"Don't touch it": Dale Earnhardt Jr. comments on Texas potentially getting 'the Atlanta treatment'

Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently shared his comments on Texas Motor Speedway potentially getting the Atlanta treatment. In 2021, Atlanta underwent a full repave and reconfiguration, its first since 1997, since which it has produced superspeedway-like racing.

On the Dale Jr. Download, the NASCAR legend mentioned that there was a rumor going around that there is a racetrack which might get 'the Atlanta treatment.' While the name of that racetrack remains unclear, Dale Earnhardt Jr. claimed that it isn't Texas.

"I'd seen some messages on social about someone thinking that there was a track that was considering that, but it is not Texas. And I know a lot of people were going, 'Oh, it's got to be Texas because, well, Marcus Smith owns Atlanta and he loves what's happened there, so why wouldn't he try to take it to Texas?'" Dale Earnhardt Jr. claimed. [53:00]

"I think Texas right now is starting to get into its peak in terms of the age of the asphalt, how slick it was. Dude, those Xfinity guys were busting their ass all over the place. That's what we need. Don't change nothing. Don't. Don't touch it. Don't change anything. Don't move anything, right? Leave it," he continued.

He added that Texas Motor Speedway is currently in a 'great' state, and doesn't need to be changed.

It's worth mentioning that Texas underwent a repave and a reconfiguration in 2017, since which it hasn't been able to produce the type of racing it once did.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. opens up on the tough beginnings of Texas Motor Speedway

Speaking about Texas Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. revealed that Texas was once 'this grand amazing thing.' He recalled the racetrack starting out from a very challenging and 'troubled beginning.'

Junior said that the racetrack was built in the late 90s and Mark Martin went out to drive on it during a test, post which he found it 'sketchy as s**t.'

"Texas Motor Speedway was built and it was very treacherous and they had problems where they actually had to repave the racetrack. They had an issue where in one of the first races there they all went down in turn one and everybody wrecked and there was just a lot of trouble with the racetrack," Dale Jr. claimed. [47:40]

However, with the drivers being very vocal about the racetrack, a lot of money had to be spent for it to become 'accepted' in NASCAR, especially with the drivers. Once that happened, Texas became 'a very, very popular' racetrack on the calendar.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he feels fortunate to have won a couple of races himself, adding that back in the day, the place was 'awesome.' In fact, he added that the infield at Texas rivaled that at Talladega.