Richard Petty’s Successor ‘F-Bombs’ NASCAR Live on Air After Major Safety Violation

The NASCAR airwaves crackled with tension recently at Dover Motor Speedway during the Echo Park Automotive 400 when Erik Jones, Richard Petty’s successor behind the iconic No. 43 wheel, let loose a fiery outburst that’s got everyone talking. With emotions running high, Jones vented, “F—— NASCAR man, we have a wrecked race car and they’re running us around here at 180 mph.”

The raw frustration came after a chaotic stretch at the track, turning heads and sparking chatter across the garage. It all kicked off on lap 118 when Jones, rolling in 28th, scraped the wall in Turns 3 and 4 but managed to keep going. The trouble didn’t stop there as by lap 119, he hit the wall again between those same turns, this time battling tire issues that left his car limping.

The drama built from an earlier moment on lap 117, when Cody Ware ran high and nearly kissed the wall between Turn 3 and Turn 4 from 36th, narrowly avoiding a bigger mess. Fans and crews alike felt the heat as Jones’ car struggled, raising questions about safety calls on a track pushing 180 mph with damaged vehicles still in play.

Legacy Motorsports just a while ago shared a picture of a worn-out tire with very bad tears on it, hinting that Erik Jones’ bad performance could be due to it. A potential interesting wrinkle heading into this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway were the Goodyear Racing Eagle tire.

The tire, code D-5240 on the left sides and D-5260 on the right sides, has never been used before in NASCAR Cup Series competition and will not be used in any other races during the 2025 season. Goodyear says the tire was developed with Dover Motor Speedway in mind, as the track will host its race in July this season, compared to April in recent seasons.

When Goodyear-treaded problems arise, such as extreme wear at Bristol’s spring and fall races, NASCAR and Goodyear respond by adjusting compound or design, not by switching manufacturers. During March 2024’s Bristol race, intense tire degradation led to changes in compound selection. Goodyear confirmed they wouldn’t drastically modify the tire, but would “understand what happened… and try to replicate that and make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Well, this new tire at Dover is certainly playing a role in how the drivers and team strategize their race for the upcoming laps.

Stage 1 Updates

Stage 1 of the EchoPark Automotive 400 brought some thrilling action, with Chase Elliott snagging his first stage victory of the season. He held off Christopher Bell after taking 10 or more laps to put Daniel Suarez a lap down, leaving 28 cars on the lead lap. The top 10 lineup showed some serious talent: Chase Elliott, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, William Byron, Alex Bowman, Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, and Kyle Larson.

The stage wasn’t without its drama, though. AJ Allmendinger had a tire come apart on the final lap, sliding from ninth to 26th, while Erik Jones found himself in the wall late in the stage, adding to his rough day.

By lap 95, Alex Bowman was turning heads as the fastest car midway through the run, climbing to sixth. AJ Allmendinger had been a standout too, consistently one of the fastest cars since the field stretched out, moving up to 10th and eyeing Joey Logano’s ninth spot. Earlier, around lap 70, tire management became the name of the game.

Several drivers wrestled with wear on a longer run, with Kyle Busch noting his right-front tire was doing heavy lifting through the corners and asking for help. Joey Logano chimed in, wanting more rear grip to keep his car steady. It’s a tense setup heading into the next stages, with tires clearly holding the key to who’ll shine at Dover.