It is safe to say that the NASCAR Cup Series finale at the Phoenix Raceway left much to be desired. To be precise, the race itself was not much to write home about as Joey Logano romped to a comfortable win. As it is, many felt that Logano did not deserve to win the title because he was not the best driver all season. Would the outcome have changed if the track was different?

Despite the flak it often gets, former Xfinity series champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. staunchly defended the 1-mile oval. During the Cup series finale in 2024, Ryan Blaney was one of the few bright sparks that kept the race interesting. Logano may have won the race, but Blaney hunted down his teammate, even though he started down in 17th place. The signs were there when he showed that he was competitive in practice. He could scythe his way up the pack, but once he reached Logano’s rear, he could not make a move.

The Phoenix Raceway has been the season finale since 2020, replacing Homestead-Miami. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have too many fans, many who wanted Homestead back as the finale. Though Dale Earnhardt Jr. made a surprising confession about the race track.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. chose to bat for Phoenix Raceway

For a long time, there have been complaints about the Next Gen car’s abilities on a 1-mile short track. Of course, the sport has not been idle and has been working hard to fix those issues. Admittedly, the Phoenix Raceway is a difficult track to master, as it is a short track with a few intermediate qualities. Nevertheless, Blaney is another driver who is fond of the track, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. agreed with him.

He admitted on his podcast, “Phoenix is going to be Phoenix. Sometimes you’re going to get great races there, sometimes not so amazing. Last year at Phoenix, I thought was great! The #1 car holding off the #12 for the championship in the Cup Series. It was entertaining to me. I was entertained. Not so much this year, and that’s okay. Sometimes you’re just going to have those. I’d rather everyone keep their hands out of it. Let it play out. If it ends up being a snooze fest, oh well… We have them sometimes.”

To sum up, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was of the opinion that not every race at the track has to be exciting. There will be times when there is edge-of-the-seat action, and other times people will be bored out of their minds. Dale Jr. cited the example of the 2023 finale, where Ryan Blaney hounded Ross Chastain for the race lead. Even though he lost out on the win, Blaney clinched the title. There is no winning in this kind of scenario. So what’s the solution to fixing this?

Interestingly, despite the Phoenix defense, the ex-Hendrick Motorsports star proposed his idea of a solution. According to him, the season finale should be rotated to different race tracks every year. Of course, he acknowledged that the Phoenix Raceway invested a lot into improving the race track. As a motorsport venue, it is actually a pretty good facility to have a good experience.

What endeared the Phoenix Raceway to him?

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What he liked about the track was that the facilities were spacious and accessible to the fans. “I gotta give Phoenix a lot of credit. They have put a ton of money into that racetrack, and it’s not a bad facility to go and have a good experience; there’s a lot of room in all the garage areas as a fan.” Dale Jr. even pointed out a certain feature of the venue, which his driver, Justin, checked out afterward. Once he realized that the facility was a bar, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was 100% sold. “Having a bar at a racetrack raises that [expletive] up the list for me”

He even pointed out a track like the Talladega Superspeedway, which is well-known for its infield party atmosphere. “We got Talladega right, one of the coolest party infield out there, it’s legendary.” However, Dale Jr. observed that the interior of the Talladega racetrack possessed a lot of unused space. As a result, he suggested that the venue should boast a building to act as a gathering town hall for the fans. Although it was clear he just wanted another bar at the racetrack, his co-host swiftly pointed it out as he mentioned the idea.

However, he did acknowledge that there is a risk of logistics, like the need for extra staffing, bouncers, and more. “I know it could be also problematic. You got, you know, a bunch of people in there drinking, and they’re, you know, been up all day“. According to Dale Jr., Talladega should take a page out of the Phoenix Raceway’s book, and so should other tracks. The veteran feels that more racetracks need to up the fan experience the way Phoenix has done, and the first thing on his list is definitely a bar, or as he would say, ‘town hall.’