NASCAR is currently celebrating its 75th anniversary and it has evolved a lot since its inaugural year. However, there are some aspects of modern NASCAR that are left to be desired. As a matter of fact, the sport has recently been on the receiving end of a lot of criticism. Among the chief critics, especially after the Martinsville race, was the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, Denny Hamlin, who talked about the lack of passing as a big cause of concern.
Later on, he received support from several other prominent personalities, including the likes of Clint Bowyer. Now, Chase Elliott is the latest driver to come out in support of his concerns. Recently, the #9 driver appeared in a podcast along with country music singer Eric Church.
Elliott mentioned on the Lunch with Lindsay podcast, “Some of the stuff, I like, some of the stuff, I don’t like. I told a lot of people, I appreciate their willingness to try new things. But I think one issue you might run into with NASCAR, some of the stuff that doesn’t work. You’re going to have to look into a mirror and say, ‘Hey, this wasn’t good.’
ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad
“What scares me about some of those changes being made, is they’re not going to be able to look in a mirror and say, ‘This wasn’t good. We need to maybe do this a little differently or go back here or there.’ No, to say they’re all bad, because I think some of them can be positive too. So I appreciate their willingness to try new things. Some of the things, I support, some of the things, I don’t.”
ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad
What exactly did Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin have problems with?
Honestly speaking, the #9 Hendrick Motorsports driver was being very diplomatic and cagey in his answers. According to him, there are things that didn’t really work out, while other things did. However, he refused to elaborate on what exactly NASCAR was missing out on. However, Hamlin had no such reservations and highlighted what he felt was the crux of the problem. The JGR driver highlighted the lack of overtaking as the big problem.
via Imago NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Truck Series Qualifying Feb 17, 2023 Daytona Beach, Florida, USA NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Chase Elliott during qualifying at Daytona International Speedway. Daytona Beach Daytona International Speedway Florida USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMarkxJ.xRebilasx 20230217_mjr_su5_014
The #11 driver admitted that this problem was quite prevalent at short tracks. Apparently, the Martinsville Speedway was the biggest offender and where the problem was laid bare. Meanwhile, Bowyer slammed the short-track package and labeled it as unacceptable.
ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad
WATCH THIS STORY: Recent Chase Elliott Injury Update Leads Fans to Anticipate the Hendrick Motorsports Star’s Return at Legendary NASCAR Race