NASCAR Insider Gives the “Idiot” Badge Amidst Latest Decision on Michael Jordan’s Driver

So far, the 2023 Daytona 500 has been the talking point of the week. Part of it had to do with the start-studded line-up of rookie and not-so-rookie drivers. One thing was for sure, many of them were competing in the Daytona 500 for the first time. Naturally, this did not sit right with NASCAR spotter Brett Griffin and he pointed it out during the “What an Idiot” section.

Griffin felt especially sorry for the seasoned drivers who had to deal with the newcomers sharing the track.

He mentioned on the Door Bumper Clear podcast, “I’ll go ahead and give my ‘What an Idiot’ in this section. Why would you put Chandler Smith and Travis Pastrana on a race track for your biggest race of the year? With guys that have no experience in this car, no experience in the Cup Series. Why would you put them in a position to not get an opportunity to practice prior to racing in the Duels? Why would you not give them an opportunity to go out for qualifying?”

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What else did he say about the NASCAR race?

Griffin does have a point because NASCAR was pitting newcomers against seasoned drivers in the biggest race. On paper, this was a recipe for disaster, especially since they barely had any time to practice. In any motorsport, practice is of utmost importance, because it helps a driver familiarize themselves with the track. They can pick out the best racing lines and observe any changes, in the event that the surface has been repaved.

Griffin continued, “If you were a competitor, like a Kevin Harvick, would you want them guys be anywhere around you when they haven’t had any practice? So I don’t know how that works with television, NASCAR, where the buck stops for that decision. This is my ‘What an Idiot’ for the week for whoever said yes to this because it almost is unsafe for the drivers to do this this way. “

In the end, though, it was no harm, no foul, and most drivers managed to not make themselves a nuisance. And when the race concluded, Ricky Stenhouse Jr emerged as the victor.

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