The season has barely started, and people are already taking NASCAR to task. Just a few days are left before the prestigious Daytona 500 kicks off, and one thing is worrying drivers – the lack of practice. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, NASCAR cut down its practice sessions – entirely for a while. Presently, 25 minutes is the standard time for practice -whether teams like it or not. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a better solution.

The two-time Daytona 500 winner is achieving a milestone this weekend. Dale Jr.’s Xfinity Series team JR Motorsports will field its first-ever Cup Series entry. That is all the more reason for the veteran to worry about NASCAR’s practice policy, as he lends support to Brad Keselowski’s demands.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. suggests a more flexible rule

Before the pandemic, teams used to get two hours of practice before the main race. Although currently, 25 minutes is assigned for most races, NASCAR introduced a slight tweak to the Daytona 500 practice session. A 50-minute practice session was allotted for the Great American Race – and all teams needed to take part in it no matter what. On the other hand, superspeedways will not have any practice sessions. However, the caveat is that smaller teams may not want to practice, as it entails additional costs. Bigger teams like Joe Gibbs Racing or Team Penske would not have any qualms there, thereby opting for more practice.

This difference in demand popped up on social media soon after the Daytona 500 practice session. Brad Keselowski, a long-time proponent of longer practice sessions, made his opinion clear: “100% necessary for the long-term health of Motorsport.” However, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a flexible solution: “Here’s an idea. Open the track up for practice. If you don’t want to practice, you don’t practice. If you want to practice, you practice. Crazy idea I know, but would you believe they used this method for decades with no real complaints.”

Cost-saving has been the primary objective behind NASCAR curtailing practice time. However, teams can still drain out their pockets on simulation models, which are the only viable alternative for less practice. Brad Keselowski explained how that happens in April 2024: “We put a lot of money and time into race car simulation. Whether that’s simulating the car statically with how it would perform aerodynamically in consideration to other things or whether its kind of a multi-body physics model, which is simulating the car going around the track.” Evidently, giving teams the option to practice may be the best way to go, as Dale Earnhardt Jr. suggested.

Keselowski’s emphasis on the importance of practice was proved right. The RFK Racing owner-driver ran into trouble during the Daytona 500 practice session.

Alerted against a possible mishap

Brad Keselowski has clinched several crown jewel Cup Series races like the Southern 500 or the Coca-Cola 600. However, a Daytona 500 trophy still eludes him – he finished 22nd or worse in three of his last five starts. It appears that his misery streak is continuing till the present day. During the Daytona 500 practice session on Saturday, the RFK Racing No. 6 Ford started emitting smoke. Keselowski had barely turned any lap around the 2.5-mile tri-oval before this mishap occurred. Subsequently, the 41-year-old was forced to wheel his car back to the garage, where the crew identified the problem as a steering issue.

RFK Racing posted a video of Brad Keselowski inspecting his damaged car. In the caption, the team counted their blessings for getting a practice session before the final race. “Very thankful for a practice session 😳 The No. 6 team noticed smoke coming from @keselowski’s car during the opening laps of practice and brought it to the garage for repairs. Seems to be an issue with the steering.” Fox Sports’ Regan Smith also commented on the problem: “It’s actually a steering issue with the racecar. They’re going to take an opportunity to get that fixed up. A good break, we normally wouldn’t have this practice before qualifying. So, really a good break for the 6 car.”

Evidently, Brad Keselowski got away with a possibly huge issue due to NASCAR’s extended practice time. Although Dale Earnhardt Jr. asks for flexibility, the importance of practice cannot be denied.