JRM Debutant Doubles Down on ‘Oval Guy’ Dale Jr Calling Out NASCAR’s Short Track Ignorance

Having relied on oval racing, NASCAR is now shifting its attention towards road courses and street races. However, some drivers have their reasons to be apprehensive about this growing trend. Given that there are rumors about Richmond races being restricted to a single feature, Dale Earnhardt Jr thinks another road course event could be added to the schedule. And that just does not sit well with him.

In conversation with his JRM driver, Bubba Pollard, Dale Jr highlighted his love for oval racing and explained how the current trend of racetracks is shaping up. While it might be an exciting prospect for NASCAR to expand beyond its borders, Pollard and Jr both agreed that oval racing is what NASCAR should be relying on.

Bubba Pollard believes that NASCAR should prioritize short-track venues over road course events

Dale Earnhardt Jr speaking on his podcast show, shared his take on the current trend of road course racing. “I don’t love road course racing, so I don’t want to go to another street course or road course. I love short track ovals and Daytona, Talladega, and Charlotte. I love ovals, I’m an oval guy and that’s what NASCAR was for all these years.”

Pollard suggested that NASCAR should decide to go back to its roots and revive some of the iconic short track venues, as they did with North Wilkesboro. “I feel like NASCAR should give back to the short tracks in that aspect. Like what y’all did, that will bring short track racing back to Wilkesboro, and I feel like your home tracks, NASCAR tracks like Berlin Michigan let’s fix those places up, and when NASCAR can help those short tracks, it will bring more fans and it will help short track racing.”

The JRM driver even went on to add how the change in direction by NASCAR has resulted in them losing their connection with the core fans.

Pollard shares his honest feelings about NASCAR’s alternative approach to racing

With decades of racing and competing, it was expected that NASCAR would evolve. However, the modern era of NASCAR is far different from the one that fans were used to back in the day. Call it experimentation or trying to be relevant, the sport has undergone big changes. One that Pollard feels is creating a divide between the core fans and the sport.

“I feel like they forget where they come from and the average middle-class people is what made racing. Your blue-collar people, like you said and I feel like NASCAR could do a better job sometimes bringing the average middle-class people into the sport more. I feel like they’ve changed their direction of where racing should be,” Pollard shared.

The thoughts shared by Dale Earnhardt Jr and Bubba Pollard were more along the lines of how NASCAR is trying to embrace a different identity. One that would allow them more exposure. But given the rich history of the sport and the success oval racing has brought, maybe NASCAR should consider looking at themselves for inspiration and growth.

Read More: Dale Earnhardt Jr Worried About the Consequences of Denny Hamlin’s Controversial Richmond Move