If one were to ask the old-timers about NASCAR today, they wouldn’t recognize the sport from its face value. Everything, from the cars to the regulations and the racing style in itself, has undergone a massive overhaul through the years. In fact, the likes of Darrell Waltrip have been so far from modern-day NASCAR that they perhaps don’t even like it anymore.

Darrell Waltrip on modern-day NASCAR

Waltrip retired from NASCAR right at the time when the sport was going through a massive transition. Of course, he had lost his dominance up until that point, but he was still a part of the field. But now, close to three decades after his retirement, he feels that the sport is quite different from what it used to be:

“Well, I think the sport’s gone to a transition from the days when I raced and you dropped the green flag and you ran to the checkered. Now they got all these different stages. So it’s a little different that it used to be.”

This does raise the question: Does he even like NASCAR in its current form? Well, his answer seemed a bit diplomatic as he said “I’m not sure I like it the way it is, but I watch. That’s about it.”

The sport has had some massive changes. Even the more recent drivers have discussed some of NASCAR’s rule changes. While the sport has become more systematic, elements such as the stage racing, championship format, Next Gen cars, and the loss of some historic short tracks remain frequent points of criticism.

The likes of Darrell Waltrip have stayed out of mainstream media for a long time. One could argue that a racing legend like him would have some of the most interesting stories and analytics to share on the broadcasting side. Even Mark Martin has returned to discussing NASCAR, but Waltrip seems to want to stay away from modern NASCAR.

“For a year or two, I thought I would [work in broadcasting]. But in the last couple of years, I’ve been, ‘No, I’m glad I’m not doing this. I’m glad I’m retired,’” he added.

However, that overview can differ drastically from driver to driver. While a legend like Darrell Waltrip certainly does not seem to be enjoying the latest changes that NASCAR has gone through, there are others who are still just as involved within the sport and also continue to like it.

HMS legend differs from Waltrip’s outlook

Jeff Gordon, even after his retirement from full-time racing, has been involved with Hendrick Motorsports as their vice chairman. Continuing his participation within the sport (although far away from racing), he is well aware of how it has changed. However, his overview differs from Darrell Waltrip.

“It’s still just as exciting,” he once told RG. “The product on the track is amazing, a lot of eyeballs on it. I would say the cars (are the biggest difference). Safety surveying has come a long way, but the cars themselves are fully independent.”

At the same time, however, one also has to consider the fact that by the time Waltrip retired, Gordon’s career was only beginning. He was extremely competitive with Hendrick Motorsports, where Waltrip also raced for about four years.

It is quite understandable that this is more of a personal perspective. There seems to be no general overview of liking or disliking the changes that NASCAR has undergone through the decades. Change is necessary, but how much? That matters quite a bit.

There were quite a few changes this year, including the championship format and the higher horsepower allowance on short tracks. Both of those changes have sat well with the drivers, but how will they hold up in the future? That remains to be found out.