Dale Earnhardt Jr. calls Atlanta a ‘no-brainer’ replacement for Daytona International Speedway

Dale Earnhardt Jr. delivered a bold take about Atlanta Motor Speedway(now called Echopark Speedway) as a possible replacement for Daytona International Speedway in the regular season finale. The JR Motorsports co-owner called the move a 'no-brainer', considering how the recently concluded Quaker State 400 produced some of the best edge-of-the-seat action right down to the checkered flag.

Unlike traditional superspeedways like Daytona and Talladega, the recently repaved Atlanta track allows drivers to capitalise on gaps in the draft and make moves from one lane to the next. In contrast, superspeedways in the Next Gen Era have become a fuel-saving exercise, often leading to a gridlocked field followed by a chaotic final sprint that risks getting wrecked.

Last Saturday's (June 28) Atlanta race saw 46 lead changes among 13 drivers, with the top-3 finishers taking the checkered flag with narrow margins separating them. Chase Elliott snapped his 44-race winless streak, while Brad Keselowski came in second after leading more laps than the former.

On Tuesday, July 1, Earnhardt sat with Keselowski's spotter, TJ Majors, and proposed a revised schedule for Atlanta in an episode of Dale Jr. Download.

"Could Daytona just move to another part of the year? I think absolutely it could, and having Atlanta is the final race of the regular season to me sounds like a no-brainer," he said.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently shared his surprise when a majority of NASCAR fans called Atlanta a good race. His reaction came from an online poll conducted by The Athletic reporter Jeff Gluck.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. drops praise for JRM rookies after a strong showing in Atlanta

Dale Earnhardt Jr. praised his JR Motorsports rookies, Carson Kvapil and Connor Zilisch, for a 'solid' outing in the Xfinity Series race at Echopark Speedway. Kvapil came in at second after a late race restart, while Zilisch trailed close behind at fourth.

On Saturday, June 28, Earnhardt took to X and shared his reaction to the rookies' results.

"Solid job by a couple rookies," he said.

Connor Zilisch also made his third Cup Series start with Trackhouse Racing on Saturday's Quaker State 400. He secured a career-high finish at 11th and had this to say about his race.

"I was trying my best to be as respectful as possible, giving people space. I want to build that respect. I'm trying not to be too nice and make everyone think I'm a scaredy-cat, but at the same time, I don't want to ruffle anyone's feathers," he said via The Athlon.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s JR Motorsports previously made their Cup Series debut at Daytona this year. Driving the No.40 Chevrolet, Xfinity Series champion and JRM driver Justin Allgaier, secured a ninth-place finish in his maiden Cup start.