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In NASCAR racing, Dale Earnhardt has been the king of intimidation. He seemed to have the ability to push a car to its limits, and he would either drive past or pull his opponents out of the way on his way to the front.
He has an aggressive driving style. His movements on the track were sometimes controversial, but his brilliance behind the wheel was undeniable. Dale Earnhardt won seven NASCAR Winston Cup (Sprint Cup) championships between 1980 and 1994: in 1980, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, and 1994.
Despite retiring more than five years ago, Dale Earnhardt Jr., one of the most famous NASCAR racers in history, is still engaged in the sport. Earnhardt Jr. co-owns JR Motorsports, a NASCAR Xfinity Series team, and works as a commentator for NBC Sports during their portion of the season.
Some drivers fade away from the spotlight after retirement, but he has had the opposite effect. In fact, Earnhardt Jr. may be in the limelight more now than he was throughout his driving career. It can only be good for the fans.
With that extra attention, the 48-year-old owner and analyst has a powerful voice in NASCAR. This is what makes Earnhardt Jr.'s recent remarks during the 2023 Daytona 500 so fascinating.
The Great American Race, like the other two races at Daytona International Speedway last weekend, went to two overtimes and ended under caution. This sparked debate on social media about whether yellow-flag finishes are the appropriate thing.
Chris Knight of Catchfence expressed his proposal to impose a green-flag finish, similar to the ARCA Menards Series. On Monday (February 20) night, Earnhardt Jr. responded with his own perspective:
“I (100%) respect your opinion. Mine is the opposite though. I don’t think there should be an overtime at all. If a caution ends it, so be it. No (green-white-checkered finish) was fine with me for most of my life. It hasn’t had a profound affect on my enjoyment of racing since being implemented.”
NASCAR does not need overtime for superspeedway circuits, thus the claimed distance of 500 miles should represent the race's maximum total mileage in this circumstance.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. experienced four seasons in the cup Series without going to overtime, so his perspective is highly valuable. Furthermore, teams and drivers benefit from less racing since it increases the chances of ripped-up equipment and dramatic collisions.
NASCAR's Dale Earnhardt Jr. shares insights about the 2023 Daytona 500 commercial breaks
The volume of ads during this past Sunday (February 19)'s Daytona 500 was a recurring criticism among NASCAR fans watching the race. In his Dale Jr. podcast with guest co-host Steve Letarte, NBC's Dale Earnhardt Jr. commented on Fox's ad break tactics.
He mentioned the graph comparing the 2001 race to the 2010 race to the 2023 race, and stated that producers will consult the on-air talent on what the optimal time to take a commercial break is.
Earnhardt mentioned the in-race advertisements that aired during Fox's Daytona coverage. Because spectators can't readily tune out during a race, in-race advertisements are more profitable. This might also explain why fans believe there is more advertising now than in previous years.
