Last weekend’s race at Talladega was one of the most risky bridges to be crossed by drivers on their road to Phoenix. Known for its high-speed chases and devastating wrecks, the 54-year-old Superspeedway has claimed the hopes of many through the years. The 2023 YellaWood 500 was not an exception. With Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney emerging as an unexpected winner, most of the other playoff drivers were left to wait for another week for their round of 8 tickets. But fortunately, the day did not see much metal or fire bringing physical harm to any of them.

When things rounded off at the end of the 188 laps, fans were satisfied with the show that the track put on for them despite the lack of violent action. But as has become a regular habit of his, former racer Kyle Petty has voiced opinions that go against the tide.

Kyle Petty believes that the 2023 Yellawood 500 was one of the dullest races he has seen

The former racer and son of Richard “King” Petty, Kyle Petty, was one of the most promising drivers of his time. After retiring from behind the wheel in 2008, he went on to be a NASCAR analyst and racing commentator for multiple broadcasters. Today, he can often be found on pre and post-race coverages on NBC. It was on one of these coverages that Petty disclosed his opinion about the latest Talladega race. Appearing on “Motorsports on NBC”, the veteran sat down with reporter Nate Ryan to discuss Ryan Blaney’s win.

Getting deep into the conversation, the veteran expressed that there was a lot of hype surrounding the race, but the day did not live up to it.

He said, “I thought to myself you know we have hyped and hyped and hyped and hyped and this didn’t live up to any of the hype. This was not a hype that… There was nothing there. This race was maybe one of the plainest just watching paint dry, the dullest Talladega races I’ve ever seen.” One of the main reasons that Petty had for this claim was that drivers each had their own agendas on the day and all they wanted to do was to maximize stage points.

Petty has always been known for his stark opinions and harsh criticisms, arguably more so than for his achievements on the track. But that doesn’t make his opinions to be invalid or untrue. More often than not, his thoughts have hoarded up a lot of support. However, this might not just not be one such occasion, as dictated by the results of a poll on reporter Jeff Gluck’s “X” handle.

Watch Story: Kyle Petty Highlights a Figure Who Faces Greater Challenges Than Bubba Wallace

Regardless of the NASCAR veteran’s opinions, fans appear to have enjoyed the Talladega weekend

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The race at Talladega was the 2nd outing of the 2023 playoff’s second stage. As the 188-lap race progressed through the stages, everyone anticipated that some nudge or push in the high-speed pursuit would set off a chain of events and cause a big wreck. After all, that is what the track has led us to believe with its long history of crashes. And crashes did come eventually, but none as threatening as what we have been used to. With 70 lead changes and 24 different leaders, the race was as interesting as it gets in NASCAR, or at least, that is what the majority of the fans believe.

Answering a poll conducted by sports reporter Jeff Gluck, more than 80% of the participants answered “Yes” to a question that asked, “Was Talladega a good race?”

The comment section below reflected the results of the poll much more clearly. The mood of the majority was carried by a comment from one of the fans who’d said, “Yes, lots of movement and options made this one of the better Talladega races with the new car. That being said, maybe I am getting older and more reserved, but I am hating these wrecks at the end of like every race.” Constant wrecks and restarts halt the progress of the races, and many do appear to be getting tired of them. The fact that we got to see some uninterrupted fast racing in the longest oval might have found the right chord with the community.

A couple of other fans could not wrap their head around why anyone would vote “No”. They’d replied, “If people say no I’d like to see what their expectations for a race are. I’m not usually a big fan of plate racing in general but that was great.”, and, “For anybody that voted no I would like to know why? This was probably the best Gen7 race at Dega out of the others that have happened”. 

With many continuing to voice their thoughts that this year’s YellaWood 500 was easily one of the top 3 races of the season, Kyle Petty’s singular voice runs the risk of drowning quickly. However, if one knows Petty, it can be expected that the veteran will soon return with more opinions that go against those of the fans! Let us know your thoughts on the Talladega race below.

Read More: “What the F*** Does Kyle Petty Got to Do With This”: Feuding Fans Pick Sides as Ryan Blaney Edges Past NASCAR Veteran