Last month was all about a prominent debate about whether drivers need more practice time, sparked by Brad Keselowski and backed by Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr, though Chase Elliott wasn’t on board. During a chat with Dale Jr on his channel, Chase Elliott almost convinced the veteran driver that the current amount of practice time was sufficient. However, the tide has shifted once more. Dale Earnhardt Jr has flipped back to his original position, arguing that drivers need more practice. So, what changed his mind again?

Dale Earnhardt Jr thinks more practice could really benefit NASCAR teams

Jimmie Johnson, alongside Brad Keselowski, shared his thoughts with Jeff Gluck before the Dover race. The Legacy Motor Club suggested bumping up practice time from 20 minutes to about 45 minutes, believing it would help drivers better adjust their cars.

However, last month on Dale Earnhardt Jr’s podcast, Chase Elliott voiced a different opinion. Despite being part of the powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports team, which is known for its quick adaptability, he didn’t think extending practice was necessary. Elliott argued, “I think we have enough practice. I certainly can understand their perspective on guys either running a part-time schedule or people that are running maybe full-time in Xfinity. But when I look at the whole argument, I look at short tracks across the country. There are dirt track races every Friday and Saturday night, and they get literally five laps of hot laps, and then they run the race.”

And with that, Chase Elliott almost had Dale Earnhardt Jr convinced that less practice was okay. But now, Dale Jr is changing his tune, aligning himself with Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski. On a recent episode of “The Dale Jr Download,” he revisited the debate, saying, “We had this conversation with Chase Elliot and he’s like, ah, from my perspective as a driver, we don’t need more practice. My opinion is we do need more practice now. […] It’s more for me as a fan at home, if I’m watching practice on TV on a Saturday or a Friday, I get more excited about the race the next day. I’m more likely to watch it or practice might remind me that I need to watch the race.”

He continued explaining, “I’m just saying, I believe that practice on television, you know, a good 45 to 45 minutes to an hour dedicated every single week for every series would benefit our viewership on race day. It would benefit fan engagement across the board, whether it’s in person or on TV or you know, people tuning in.“ According to him, practice acts like window shopping—it showcases the sport and builds storylines.

He also referenced the All-Star race at North Wilkesboro as an example, questioning why NASCAR can’t add another 30-45 minutes to the practice time. While the practice sessions there got him hyped for the rest of the weekend, it seems the race itself didn’t quite live up to his expectations.

The Xfinity team owner did not enjoy the NWB All-Star race

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It’s pretty ironic that Dale Earnhardt Jr, who, along with SMI CEO Marcus Smith, was instrumental in bringing the North Wilkesboro Speedway back to the NASCAR lineup for the first time since 1996, didn’t find the All-Star race as thrilling as expected.

He took to Twitter to express his thoughts, posting, “Fun race to watch. Had its moments. Definitely wanted more of a battle up front. BUT! This @NWBSpeedway track is awesome with the repave. Need a full field of cars on it to stifle the leader with lap traffic. Maybe one day it’ll get that points race.”

Despite the race’s lackluster moments, it ended up being quite the spectacle thanks to the fistfight between Kyle Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr Wouldn’t you say that added a bit of unexpected excitement?