“You’re Gonna Be Miserable”: Dale Jr Discloses Harsh Reality of the Cup Series Dream, Urging Drivers to ‘Be Happier’

Competing in the NASCAR Cup Series is the ultimate goal for any budding race car driver. The Craftsman Truck and the Xfinity Series serve as breeding grounds for the talents to hone their skills and then make the big jump to Cup racing. However, reaching the pinnacle of NASCAR racing is one thing, and being successful is a whole different story.

Not every driver who makes it to the premier series of stock car racing is successful, as the competition is just cutthroat. There are emerging talents like Carson Kvapil, Connor Zilisch, and Corey Heim, all of whom are touted to be the next big stars in NASCAR racing.

Well aware of the fact that they could end up in the Cup Series, Dale Earnhardt Jr shared a valuable insight. One that could help the young talented drivers a sound career call. He also explained the trade-offs of competing at the highest level with a mid-pack team. That could dampen the spirits of a good race car driver.

Winning in the Xfinity and Trucks is better than struggling in the Cup Series, says Dale Jr

Now there are multiple examples of drivers who made the jump from Xfinity to Cup level in hopes of fulfilling that dream. Ryan Preece from SHR is one of the drivers who made that seismic jump. After running just a single season with JD Motorsports, Preece landed at JTG Daugherty Racing, not a championship contender team but good enough to fulfill the driver’s dream move.

But from a competitive perspective, the driver wasn’t able to hit the markers, not even with Stewart Haas Racing. He’s only gotten a handful of good results in some 159 Cup starts; to top it all, he’s not won a single race. The prospect of racing in the Cup Series will always attract drivers from the lower series, but that won’t necessarily deliver the fruits of happiness and fulfillment.

Addressing the scenario, Dale Earnhardt Jr chimed in with his wisdom, stating, “You’re happier, God! You want to be happy in life. You know, racing in the trucks and winning in the trucks and winning in the Xfinity Series, you’re gonna be much happier in general over the course of the year than being miserable, floundering, and struggling in the Cup Series.” He said this via the Dale Jr Download.

He further agreed with the comments made by Hamlin on his podcast show of how winning in the Xfinity and Trucks is better than being at the rear end of the field at the Cup level. “I believe it’s better to win in Truck, win in Xfinity than to drive in the back of the Cup Series. Yes, I agree with that. Go to the Cup Series and run in the back; you’re gonna be miserable. It’s kind of like getting in a job where there’s almost no way to be promoted.”

Even for those who have raced in the Cup Series, competing in the Xfinity Series should not be looked down upon. Especially if those drivers are back competing for wins and championships.

Cole Custer and AJ Allmendinger found new gear running in the Xfinity Series

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Just like Dale Earnhardt Jr suggested, race car drivers would rather be happy competing in a series for wins than run miserably in the Cup Series. Both Cole Custer and AJ Allmendinger had their fair share of Cup experience. Kaulig Racing did guide Allmendinger to two Cup victories, but apart from that, he had just been a mid-pack driver his entire career. Looking back at his run in the Xfinity Series from the 2021 and 2022 seasons, it was evident he found more joy in racing at this level. And now he solely focuses on Xfinity races with a few Cup series races here and there.

Custer has essentially laid a blueprint for others to follow. After running three seasons with SHR and struggling to compete for wins, he returned to the Xfinity Series, where he had done well in the past. During the 2023 season, he won the Xfinity Series championship for the first time and is still going strong in 2024. Not only that but by competing in these lower series, the drivers do get an opportunity to lock horns with the so-called future talents of the sport.

Not to forget, the likes of Shane van Gisbergen, Austin Hill, and Cole Custer are all linked with a move to the Cup Series. So, getting a winning run in the Xfinity Series opens the door for a solid racing project. Which is a better prospect than settling for a full-time run with a mediocre team.