities] wants to do is build a short track. What they want to do is basically use a large portion of what is currently there with the front grandstands.  They’re gonna use the footprint of the front straight away.”

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What emotions is Dale Earnhardt Jr talking about?

It’s true that the 2-mile era of NASCAR is in decline. And the revamping of Fontana Speedway is an example of that. However, the transition has not been easy for NASCAR enthusiasts, including the drivers. In February, Bubba Wallace expressed his disappointment with the news in an interview. He said,

“That’s such a shame. I wish we could just pick it up and move it. Move it to my backyard—it’s not that big, but move it somewhere where we could go race there weekly. It’s that type of racetrack. It’s fun, it’s bumpy, it’s worn out. It always provides great racing, I feel like. You just slip and slide. It’s a bigger Homestead. I think the best tracks are in the middle of nowhere.”

On the other hand, Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson also shared his feelings, but without clouding them with extreme emotions. Being practical about the redesign project, Larson said,

“I love that race track as-is. I feel like it produces amazing racing, but at the same time, I think we need more short tracks.”

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Love it or hate it, the decision has been made. And as Dale Earhardt Jr said, it’s time to let go of emotions and look at the prospects that the future holds for the new, shortened Auto Club race track.