Dale Earnhardt Jr. dishes on lessons NASCAR can learn from Formula 1
This weekend, NASCAR takes a unique turn when it heads to the Windy City for the Chicago Street Race. It’s one of the first of its kind for the sport and Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes it’s the way of the future.
Earnhardt joined the Dan Patrick Show to talk about Sunday’s unique Cup Series event. He believes the model set forth by Formula 1 and IndyCar related to street racing can be incorporated into NASCAR.
“I think that racing in the streets of some of the bigger cities in the country is a new chapter for NASCAR. I expect it to be highly successful,” Earnhardt said. “You’re limited on where you can go, what cities and what areas would embrace it and where it could function properly.
“There’s also great examples of that in F1 and also in IndyCar. … So, there’s lots of places for NASCAR to look for examples of success and leadership on how to pull this off.”
Earnhardt explained what makes the concept of street races so unique, as well.
“We raced out in Joliet (Chicagoland Speedway) because we can’t build an oval right next to the city,” he said. “So, our racetracks — for example, Atlanta is not even near Atlanta. It’s 30 to 45 minutes outside Atlanta. All of our big tracks are connected to these dense populated areas, but they’re 20 minutes to an hour outside the city.
“This is a great opportunity to put the product right in the middle of the city. Right in the heart of the city.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. discusses NASCAR’s talent level
When he was behind the wheel, Earnhardt was one of the most popular drivers in NASCAR. His talent on the track mixed with his unique personality was something many fans got behind.
Earnhardt opted for early retirement and now focuses on the broadcast realm. Every now and then, he’ll grab the steering for a race, but only occasionally.
During his appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, the retired driver was asked how he’d fare if he started driving again. He provided an honest answer.
“I probably wouldn’t do that great,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “I say this often and it’s the only way I can really articulate it. Racing in the Xfinity, Truck level or the NASCAR Cup level — these guys do it every single week. They live it every day. They’re in the simulator every day preparing all week long, they’re in meetings every day. For somebody even like me with two decades of experience — to not have raced in a year or more — to hop in one of these cars, you would be humbled quickly.
“They’re in that cycle week after week after week. They’re doing it over and over and over, and they know how to get that car all the way to the limit of the grip of the tire. Right up to the moment where that tire is about to break traction. For me to hop in there after not being in the car for a year, to find that limit is really really hard. And I would rarely get up to that limit.”