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Debate

Is Dale Jr.'s shocking verdict on Bristol's MLB dream a sign of bigger changes in NASCAR?

In the first week of April, Denny Hamlin and Marcus Smith started an online feud that the fans will remember for a long time. Marcus Smith, known to be the CEO of Speedway Motorsports and the co-owner of 23XI Racing, went back and forth on X when a picture of a flaw at the repaved North Wilkesboro surfaced online. Denny Hamlin called out Speedway Motorsports for the pothole on the track and Smith decided to get personal.

Now let’s talk about Bristol, as the sports world got an update stating that an MLB match will take place at the Motor Speedway. Many fans are excited to see a diamond ring set up for the Reds and the Braves to go head-to-head next August. Discussions about the event even reached the Dale Jr podcast as he sat down for a round of #askjr. In this segment, Dale Earnhardt Jr. responds to his fans’ questions, and interestingly enough, the topic of next year’s Bristol match came up. So what does the feud between Denny Hamlin and Marcus Smith have to do with this? Let’s dive in.

Dale Jr.’s take on the MLB match at the Bristol Motor Speedway

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During an episode of Ask Jr., Dale Jr. was asked many questions about what went down at Richmond, but bringing in a breath of fresh air, one fan asked, “What are your thoughts on the MLB game that’s going to be happening at Bristol?” To that question, the Kannapolis native calmly responded, “Great, good. It’s cool, yeah. Cool.”

While the initial answer was rather vague, a co-host from Dirty Mo Media asked Dale Jr., “Like, would you have ever expected a baseball game at Bristol?” To this, the former NASCAR driver calmly replied, saying, “I don’t know; they had a football game there, yeah, so not too much of a stretch.” Although this question broke the cycle of talking about Austin Dillon’s controversial win at Richmond, Jr. did not seem too interested in the upcoming game.

When another co-host jumped in to say, “But I think the interesting thing was that Jordan Bianchi said that it could possibly be the most attended baseball game of all time, right, because it’s such a big stadium,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. stated, “Look, I’m excited for Marcus and his team. I’m excited for Bristol. I’m happy for them, and you know, whatever gets us closer to putting asphalt down on that racetrack, in my mind, this is a step forward toward that direction, right?”

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The Bristol track, being a speedway, comes under Marcus Smith, and despite receiving several complaints about North Wilkesboro, Dale Jr. believes that it will be a sight to see. Although the former NASCAR driver holds Smith’s work in high regard, he finally expressed his disinterest, saying, “I won’t go.” Dale Jr. might have a legitimate reason for his reaction to next year’s Bristol match, but that was not revealed during the live session.

What’s your perspective on:

Is Dale Jr.'s shocking verdict on Bristol's MLB dream a sign of bigger changes in NASCAR?

Have an interesting take?

That aside, hopefully Marcus Smith manages to pull off an impeccable job at the Motor Speedway, so Denny Hamlin would have a reason to complain on Twitter, continuing the feud over which he has already been buried.

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What exactly happened between Denny Hamlin and Marcus Smith in April?

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In April, after an image of the North Wilkesboro track’s pothole surfaced on X, Denny Hamlin made a bold statement, calling out Marcus Smith for the job done under his supervision. Hamlin made a repost of the pothole image and captioned it, “When paving on a budget goes wrong, (North Wilkesboro) will be next.” Obviously, Smith did not favor this statement, as he was quick to respond and took it up a notch. The Speedway Motorsports CEO replied to Hamlin’s post in the comments, saying, “This is a great post from somebody who doesn’t know all the information. Ignorance is on display for the world to see!”

USA Today via Reuters

The argument between the two continued as things got personal, as Hamlin was attacked for not having any championships and Smith was put under the gun for “blowing” what his dad gave him. Things started settling down the next morning when Smith deleted all the comments and made a post saying that he shouldn’t have let the argument get personal. Hamlin agreed on this, and the two decided to bury the hatchet.

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That being said, are you excited to see what Marcus Smith will pull off at the Bristol Motor Speedway in 2025? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.