Dale Earnhardt Jr Stands Up to NASCAR

Dale Jr Has the Guts to Stand Up to NASCAR

Dale Earnhardt Jr has said what almost every other driver in the Sprint Cup Garage has been thinking for the past 2 years.

“I feel like, especially right now, we need to really, really try to turn over every stone, and that includes where we are with this COT,” said Dale Jr.

“They don’t seem as willing to produce a better race car that will put on the type of races that we all wish to see,” Earnhardt said of NASCAR. “I feel like in a way we are holding ourselves back. We’re short-changing ourselves.”

This Car Sucks

When Kyle Busch won the first race in the COT at Bristol in 2007 the first thing he said was “This car sucks.” He might have seemed like an ungrateful winner that day – but most drivers and crew chiefs agreed with him.

“I think we need to open our eyes a little bit. Everyone.” Dale Earnhardt Jr said. “I think the media could address it a little stronger, and I think the drivers could be a little more vocal about it.”

“We have the technology and the people to build a car that will make for exciting racing  dramatic, side-by-side racing that will sell tickets, excite fans and thrill people, but we have yet to pursue and try to obtain that,” said Earnhardt

“Before, I thought it was rather poor,” said Earnhardt, referring to the excitement level in racing prior to the implementation of Double-file / Shootout Style restarts.

“We almost depended on a late caution to save the day to make somebody race side by side for a couple of laps. Somehow that saved the day,” said Earnhardt.

Race Fans Not Getting Money’s Worth

“It was very frustrating because 95 percent of the race wasn’t worth the price of the ticket,” Junior said.

In June 2008 NASCAR quietly told the drivers to tone down the complaints against the car that had been flying fast and furious – basically the drivers were told to just shut up and drive. And there hasn’t been too much complaining against NASCAR by drivers since then – until now.

Now that Dale Earnhardt Jr has voiced his concerns I am sure other drivers will do the same. But it took someone with Earnhardt’s clout to get the discussion started. We’ll see if NASCAR listens.

I am all for more exciting races. What do you think NASCAR can do to make racing more exciting?

• Recent Posts

  • Dale Earnhardt Jr All Star Diecast
  • NASCAR Goes Point-less
  • Earnhardt really IS close to victory — and the stats prove it
  • Military Intelligence Diecast: Dale Earnhardt Jr 1:24
  • Jimmie Johnson Named America’s Most Influential Athlete