Phoenix Raceway’s redesign was meant to give fans a better view of the action, with a new finish line and grandstands overlooking Turns 3 and 4. But Dale Earnhardt Jr. was never sold on every change, particularly the decision to pave and bank the former backstretch dogleg. He warned that drivers would start cutting across the apron instead of sticking to the racing surface, and that is exactly what happened. Years later, the NASCAR Hall of Famer’s old frustration has resurfaced, with the debate now focused on whether NASCAR should finally step in.

“The idea to take the back straightaway, which is now the front straightaway, and bank it, it just infuriates me. I just wish a lot of these tracks knew enough to leave well enough alone and not think that they’ve got to go take something that’s working and it’s got a long tradition or history or has, you know, and change it to something completely different. And so here we are. Cars have been cutting that front straightaway.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has never warmed to Phoenix Raceway’s redesigned layout, and his latest comments make that clear. He believes the changes took a track with an established identity and created a shortcut that drivers now use routinely.

What frustrates him most is not simply that competitors cut across the dogleg. It is that NASCAR has allowed the practice to become part of the racing, despite the awkward transitions and potential risks involved.

The roots of the problem go back to 2011, when Phoenix was repaved and reconfigured. The project pushed the dogleg outward, added banking, and replaced the grass bordering the apron with asphalt. That last change gave drivers the option to cut across the inside rather than follow the entire bend.

A second major renovation, announced in 2017 and completed in 2018, moved the start-finish line and added grandstands around the new frontstretch. The changes improved the venue for spectators, but they also made the shortcut an even bigger part of the racing.

Dale Jr. has been calling out that consequence for years. In August 2025, he responded to a fan asking about track limits by writing, “We don’t seem to care about cutting the apron at Phoenix. This has been what it is for a few years now. Shoulda never paved it. Coulda paved Bristol with all that asphalt.” His sarcastic Bristol reference captured how strongly he felt about the decision to pave an area that once discouraged drivers from taking the shortcut.

This year’s Cup race offered another reminder of why the dogleg attracts attention. Restarts can send the field sweeping across the apron in multiple lanes before drivers funnel back toward Turn 1. During the March race, Joey Logano made contact with Ross Chastain as the field charged through the dogleg, triggering a multi-car crash that also collected Anthony Alfredo and Austin Cindric. The crash was not proof that the dogleg alone caused the wreck, but it illustrated how chaotic those restarts can become.

For Dale Jr., the issue goes beyond how the move looks on television. He believes the transition itself creates an unpleasant experience for drivers and could contribute to the strain placed on their cars.

“The transition across onto the apron and back up on the racetrack is difficult for the drivers inside the car,” he explained. “It’s uncomfortable. It rattles you. Your head’s banging around in that headrest. I know the drivers probably don’t love having to do it.”

That concern has another dimension. During multiple racing events, including this year’s races, teams dealt with tire failures, and crew chiefs discussed how aggressive setups and cutting the dogleg on cold tires could increase the load placed on the tires.

For years, NASCAR showed little interest in limiting how much of the apron drivers could use. Dale Jr. eventually accepted that the configuration was unlikely to change, even though he continued to criticize it. Now, however, there may finally be movement.

On October 21, NASCAR Cup Series Senior Managing Director Brad Moran discussed plans to improve the transition onto Phoenix’s dogleg apron ahead of the 2027 season. The announcement points toward a potential change, although NASCAR has not yet confirmed exactly what the modification will involve.

Whether that adjustment addresses Dale Jr.’s broader complaint remains to be seen. He wanted the original racing surface respected rather than turned into an optional route. NASCAR’s planned work could make the transition less punishing, but it does not necessarily mean drivers will be required to follow the full dogleg. For a former driver who warned about the consequences years ago, that distinction matters.