Recently, former NASCAR drivers, Dale Jarrett and Kyle Petty had a massive debate about NASCAR strategy. While Jarrett loved the Richmond race that Denny Hamlin won through clever strategy, Petty wasn’t convinced. According to him, only the most seasoned fans, and the ones with in-depth knowledge would appreciate this kind of win.

To put it in perspective, he even drew comparisons with the open-wheel counterpart Formula One. He said, “In Formula One, they start from the very first lap. Explaining the different strategies that are going to be out there. When this race became a strategy race, then that’s what needed to be explained. At one time, Denny and Kevin, and Erik Jones were running 12th, 13th, 10th. Then, Erik Jones and those guys choose one strategy and end up 25th. Denny and Kevin take another strategy, and there’s a separation. That happens in the race, 200 laps into the race. Somebody should have seen it coming and explained it.”

What next for NASCAR after the Richmond race?

Now, the paddock will head to the Martinsville Speedway for this weekend’s race. Martinsville marks the second of three back-to-back short tracks, with the Bristol dirt race next up. Admittedly, no one is really sure if those two races will produce similar levels of racing. It may be possible that the track size may have played a role, but there is no guarantee about that.

One thing is for sure, it was still good enough to ensure a high TV rating on Fox Sports. With this win, Hamlin has secured a berth in the Playoffs, but if we keep getting different winners, he could be in danger. On the positive side of things, he has pretty much scored one for Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing. Amid Ford and Chevrolet dominating in the last six races, it was about time Toyota began fighting back.

READ MORE: Hendrick Motorsports Legend Debunks a Myth About Joe Gibbs Racing After Their NASCAR Win in Richmond