Published 02/13/2023, 12:10 PM EST
Despite him retiring a few years ago now, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is still very much involved in NASCAR and the affairs within the sport in the good, the bad, and the ugly. Now, the safety issues that arose in the Next Gen car in 2022 were a big concern for everyone in the past season, with many drivers losing their temper and criticizing NASCAR publicly.
But Junior has always maintained his belief in NASCAR for improving the car while also keeping them on their toes with his criticism.
This was once again on display after Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace shed the spotlight back on the concerns with the Next Gen car after the Clash at the Coliseum.
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. has some advice for drivers protesting against NASCAR
Speaking in a recent episode of his podcast show, Dale Jr. opened up on the fine line racecar drivers have to walk between accepting the reality while working for a better one.
“Drivers are always going to be in some element of danger driving racecars. Drivers should never be satisfied with the situation they’re in. They should always be outspoken about with any concerns they have, such as Denny (Hamlin) and Bubba Wallace post the Clash,” Junior said. “They need to talk, they need to hold everybody accountable.”
Having said that, Earnhardt also claimed that he knows “NASCAR is still in the process of understanding where gains can be made.”
“Now we also got to know, yes we need to be on a quest of safety all the time but we also have to accept the idea that this is terribly dangerous and there will never be a fully 100% safe alternative other than just not getting in the car at all,” he continued. “Is this car rigid in the area? Yes. Will NASCAR try to identify and find solutions to that? Yes.”
“Is it slow? Yes.”
DOVER, DE – SEPTEMBER 29: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet, stands in the garage area during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Apache Warrior 400 presented by Lucas Oil at Dover International Speedway on September 29, 2017 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
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Junior thinks NASCAR working to make things better is “a process”
Dale Jr. emphasized that NASCAR has to work in a way where, while trying to solve one issue, they don’t create any new ones. He admitted that the whole thing is going slower than what was expected, but he remains optimistic that it will be solved.
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“I do have confidence that there’s a lot of loud conversations about it midway through the 2022 season,” he claimed. “Drivers rightfully angered and pushing NASCAR to get some momentum.”
Feb 5, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr. (19) and NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch (8) lead the field for a restart during the NASCAR Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports
Earnhardt Jr. said now there is the momentum everyone wanted NASCAR to have, and now they’re “trying to do everything they can.” But still, it’ll take time, as all things do.
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“It’s a process,” he added.