“I didn’t like it at all”: NASCAR legend Dale Inman makes feelings clear on Austin Dillon and Christopher Bell’s wins

Eight-time Cup Series champion (crew chief) Dale Inman recently sat down with NASCAR legend Richard Petty on the Petty Family Racing podcast on YouTube. In the episode, Inman shared his take on the Cup Series races at Bristol Motor Speedway and Richmond Raceway.

Goodyear brought softer tires to the 0.533-mile track, designed to wear off quickly, delivering an exciting race. This resulted in tire management being a critical part of the race strategy. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver managed to handle the pressure well, and despite working with the new tires, Bell locked in his spot in the next phase of the playoffs.

A similar situation happened at the Cook Out 400 held on August 16, 2025, at Richmond Raceway, where Austin Dillon won the race. During the race, the tires wore off quickly, making the 400-lap race more challenging. However, the #3 Chevy Camaro ZL1 team quickly adapted to the circumstances, and their skillful management led to a dominating victory.

However, NASCAR legend Dale Inman was not impressed by the tire wear in both races. He expressed his frustration with the tires wearing off more quickly than usual and told Richard Petty [00:40 onwards]:

"I didn't like it at all, Richard. I thought Richard was bad when they wore him out. And no disrespect for the three car for winning the race. No disrespect for the 20-car for winning. But when the tires were out like that, it's ridiculous. And I thought one time I seen you mountain tires for good."

"You know I don't know when the first car come in with the tires wore out but it was somewhere around 30 laps, right? And I don't think I think it caught everybody off guard that there's wear it," he added.

Christopher Bell secured his fourth win of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway, holding off Brad Keselowski. During the closing laps of the race, the JGR driver charged off to the lead with everything and even survived a last-minute old-school maneuver from the #6 Ford Mustang driver.

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"Dale was a racing benchmark": Richard Petty got candid about his journey in NASCAR with Dale Inman

Dale Inman led the seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Richard Petty to his remarkable success in the series. Inman worked with Petty Enterprises for nearly three decades, helping Petty set records that still stand decades later.

The story originates when Richard Petty's father, Lee, dominated the stock car racing series. His nephew, Inman, began working in the garage around the same time with Richard's brother Maurice. The legendary crew chief began his career as a pit crew member in the late 1950s. Following that, by 1960, when Richard won his maiden win, his brother moved to engine building, giving Inman command of Petty's ride in the series.

Reflecting on that, Petty described Dale Inman as the model crew chief for racing in NASCAR. He added (via Autoweek):

"Dale was a racing benchmark. He was the sport's first official crew chief, and people modeled themselves after him. He knew what, when, and where, and when he made a mistake, he wasn't afraid to admit it. Everyone respected him for that. Nobody even comes close to the number of wins that Dale has recorded."

Dale Inman helped 'the King' to secure 193 career wins and seven Cup Series championship titles. The duo dominated the 1967 season with 27 races, with a 10-win streak in the iconic Plymouth Belvedere, which they built together.