Dale Earnhardt Jr. takes issue with NASCAR over extended caution at end of Stage 1 at Chicago

Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared his thoughts on NASCAR having an extended caution at the end of the first stage of the Chicago Street Race. On the latest episode of Dale Jr. Download, Earnhardt didn’t like it because it slowed down the race.

“I got up. I was like I’m just gonna get up and do something because it’s going to be 15 damn minutes before the next stage starts,” Earnhardt said. “You don’t like that. You don’t want people getting up off the couch, or even worse changing the channel. That’s a big problem. I don’t know if I loved that idea. Why wouldn’t you just go ahead and get them back to green, even if it’s for a lap?”

Earnhardt then suggested why couldn’t NASCAR throw the stage caution with four laps remaining and end the stage right there.

“That is okay with me because you allow the stage break to eat into the next stage. We do,” he said. “We start the next stage two or three laps, four laps into it. If you’re okay with allowing a stage break to eat away laps of the next stage, then why wouldn’t you have a problem with saying ‘Hey cautions out, three to go before the stage end. Let’s just call it the stage end now start the process to able to get the next stage started.”

One of the other things Earnhardt touched on when it comes to the Chicago Street Race is Bubba Wallace hitting Alex Bowman. The incident happened after Bowman won the race and the drivers were in their cooldown lap. Wallace hit Bowman because Bowman unintentionally hit Wallace early in the race and prevented him from potentially winning.

“After the race, I’m OK if Bubba goes up there and hits the 48,” Earnhardt Jr. said on Dale Jr. Download. “And I’m OK if somebody goes after Chase (Elliott) or Chase goes after somebody. And if they want to fine them, that’s fine. I don’t care. I don’t think the drivers mind too much. Five, $10, $15 grand.

“Don’t take points away. Don’t truly deter this, because this s*** is what racing’s about.”

Ultimately, Wallace was fined $50,000 for the hit, but no driver points were taken away from him.