After the Martinsville fiasco, questions are arising about NASCAR’s OEMs. How far will a driver go to appease their manufacturer? Apparently, a long way, as three drivers axed their own pace just to wave their OEM banner in the Cup Series playoffs. Bubba Wallace lowered his speed, citing a loose tire, and let Christopher Bell ride the wall. Then Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain formed a ‘rolling roadblock’ behind William Byron. Yet this spectacle has another origin, as Dale Earnhardt Jr said.

The unique nature of drafting tracks compels drivers to collaborate. Driving at almost 200 mph and managing the aerodynamic nitty-gritty requires expertise, which teammates share. According to Dale Earnhardt Jr, the need to collaborate on superspeedways has filtered into other tracks like Martinsville – and he is not happy about it.

Dale Earnhardt Jr opposes teamwork

Over two decades ago, Dale Earnhardt Sr was regarded as the king of restrictor plate racing on superspeedways like Daytona and Talladega. He could predict circumstances, anticipate and react to momentum, and drive with an instinctive authority. Yet he also despised this form of racing – he called for a return to higher speeds and an end to the processional racing they have caused. Similarly, Dale Earnhardt Jr also believes superspeedway racing has caused ‘tandem racing’ – where one driver sacrifices his ambition to push his teammate to the victory. And that is what we saw in Martinsville.

In an episode of the Dale Jr Download, Dale Earnhardt Jr cited a quote by 23-time Cup winner Jeff Burton to explain his point. “Jeff Burton said, ‘Don’t help me unless it helps you.’ Back when I raced, that was the code of ethics at Talladega and Daytona…If I saw a teammate and I knew they needed my help but he was gonna hurt me, I didn’t help him.” Dale Jr continued he differed from his teammates in this ideology. “I have tried forever to help my Hendrick teammates understand my mentality, ’cause they were all about ‘We’re gonna help each other, even if it hurts you…’ And I’m like, Uhh, I don’t know. That’s not how I’m gonna win this race, that’s how you’re gonna win this race.”

This excessive power of the OEMs over their drivers is what wrought the Chevy and Toyota race manipulation last Sunday. Dale Earnhardt Jr continued, “That’s where it probably began, at Daytona or Talladega – where the manufacturers were getting teams and drivers in rooms and saying, ‘Hey man, we really expect all y’all to know what you’re driving and who you need to be helping…We’re all gonna do these things that are gonna give a Chevrolet or Toyota or Ford the best opportunity to win.’ It ruined my enjoyment of restrictor plate racing at Daytona and Talladega. It was still interesting to watch, but it wasn’t as good when I knew they were all individually out to get each other and win this race…That’s why I never loved tandem racing.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is not alone in disliking teamwork on the racetrack.

Irony in one of the biggest scandals in NASCAR

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23XI Racing, Richard Childress Racing, and Trackhouse Racing received hefty $200,000 penalties for Martinsville. However, the race manipulation that helped Christopher Bell and William Byron has a bigger precedent. In 2013, NASCAR slapped a record $300,000 fine on Michael Waltrip Racing for a similar incident. Clint Bowyer, on instruction from his crew chief Brian Pattie, intentionally spun with 10 laps left in a Richmond race.

The caution that resulted vaulted his teammate Martin Truex Jr. into the playoffs. Not only did the team incur a financial penalty, but also lost its primary sponsor, NAPA Auto Parts, along with other smaller sponsors. Yet the team owner, Michael Waltrip, publicly professed his dislike of tandem racing just like Dale Earnhardt Jr. Back in 2012, Waltrip asked Bowyer if he liked this style of racing. His driver said yes, as it gives him something to do for 500 miles at the Daytona 500.

“Well, he’s young,” Waltrip said. “Don’t listen to him.” Even Jeff Burton liked ‘Dancing with the Cars’ as it was known then because it was safer and less likely to create the so-called Big One. However, Waltrip scoffed at Burton as well, “He’s old. Don’t ask him.” The two-time Daytona 500 winner wanted a return to the pack racing that made the show at both tracks unique and popular. Yet ironically in just a year, his team crashed due to the style of racing he disliked.

Tandem racing or racing just to help your teammates is still on the NASCAR table. The officials did not take kindly to the Martinsville incident – and hopefully, drivers will not repeat the same.