Dale Earnhardt Jr. has always been one to call a spade a spade, wearing his heart on his sleeve and speaking his mind without sugarcoating. While his candid remarks have often stirred the pot and courted controversy, they undeniably offer NASCAR enthusiasts a bird’s-eye view of events, both on the tarmac and behind the scenes.

In a recent twist, Dale Earnhardt Jr. addressed the unfortunate incident at Watkins Glen, where NASCAR’s poster boy found himself running on fumes and plummeted from 7th place to a dismal 32nd. Yet, in an unexpected twist that raises eyebrows, Dale Jr. seems to tip his hat to the Hendrick Motorsports crew chief, despite the team’s apparent misstep.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. opines that the Hendrick Motorsports crew chief showcased a daring streak

Watkins Glen, the renowned NASCAR circuit, saw many rally behind Chase Elliott, especially after his commendable second-place finish at the Indianapolis Road Course. Given that Elliott was teetering just below the playoffs’ qualification cut-off, it was a do-or-die scenario for the Hendrick Motorsports brigade.

Perhaps this high-stakes scenario prompted the audacious gamble with the fuel, a move that backfired during the 55th lap when Elliott’s car stalled in 7th position, triggering the caution flag. While this strategic play didn’t quite pan out as envisaged, Alan Gustafson, the mastermind crew chief of Hendrick Motorsports, remained unflinchingly resolute about their tactics. His forthright demeanor earned accolades from the esteemed ex-NASCAR pilot, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

In this instance, Dale Jr. remarked, “Listening to the team’s comments after the race and Alan, the crew chief comments, ‘Hey man! We can’t win the race doing what everybody else is doing.’ I think that’s great. He’s a hell of a crew chief. He is a bada**. And so, I like what they tried; they were thinking maybe come to pit road first, get a lucky caution, or something like that, and they could flip it. I don’t think they had the pace to drive to the field.”

Dale Jr. didn’t just stop there; he lauded the team’s innovative spirit on the circuit, saluting Alan for his unyielding hunger for victory. However, had the situation not succumbed to misinformation, maybe the strategy could have worked in Elliott’s favor.

Watch This Story: Chase Elliott Apologizes to Rick Hendrick and Team for Losing After Being Confused by Hms Decision

Alan Gustafson and Elliott grappled with a grave miscalculation regarding fuel capacity

As the race neared its 55th lap, Elliott and his Hendrick Motorsports team found themselves in dire straits, lagging behind in their No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro. With approximately 36 laps to the finish line, Elliott’s chances of completing the race evaporated when he was stymied by a fuel shortage.

The drama of the moment was vividly captured in an expletive-filled video from Elliott’s No. 9 cockpit. The palpable tension reached its zenith when Elliott’s prospects of clinching a position in the 2023 playoffs slipped through their fingers.

Elliott, with an urgent tone, radioed in, “I just hit it (the reserve fuel switch), I just hit it.” Gustafson, attempting to manage the situation, quickly retorted, “Copy, you’ll pass me twice now.” However, the gravity of the situation soon dawned upon Gustafson as he urgently advised, “You gotta pit this time, this time.” Elliott’s voice then conveyed mechanical distress, revealing his car’s indicator was “sputtering.” 

As Elliott’s vehicle faltered, Bubba Wallace in his No. 23 Toyota Camry deftly sped past. Grasping the catastrophic nature of their predicament, a vexed Gustafson exclaimed, “F*cking bad information,” while a crestfallen Elliott confessed, “I am out of gas.”

Post-race, when probed about the fuel debacle, Gustafson was reticent, avoiding delving into the specifics of their error. NBC Sports reported his terse response: “That’s internal stuff. I’m not going to go over our internal struggles in the media. I’m not going over internal stuff in the media, and I’m certainly not going to educate everybody else on the problem.”

Whether stemming from flawed intel or a misguided strategy on the 2.45-mile track, the end result is unambiguous: a stinging blow to NASCAR’s golden boy.

Read More: “Feeling the Pressure”: Chase Elliott’s Desperation Increases as Hendrick Motorsports Improves, Leaving Him Behind