The world of racing is zooming past its former self, with Dale Earnhardt Jr leading the pack in advocating for the evolution of tracks. While racing fanatics buckle up for a season of surprises with a reshuffle in IndyCar series’ calendar, Dale Jr’s vocal endorsement of a historic track is steering public opinion toward optimism.
In a recent episode of The Dale Jr. Download podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr, alongside co-host Mike Davis, discussed the state of the Texas Motor Speedway and its recent developments in the racing world. The conversation began with Junior addressing the news that the speedway will not be included in the IndyCar schedule going forward, which had raised concerns among NASCAR fans as well.
Texas Motor Speedway: A track in transition
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Dale Earnhardt Jr expressed uncertainty about the reasons behind this decision, speculating that it might be related to issues with the Cup Series schedule and potential changes like Montreal or Iowa being added. He acknowledged that rumors abound and that the truth remains elusive. Despite the uncertainties, Dale Jr shifted the focus to the recent races in Texas and how they had improved over the years.
“The thing with Texas is, I believe, the track is headed in the right direction and I think that it’s just going to continue to get better. In my mind, better is cars moving around running multiple grooves providing opportunities, you know for passes throughout the field and that’s where we’re … it’s where we’re going with Texas compared to where we were four years ago at Texas. It’s a good difference. It’s a good change,” the “Pied Piper of Daytona” stated.
He added, “We need to help people understand that Texas is turning in the right direction. We need to help people under, we need to point out the win and the why and the what of how this track is sort of evolving into a pretty decent little racetrack.”
Junior highlighted the positive changes, particularly in terms of the Next Gen cars performing well at similar tracks like Charlotte and Kansas.
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Remember when Texas Motor Speedway was the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons? Junior does. He reminisced about a time when Texas Motor Speedway didn’t garner much excitement and even contemplated turning it into a short track. However, Earnhardt noted that recent changes had led to more exciting races.
Dale Earnhardt Jr talks about the Texas transformation
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The track’s surface had evolved, allowing cars to use multiple grooves and offering opportunities for passes. Although there is still room for improvement, the JR Motorsports owner believes that the Texas Motor Speedway is on the right path to becoming a competitive racing venue.
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Co-host Davis recalled, “First of all used to love Texas. But then after a while when the race has started, you know declining in terms of you know for competitiveness and all that kind of made it hard to pass you start start doing different things you wanted to. Like there’s a bit of pessimism or skepticism that I approach Texas that to the point that you were making to me yesterday.”
“The act of race actually had a lot of compelling moments in it. And if you just approached it with a little bit more optimism, which I’m talking to myself. It’d probably be a little bit more evident that the race was actually pretty decent,” he further added.
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Dale Earnhardt Jr’s fervent support for Texas Motor Speedway and the resurgence of iconic tracks signify a revolutionary era for racing. From the passionate revival of the underestimated to the expected comebacks of the iconic, the world of racing is accelerating toward a future filled with excitement, innovation, and unparalleled zeal.
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