“Not in [NASCAR’s] Best Interest to Bring the Race Back” – Dale Earnhardt Jr Delivers Bad News to Fans as He Declares the End of a 4th of July Tradition

While the country celebrated the birth of the “Land of the free, home of the brave,” nostalgic NASCAR fans remembered the 4th of July weekend’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 (formerly Pepsi 400) race in Daytona. Traditionally held during the Independence Day weekend, the race was moved to August in 2020, much to fans’ dismay. 

Though several fans wanted the race to return back to its original schedule, it does not seem likely. Dale Earnhardt Jr recently revealed that NASCAR’s Fourth of July tradition at the Daytona International Speedway may never come back.

NASCAR’s long-standing 4th of July Daytona tradition 

The Daytona International Speedway has been home to NASCAR’s famed Daytona 500 race ever since its inception in 1959. NASCAR paddock then used to visit Daytona during the 4th of July weekend for the Pepsi 400 race, renamed the Coke Zero Sugar 400 after the Coca-Cola Company bagged the sponsorship rights in 2008.

While NASCAR races are usually run during the weekends, the Coke Zero Sugar 400 used to take place on the 4th of July, irrespective of the day. Starting at 10 a.m. sharp, NASCAR’s tradition to celebrate the 4th of July went on from 1959 to 2019. Much has changed since.

In 2020, NASCAR announced that the race would be moved to August, where it now serves as the final race of the Cup Series regular season. Come 2023, it doesn’t seem like the organization or the city is willing to bring back the 4th of July celebrations to Daytona, and Dale Earnhardt Jr gives the reason why. 

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Dale Earnhardt Jr delivers the bad news 

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Often called the Pied Piper of Daytona, Dale Jr delivered the sad news to fans during a recent episode of The Dale Jr. Download podcast. “Since the race has been moved off of this big holiday, do you think that anybody in Daytona, that they now have two events on the calendar, want to weld them back together?” asked Dale Jr to co-host, Mike Davis.

Answering his own question, Junior added, “They don’t need NASCAR there in July on the 4th to fill up hotel rooms. The July 4th holiday alone does that… When NASCAR comes to town they fill their hotel rooms up again. So, I know that we all will have that nostalgia towards Daytona being that July 4th weekend; I just don’t ever see that coming back.”  Davis then reconfirmed again.

On this revelation, Mike Davis asked, “What you’re saying is they [NASCAR] don’t even want it?”

“I don’t think they do. That’s probably not in their best interest to bring the race back to that particular weekend, because man, they’ve got the best of both worlds now. They have NASCAR over here and then they have July 4th over here, two great weekends that bring in a lot of money for the city,” Junior answered, imparting a bit of practical wisdom. However, from the perspective of long-time followers of the sport, the monetary benefits pale in comparison to the bustling tradition that was a part of NASCAR’s identity. 

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