Since late last month, the weather has dampened NASCAR plans quite a few times. The heavy showers forced the race in Chicago and Atlanta to be cut short and also compelled NASCAR to postpone the Cup Series race at NHMS by one day. Moreover, it was not just the race that was affected by the weather inclement, but also one of the crucial tests that NASCAR had undertaken.

The governing body has been trying its best to make its races more compelling and also experiment with a variety of tracks. The road and street courses in the ongoing season have assuredly grabbed the attention of the NASCAR community, however, it is the short tracks that have always occupied a haloed position in the hearts of every NASCAR fan. 

Nevertheless, in order to revive the performance on those tracks, NASCAR has scheduled a test for the betterment of results on those tracks with a handful of selected drivers. However, before the drivers can set out and jot down their experiences, Dale Earnhardt Jr seems to have issued an ultimatum for those drivers.

Dale Earnhardt Jr issues a strict ultimatum to the drivers testing for short-tracks

With the roll-out of the Next Gen car, the performance on these tracks had surely taken a dip and in order to revive the outcome on these iconic tracks, the authority had scheduled a test, a day after the commencement of the Crayon 301. However, the weather issues forced the postponement of the test and shifted to Richmond. 

Nevertheless, before NASCAR can fly to Richmond and conduct the test, Dale Earnhardt Jr things to say to the selected drivers like Christopher Bell and William Byron on how to approach the test. On a recent episode of The Dale Jr. Download, Junior expressed, “I joked a little bit about how the future of short tracks is on the shoulders of these testers that are going to be doing this test […].

“I got on with Jeff Gordon’s advice, I called each one of the drivers and said ‘Hey, Man You still going to do this test?’ Most yes. One or two no. And I told them, I was like ‘Hey, y’all, I am confident in you. I believe in you. I think this is going to be a great opportunity for NASCAR. You have been picked for a reason and understand, it carries a lot of responsibility, you are going to a test with a totally unique agenda.”

“You are not going there for yourself, this isn’t about your team, this isn’t about getting your car to turn in the middle. This is about trying to get NASCAR short-track package to the next level. We loved it at the mile and a half, we loved it this past weekend, but when we go to Martinsville, we don’t love it, when we go to Richmond, we are not in love with it,” Junior affirmed.

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Junior makes a fervent plea to the drivers before heading to Richmond

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Dirty Mo Media posted Dale Jr’s video on Instagram, captioned, “All of ’em are in the perfect frame of mind. They totally understand the mission.” @DaleJr called each of the drivers who will be testing at Richmond to make sure they all understood how important this is for NASCAR’s short-track future.”

Continuing on the same lines, the co-owner of JR Motorsports asserted, “And so I told those guys, it’s like, ‘Man you guys really are in control of the future in terms of what this car can do at a short track.’”

Junior also expressed, “What that part and piece are going to try to achieve and when that part and piece get bolted on your car, understand what you are trying to feel from it, what you are trying to learn from it, and what NASCAR wants to know from you and don’t get competitive, don’t get out there and start looking at the lap times.”

With the drivers shouldering a huge responsibility, it is to be seen how NASCAR responds to the outcomes derived from the practice and employs it in the upcoming seasons.

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