Bubba Wallace’s Spotter Freddie Kraft & Dale Earnhardt Jr on the Same Page With NASCAR’s Dirt Race Problem

The Bristol dirt race seems to have divided the NASCAR community into two equal halves. There are those who like the idea of a dirt track in a Cup Series race, then there are people like Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Bubba Wallace’s spotter.

Now, to be fair, all three of them have an opinion on dirt that could fall under the same umbrella, but their specifics or reasoning, and certainly the bigger points they make, are completely different.

While on one hand, Kyle Busch is completely against the idea of dirt racing mixing with stock cars, Dale Jr and Freddie Kraft feel a short track shouldn’t be sacrificed for a dirt track.

This was something Kraft spoke about in the recent episode of the Door Bumper Clear podcast. “I don’t know about this step back for dirt. I think the biggest thing for me, I’m sure Dale (Earnhardt Jr) knows that same thing short tracker wise, I just hate to lose short track for a dirt race,” Bubba Wallace’s spotter said.

“If you want to give us two Bristols, two Martinsvilles, and then make a dirt race somewhere else or take a third Bristol and take another date away, I’m good with it,” he continues. “I just hate the fact that we lose.”

“I love short track racing and we’re losing a short track race, I mean I guess it’s still technically on a short track. But you’re losing a short track race to have a dirt race and that’s my biggest takeaway from it.”

Dale Jr also agreed with Kraft, saying it is “tough” losing the Bristol race to a dirt race.

Dale Earnhardt Jr feels NASCAR isn’t embracing the dirt community enough

Despite NASCAR having the Bristol dirt race on its calendar, Dale Earnhardt Jr feels they’re missing something crucial in the equation.

That something crucial is the “mystique” and “aura” that can only come from tracks such as Eldora Speedway, or when they embrace the dirt community and everything it has to offer.

“If we’re going to race dirt, we need to be celebrating historical facilities that have a lot of amazing things from its past, and taking Cup cars there and seeing how it works, and being embraced by the community,” Dale Jr said.

“We’re not going to the dirt community when we’re going to Bristol.”

Also Read: After Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kevin Harvick’s Crew Chief Joins NASCAR Fans in Criticizing the Easter Weekend Race