The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship race in Phoenix on Friday night was a wild spectacle. The race was marred by frequent cautions, aggressive re-starts, on-track retribution, extra laps, and a series of high-action moments. The high-action drama that went into overtime left many in the NASCAR community shaking their heads. Dale Earnhardt Jr, owner and part-time driver of JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series, shared his thoughts on the chaos that transpired on the racetrack and how he expects his drivers to race.

In what can only be described as a “wreck fest,” the Truck series race went into overtime, with drivers seemingly unable to navigate the track cleanly during the closing moments. Each restart brought a new set of incidents, as competitors jostled for position, often leading to accidents.

Dale Earnhardt Jr wants his drivers to be more sensible than the truck guys

Corey Heim appeared to be the strongest contender among the Championship 4. But an incident with Carson Hocevar derailed his title aspirations. Heim was on his way to a provisional championship position when Hocevar sent him spinning into Stewart Friesen. While Heim didn’t sustain major damage, he lost valuable ground on the pit road, putting him at a disadvantage against his title competitors.

The aggressiveness on display was at an all-time high. And so, naturally, after the race concluded, many voices in the NASCAR community expressed their frustration. They criticized the drivers for their on-track behavior and the chaotic nature of the race.

Dale Earnhardt Jr, the NASCAR legend and car owner, shared his candid thoughts on the disaster that unfolded on the track. His words were more of a caution for his own drivers as he explained, “I don’t care what they do as long as one of them wins. It’s when you do things to each other on the racetrack and nobody wins that’s kinda difficult to understand and difficult to explain away. So give each other a shot, but as long as one of them comes back and can take the trophy back to JR Motorsports, that would be our preference.”

He also emphasized the mentorship provided by Justin Allgaier, who has been guiding young driver Sam Mayer. Earnhardt Jr. expressed his optimism but acknowledged the unpredictable nature of the championship race. “You know, and so, I feel pretty good about it, but I mean, it could go south. There’s no guarantee that everything works out in your favor and you wanna go away from this championship car owner. But, you don’t know, we just might get outrun. There’s some really really incredible cars and teams in this final 4.”

“I think we can put great race cars on the racetrack. I think we got 2 really racecar drivers and I feel lucky to have more than 1 car. Man, it’s nice, but they don’t guarantee you anything. We had 3 last year and didn’t get it done, which was very, very disappointing, borderline embarrassing,” he concluded.

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However, Dale Earnhardt Jr wasn’t the only figure concerned with the quality of racing and the lack of respect on the racetrack.

Martin Truex Jr also called out Truck drivers for their childlike behavior

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2017 Cup champion Martin Truex Jr. also voiced his strong disapproval of the events that unfolded on the Phoenix track. Truex Jr. minced no words in his criticism of the Truck Series drivers, describing their actions as far from professional auto racing. When asked about the race, he bluntly stated, “That is not professional auto racing. It’s a joke. They need to fix it.”

The JGR driver further elaborated, suggesting that the drivers needed to stop wrecking each other during races, especially when competing for a championship. He criticized the aggressive driving style and incidents that arose from various issues, including drivers’ missing shifts.

In a scathing comment, Truex Jr. likened the driving approach in the Truck Series to “a bunch of kids that never had to pay anything or fix anything that they drove in their entire life.” He concluded that such an approach isn’t suitable for professional racing.

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The criticism from both Earnhardt Jr. and Truex Jr. highlights the importance of maintaining professionalism and sportsmanship in NASCAR. The chaos in the Truck Series race serves as a reminder that there’s a fine line between intense competition and unacceptable on-track behavior.