The early 2000s saw some of the best superspeedway racing, especially when Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) ruled the restrictor plate tracks. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip were two drivers who were experts at pack racing, employing slingshot passes and coordination to command the races. Fuel strategy was important back then, but it didn’t control the whole race.

It’s no secret that NASCAR enthusiasts adore high-octane, door-to-door racing. That excitement of side-by-side action, courageous passes, and those final-lap showdowns is what makes superspeedway races like the legendary Daytona 500. But what happens when all those things take a backseat to fuel conservation? In the eyes of many fans, it becomes a glorified road trip where drivers are simply trying to get to the next gas station.

This year’s Daytona 500 was just another installment in what has been an unpopular trend at superspeedways—fuel conservation strategy. Rather than pushing their vehicles to their limits, drivers were lifting their feet off the gas and taking the long approach. While fuel mileage races were not new, their frequency being more and more common has brought back nostalgia to many long-time fans for when drafting wars and horsepower dominated the track.

Step in NASCAR’s young gun, Carson Hocevar, and driver not afraid to voice his opinion—or post a meme. Following the Daytona 500, he turned to social media to have a laugh at the situation, sharing a meme that made fans frustrated across the globe laugh. The meme, the classic Office Space traffic jam scene—in which the walker-wielding elderly man passes the stranded cars—captured the shared feeling of the NASCAR universe: “This is not racing!” And voilà! Fans had a blast in the comments, expressing their opinions about what many view as an essential issue in contemporary superspeedway racing.

Fuel-conserving strategy is not new to NASCAR. From Richard Petty‘s era to the present, teams have dipped into the mileage game when needed. But there is a thin line between a good strategy and a race where drivers spend more time dancing with the accelerator than racing. For most fans, the latter has become too frequent.

Conversely, modern-day pack racing—though generating as exciting moments as ever—now is a precarious balancing act. Drivers spend their time weighing the risk of racing hard against the need to conserve fuel. And when the second becomes the choice, spectators get the impression that they are observing another sport altogether.

With more and more fans voicing their displeasure, NASCAR will undoubtedly have to evaluate its current superspeedway package. Could tweaks to the aero rules or fuel tank capacities make a difference? Would allowing drivers to push harder without worrying about running out of gas bring back the excitement of the early 2000s? These are questions that NASCAR officials will need to address moving forward.

Frustration, nostalgia, and a bit of humor

After Hocevar’s meme gained steam, the comments were flooded with their opinions regarding the health of superspeedway racing. They were frustrated, they were sentimental, and some just wanted to laugh at how ridiculous it was.

“NASCAR needs to get these packs separated to put a stop to this foolishness. Some of the best SS racing was done back in the early 2000s. I wish we could return to that place.” It’s a feeling that many long-time fans can agree on. The early 2000s have been deemed by many as the golden era of superspeedway racing, with multi-car drafts dominating the race track and slingshot passes being the norm. The field was close but not too close that drivers couldn’t pass. Fans are nostalgic for the days when drivers had more influence over their destinies instead of being trapped in a pack with no way out unless the draft allowed it.

Fuel strategy has been a part of racing forever, but when it becomes the story, it drains the excitement from the event. NASCAR has always boasted that it is the anti-Formula 1—where tire management and fuel saving determine race winners—but recently, fans feel like the two are meeting in a way that isn’t fun. “Fuel saving is trash. If I want to sleep watching a fuel savings race. I’ll watch an F1 race. FOH with that rubbish.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and DEI’s dominance at superspeedways remains legendary. “They need to get a package like the early 2000s when DEI was winning cheeks every plate race. They only raised to keep from causing a wreck.” a fan pointed. The ability to control a draft, pull away from the field, and execute passes without the fear of running out of fuel made for edge-of-your-seat racing. Many fans believe NASCAR should look at the aerodynamic and engine packages from that era to bring back the same intensity.

Three-time Daytona 500 champion Denny Hamlin noted the haphazard course of the event, but there were plenty who reminded him fuel strategy was also a major contributor. When there is always attempting to pace one’s self in lieu of truly racing, crazy movements and instability in the pack are the natural result. “And Denny Hamlin wondered why everyone was bouncing lanes.”

All fans can do for the time being is smile—and Carson Hocevar’s meme allowed them to do just that. But beneath the humor is an earnest argument for the future of superspeedway racing. Will NASCAR pay attention? Only time will tell. But one thing’s certain—fans are eager to watch their favorite drivers stop concerning themselves with fuel mileage and begin concentrating on what they do best: racing.