Dale Earnhardt Jr. calls for "stricter requirements" in his radical suggestion in NASCAR's All-Star future

Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently suggested what NASCAR should do with the All-Star race and the Clash. The races in question are the only two exhibition races on the calendar, with the Clash being the season opener, and the All-Star being in the middle of the regular season.

However, over the last few years, as Dale Jr. acknowledged, there has been a group of fans and team owners who don't want to race in the Clash. More recently, there have been questions regarding whether NASCAR needs the All-Star race at all.

This was the question which Dale Earnhardt Jr. was also asked on his podcast. As per the Hall of Famer, NASCAR should keep both the Clash and the All-Star and turn it into one event.

"I think that honestly the All-Star race could continue. I would be okay with some way that we kind of combine the Clash and the All-Star race.Take both of those, right, and combine them. Let's celebrate the drivers that have won races," Earnhardt said. [32:40]

But the former HMS driver then laid out his frustrations with NASCAR in the current criteria of the races, and what he wishes to have. Earnhardt Jr. said:

"The Clash should be poll winners only. But that's never going to happen. We're never going back to that. I could scream it at the front doors of NASCAR headquarters for days. Not going to happen. The All-Star race should be winners only. I wish they would go back to the stricter requirements for both the Clash and the All-Star race. But again, I could go to the doors of the NASCAR headquarters and scream at the top of my lungs for a week and it ain't going to do any damn bit of good." [33:30]

As for what he believes the criteria should be, Dale Earnhardt Jr. claimed the race should only consist of race winners and past champions.

---

Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes removing All-Star race altogether could be a mistake

On his podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr. addressed the opinion of NASCAR completely doing away with the All-Star race. He said it is unnecessary and won't be a good decision.

"To make the All-Star race just disappear seems like a bit of a mistake," he said. [30:20]

Earnhardt Jr. supported his claim by mentioning that essentially deleting a race would make many memories, trophies, and iconic moments in NASCAR simply obsolete.

This led to Dale Earnhardt Jr. being asked which race he'd get rid of to make North Wilkesboro a points race and keep the All-Star race on the calendar. Junior claimed there are 'plenty of options'.

He mentioned that there are tracks on the schedule with two dates that don't need two dates. Earnhardt mentioned the example of Kansas, and the fact that it doesn't sell out despite being 'a great race.'