
Dale Earnhardt Jr. shares take on NASCAR's new rule for rookie stripes
NASCAR will no longer require drivers to have rookie stripes on their race cars starting in 2025. Last week, it was reported that NASCAR would go away with the long-time tradition, and it seemed pretty surprising that it disappeared. The sport claimed they were "unnecessary," as "these are the highest levels of stock car racing."
Some people were confused and not in favor of NASCAR's rule change, including one of the sport's most popular drivers. Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared his opinion on NASCAR no longer requiring rookie stripes on his podcast, The Dale Jr. Download, and disagreed with the decision.
"It shook me up there for a second because it's such a cool tradition, and a lot of people are going, 'Well, it's not necessary now, the drivers, they kind of know who everybody is.' It's not for the drivers, it was for us," Earnhardt said. "It was for me and you. In like 1980, for example, when you went to the Daytona 500, there were probably 70 to 80 cars trying to qualify for the Daytona 500. Multiple, 20, 25 rookies, maybe. That is when it was necessary. It's kind of changed in terms of what purpose it served. But man, some traditions, what's wrong with them? That was just a thing that didn't have to go away."
Truthfully, Earnhardt is right. NASCAR didn't need to go away with the tradition, as it wasn't significant enough to warrant change. Sure, teams can still put rookie stripes on the cars, but not all will choose to do such a thing. Now, NASCAR will no longer have the long-time tradition of rookie stripes moving forward.
More:Kyle Larson's comments show two big flaws in NASCAR's playoff format

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
NASCAR Mexico City track breakdown: A look at the Cup Series' international circuit
¡Vamos! NASCAR brings its premier Cup Series south of the border this week for its first international points race since 1958, as well as the first-ever Cup Series event in Mexico. This season's signature new event marks a significant step in NASCAR's international plans and a key test to determine if the sport's popularity in the United States, with its unique stock car brand, can be translated elsewhere. Advertisement The timing is especially good given NASCAR has a Mexico native on one of the top teams: Daniel Suárez, who is a two-time Cup Series race winner for Trackhouse Racing — a resume which includes a road course victory at Sonoma Raceway. The race will be held at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, on a road course most known for hosting Formula One grands prix. NASCAR has only slightly modified the track and will use an altered 2.49-mile layout versus F1's 2.67-mile layout; the Cup Series will also have 29 more laps than the F1 race, making it significantly longer (242.9 miles compared to 189.7 miles for F1). 'You can see the excitement from the media people, the venue looks amazing, and I love Mexican food,' said Kyle Larson, who visited the track recently for a promotional event. 'It's going to be a great time, a great event and cool to go race in a different country in front of race fans who maybe have never seen us race in person.' Before NASCAR makes its run for the border, here's what you need to know about Mexico's premier racing circuit. (Note: This section previously appeared in our F1 Mexico City Grand Prix circuit breakdown.) The track's origins are captured in its name, which quite literally translates to 'autodrome of the Rodríguez brothers.' Ricardo and Pedro Rodríguez helped increase the popularity of motorsport in Mexico. Their father served as an advisor to Mexican President Adolfo López Mateos, and he suggested the president create a motorsport circuit using existing internal roads in Mexico City's Magdalena Mixiuhca sports park. The president agreed, and the circuit was built less than a year later. But the Rodríguez brothers' lives were marred by tragedy. F1 arrived in 1962 with a non-championship grand prix, but Ricardo Rodríguez died during practice when his car overturned and caught fire. Then, in 1971, Pedro Rodríguez suffered fatal injuries in a sports car race. The track was then officially named Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in the early 1970s. Advertisement F1 brought its first world championship event to the track in 1963, a race dominated by Jim Clark. The series stayed until the 1970s, but due to safety concerns, it was dropped until the mid-1980s. It underwent a renovation, and the sport returned from 1986 until 1992. But Mexico fell off the calendar until 2015. Other racing series filled the void in the meantime, including CART (1980-81 and 2002-07) and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Xfinity raced there four times in the mid-2000s (races were won by Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Juan Pablo Montoya and Kyle Busch) before leaving following the 2008 season. But those NASCAR races were on a different layout; when F1 returned in 2015, it was reconfigured and now includes a famous cut-through of an old baseball stadium on the property. — Madeline Coleman With Mexico City at an altitude of 7,350 feet, this will be the highest elevation race in Cup Series history. That will require a significant challenge for engine builders, as the motors will generate significantly less horsepower in high altitude. It will also affect the cars' cooling because water boils at a lower temperature at elevation, and they have options to run different louvers (vents) in the hoods. It would also affect the drivers themselves, although drivers are split on how much preparation will be necessary. Chase Briscoe, for example, said he has been sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber (which simulates the conditions felt by the body at high elevations). Briscoe said he hopes it will be helpful, because otherwise he's been leaving his wife to take care of their young twins at night by herself for nothing. 'If we get to Mexico and all that was a waste of time, I'll just be in the dog house,' Briscoe said. 'You get good sleep because you're not getting woken up by the kids, but it's like 90 degrees in this tent. It smells like straight-up plastic.' Advertisement Briscoe has also been doing two-a-day workouts on Wednesdays and going to a heat room to try and build up his endurance. Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell said he's also been doing some altitude training to prepare, just in case it's necessary. 'The last thing I would want to do is get down there and not feel well and not be able to perform in the car,' Bell said. Larson said he went for a run during his Mexico visit and didn't think the extra exertion required was anything particularly notable. Similarly, Ryan Blaney said there wouldn't be any acclimation process for him. When he visited Mexico City for his own media tour earlier this year, he was told it wouldn't even be very hot by the time NASCAR returned (temperatures are expected to be in the low 70s with rain). 'I don't think I'll do anything differently,' Blaney said. Bubba Wallace joked he would practice holding his breath and 'see if I can get longer and longer.' But Denny Hamlin scoffed at the notion altogether. 'I'm not soft like these guys,' Hamlin said. 'I don't get bothered by heat or get exhausted. I know the air is thinner and all that, and I know a lot of guys are preparing for it — as they should — but I will not be.' — Jeff Gluck Similarly to Circuit of the Americas in Austin — the only other current track shared by both NASCAR and F1 — the cars will race dramatically differently. In the esses, for example, F1 cars blow through there wide open. But Cup drivers believe they'll have to meander through that section in second gear. The famous stadium section (at left in the graphic above) has a turn which will require the Cup cars to slow down to a near stop ('like 30 mph,' Erik Jones estimated) and then make a large arc into the corner — somewhat like the new Charlotte Roval turn that caused some chaos last fall. Advertisement Chase Elliott said that could be a controversial turn because there's no real way to protect against a dive bomb move. 'It's kind of just, 'How much respect do you have for your competitors?' and, 'How silly do you want to be?'' Elliott said. 'Typically, if you're around guys you share a lot of mutual respect with, you don't see stupid stuff happen. And when stupid stuff does happen, it's just a sign of someone who doesn't respect somebody else. Typically, that is when that stuff gets out of hand.' But in general, Blaney said, the course will suit NASCAR very well with multiple passing zones. 'They did a really good job on it,' he said. 'It has all different aspects from high-speed straightaways, really heavy braking zones, flowy sections and then your really slow stadium section. It has all pieces of road courses we run mashed into one, so it looks like a great racetrack.' — Jeff Gluck


Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
NASCAR Insiders Clap Back At Michigan Critics: 'It's a Damn Good Race'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. While many fans might have fumed at the race results of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway, considering the way Denny Hamlin secured victory, the fact of the matter is that such mileage races are also a form of pure stock car racing where drivers have to not only focus on raw speed but also have to conserve fuel to avoid running out towards the end of the race. The FireKeepers Casino 400 Cup race saw Carson Hocevar lead in the early stages, which meant he utilized all that his car had to offer. However, that burned a significant amount of fuel. With just 18 laps to go, Hocevar encountered a flat left rear tire, which forced him to pit, leading him to finish the race in P29. Hocevar admitted that despite the flat tire incident, he would still have to pit since he was running low on fuel. Similarly, William Byron, who led the race for 98 laps, ran out of fuel when there were just four laps to go. He drove hard in the end to defend the spot while Hamlin chased him, causing him to burn more fuel. Christopher Bell, driver of the #20 Rheem Toyota, and Michael McDowell, driver of the #71 Delaware Life Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 08, 2025... Christopher Bell, driver of the #20 Rheem Toyota, and Michael McDowell, driver of the #71 Delaware Life Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 08, 2025 in Brooklyn, Michigan. MorePitting in the closing stage of the race for fuel meant Byron finished the race in P28, allowing Hamlin to secure his third victory of the season. Being a seasoned driver, Hamlin conserved his fuel and gave a tough fight to Byron, setting an example of how performance and mileage can be achieved in the same race. Speaking on the Teardown podcast, The Athletic's Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi discussed the nature of the race at Michigan and revealed that it has the perfect mix of speed, strategy, team elements, and cautions that make a very good race. Bianchi said: "I say this all the time. If you are a NASCAR fan and you did not like this race, why? Because your favorite driver didn't win? Okay, sure, but this is what NASCAR racing is. You had the speed sensation, you have guys being able to make moves we didn't talk about, all of the things that we've talked about the Next Gen car, you had strategy, you had all of the team elements! You even had cautions. You had guys who overstepped, Blaney made a mistake and hit the wall, you had a damn good race here. I don't know why you would really hate this race." Gluck then pointed out fan reactions on X that complained about the mileage race, which prompted him to point out the strategic elements that make such races compelling. He added: "That is a strategy play, that is like guessing to see, and how much did you save, and how much did you lift, and should you go hard, should you try to take the lead. What's wrong with that? That's great stuff!" Bianchi responded: "It is a fundamental part of racing. Do you go hard? Do you save? Do you burn up your stuff and all of this? It's phenomenal."


USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
NASCAR in-season challenge: Everything you need to know about the new tournament
NASCAR in-season challenge: Everything you need to know about the new tournament Show Caption Hide Caption Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Prime Video NASCAR coverage will provide new ways to cover the sport Starting on May 25th, Prime Video will have exclusive coverage of 5 NASCAR Cup series events. Dale Earnhardt Jr will be in the broadcast booth and reveals what to expect from their coverage. Denny Hamlin made it to victory lane for the third time this year June 8 at the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Hamlin won the first of three key summer races with his victory in Michigan. It precedes a monumental milestone this weekend for NASCAR: the first international points-paying race since 1958. The Cup Series grid travels to the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez road course in Mexico City for the Viva Mexico 250 on June 15. The Cup races in Michigan, Mexico City and Pocono Raceway are crucial to NASCAR's inaugural in-season challenge. There haven't been many significant changes to the structure of the Cup Series calendar since the implementation of the playoffs starting in 2004. While NASCAR first introducted a postseason in 2004 with playoffs that have undergone a few changes over the past two decades, this marks the first in-season competition with a tournament held over five races culminating in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27. It's rare to have a new in-season event in the Cup Series. There's a lot to know about it and we've got you covered: 'Earnhardt' documentary: Dale Earnhardt Jr., sister Kelley discuss new Prime Video series What is the NASCAR in-season challenge? It is a single-elimination tournament across five races, beginning with the June 28 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, that includes the top 32 drivers in the Cup Series championship standings following the June 1 race at Nashville Superspeedway. Those 32 drivers will be up in a bracket and seeded by their best results from the Cup races at Michigan, Mexico City and Pocono. Tiebreakers are the next-best finish from those three seeding races. Drivers advance by finishing higher than their opponent in the bracket. Each of the five races will cut the field in half, similar to March Madness in college basketball. There will be 32 drivers in contention in the first race, then 16 for the second, eight for the third, four for the fourth and two drivers facing off for the win in the fifth and final race. NASCAR in-season challenge contestants The 32-driver field is set. Here's who will be contending in NASCAR's first in-season challenge (car number in parentheses): (24) William Byron, Chevrolet (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet (20) Christopher Bell, Toyota (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet (45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford (22) Joey Logano, Ford (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota (19) Chase Briscoe, Toyota (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet (2) Austin Cindric, Ford (17) Chris Buescher, Ford (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet (60) Ryan Preece, Ford (77) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet (21) Josh Berry, Ford (71) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet (42) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota (34) Todd Gilliland, Ford (43) Erik Jones, Toyota (38) Zane Smith, Ford (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet (54) Ty Gibbs, Toyota (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet (7) Justin Haley, Chevrolet (10) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet (4) Noah Gragson, Ford (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford NASCAR in-season challenge prize The winner of the inaugural in-season challenge will take home $1 million. NASCAR in-season challenge races, schedule The five races of NASCAR in-season challenge are: June 28: Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway July 6: Grant Park 165 at the Chicago Street Course Grant Park 165 at the Chicago Street Course July 13: Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway July 20: Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 at Dover Motor Speedway July 27: Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway How to watch the NASCAR in-season challenge TNT will be broadcasting all five of the in-season challenge races with a secondary broadcast on truTV focused on the specific bracket matchups. Here's how to watch all of them: Stream NASCAR in-season challenge races on Sling Quaker State 400 Date: June 28, 2025 June 28, 2025 Time: 7 p.m. ET 7 p.m. ET Location: Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia TV: TNT, truTV TNT, truTV Stream: Sling TV, WatchTNT Grant Park 165 Date: July 6, 2025 July 6, 2025 Time: 2 p.m. ET 2 p.m. ET Location: Chicago Street Course in Chicago Chicago Street Course in Chicago TV: TNT, truTV TNT, truTV Stream: Sling TV, WatchTNT Toyota/Save Mart 350 Date: July 13, 2025 July 13, 2025 Time: 3:30 p.m. ET 3:30 p.m. ET Location: Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California TV: TNT, truTV TNT, truTV Stream: Sling TV, WatchTNT Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 Date: July 20, 2025 July 20, 2025 Time: 2 p.m. ET 2 p.m. ET Location: Dover Motor Speedway in Dover, Delaware Dover Motor Speedway in Dover, Delaware TV: TNT, truTV TNT, truTV Stream: Sling TV, WatchTNT Brickyard 400