NASCAR needs to roll up its sleeves to overcome this debacle. Dial back six months and you will see a thrilling phenomenon gripping NASCAR – the spring race in Bristol. The 0.533-mile track ate away Goodyear’s tires like food as drivers blew out their wheels 40 laps in. NASCAR released a fresh set of tires, and both drivers and fans enjoyed an intense tire management race. However, that recipe for success seems to be lost, and Dale Earnhardt Jr is concerned.

NASCAR and Goodyear put their heads together but with little success. The All-Star race was a snoozer, and both Richmond and Watkins Glen showed little to no falloff. And Bristol, the site of the Spring spectacle, displayed a 360-degree polar opposite result during the Fall – and Dale Jr issues an ominous warning to Marcus Smith, owner of the track.

Dale Earnhardt Jr is worried about Bristol

58 lead changes and 8 lead changes – fans’ hopes were obviously dashed at the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. After NASCAR injected resin into the Bristol track, officials realized by practice day that the spring phenomenon was out of hand. So they added PJ1 as a last-ditch attempt – but the results were “baffling.” Kyle Larson ended up leading 462 of 500 laps, and fans spoiled Jeff Gluck’s poll with a widespread dissatisfied opinion. The Hendrick driver even engaged in a feisty battle with fans, but Dale Earnhardt Jr believes the problem is still concerning.

In a recent episode of The Dale Jr Download, Dale Earnhardt Jr suggested some changes. “It is possible for them to consider going to a narrow tire…You wouldn’t have to change anything, I believe, in terms of brakes and so forth for clearance and all of those things.” He added, “NASCAR could run a treaded tire that basically goes on the same wheel you have today. It would just have less rubber on the track…would be a grooved tire. But that presents problems with possibly chunking and the tire coming apart.” 

Ultimately, Dale Earnhardt Jr threw his hands up in despair, as his points are probably nothing new. “I’m sure this has all already been discussed. We’re not sitting here and saying anything that NASCAR and Goodyear have not already contemplated.” The 27.2% favorable poll worried Junior as he warned Speedway Motorsports CEO Marcus Smith. “But gosh, I implore that they may do something soon…if they might have an idea and then what direction we may go…If we have more of this, how’s Marcus going to get people to come buy tickets next year after this?”

But even as the Bristol Cup Series race was boring for fans, the Xfinity race was definitely not for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Junior faced an exhilarating adventure

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The basic aspect of the breathtaking Spring race in Bristol was an endless slew of challenges. At every turn, every lap of the race, drivers had to tackle unexpected tire hurdles. The Fall race could not experience even a fraction of that. But Dale Earnhardt Jr faced his own slew of obstacles at the Bristol Xfinity race. The 300-lap event threw every kind of challenge possible – ongoing radio issues, a helmet swap and changing wire harness, and also missing glasses. But Dale Jr weathered those storms with a bright smile – “I loved every lap. It was great.”

Dale Jr recalled the pressing issues post-race: “We had a radio harness or something went out under the pace laps and didn’t have a radio for about 50 laps. Swapped out the earplugs, still didn’t work. Swapped out the helmet, still didn’t work. So probably ran about 120 laps without really much communication with TJ. And finally, they stuck a radio with a short harness in it and a button I could clip to my chest, and I could hear them and talk back under caution, but it worked out, and we didn’t lose any lap or anything.” But he significantly added about his final race: “I got everything I wanted out of this, and I’ll miss it next year.” 

Evidently, Dale Earnhardt Jr experienced that which most Cup Series drivers missed at the Bristol Cup race. Let us wait and see if NASCAR or Goodyear does something to resolve fans’ complaints.