"If NASCAR failed, my dad’s accomplishments are less valuable": Dale Earnhardt Jr. gets real about his criticism and love for the sport

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has never shied away from speaking his mind. In his latest appearance on The Athletic’s 12 Questions podcast, the NASCAR Hall of Famer reflected on how his outspoken nature affects the sport he deeply loves.

Dale Jr. admitted that while criticism has often been part of his voice, he understands how easily it can hurt the very thing he’s fighting for - NASCAR’s long-term health. His comments came at a time when the sport seems to be wrestling with declining television viewership and an increasingly vocal fan base frustrated with on-track parity, the Next Gen car, and the playoff format.

Fans have voiced concerns over road courses, “win-and-in” rules, and inconsistent racing, while the switch to streaming platforms has further reduced NASCAR’s reach. In that landscape, podcast host Jeff Gluck read Brad Keselowski’s recent comments about NASCAR’s “negative feedback loop” and asked Dale Jr. how he balances calling out problems without damaging the sport.

“I hear from NASCAR, and their concern is genuine and it’s real,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “When they say, ‘Man, all people hear about is what we’re doing wrong. You’re telling everyone these things are bad, and they’re not going to want to come see it if you’re telling them not to watch it.’ I absolutely understand where they’re coming from. Since I bought the CARS Tour, I’ve gotten a really unique perspective on NASCAR’s position.”

Owning and operating the CARS Tour since 2023 with Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, and Justin Marks has given Dale Earnhardt Jr. a small taste of the balancing act that NASCAR faces. They struggle to innovate, maintain credibility, and keep fans engaged in a fast-changing environment.

Dale Earnhardt Jr (C) speaks with Josh Berry and Sam Mayer at Martinsville. Source: Getty

Dale Earnhardt Jr. went on to admit that his words sometimes carried unintended consequences:

“There are absolutely some things I’ve said in the past that I shouldn’t have said — that have turned somebody away or convinced somebody not to appreciate NASCAR,” he said. “And I hate that, because honestly, it’s the most important thing outside of my family. If NASCAR failed, or if NASCAR was to diminish, all the things that I ever accomplished, or more importantly, that my dad accomplished are less valuable, less important. I want NASCAR to succeed and be the greatest thing ever.”

For Dale Jr., the sport is more than competition - it’s his legacy. The son of seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt, his identity remains intertwined with NASCAR’s past and its future. That’s why he’s become more thoughtful about how he frames criticism.

While he had picked the chase format as his favored one, the two-time Daytona 500 winner believed that the eventual 2025 champion would be deserving. He added that the Dale Jr. Download podcast experience itself has helped him learn how to be critical of something without dragging the sport down.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. admitted that his drive to see the sport thrive keeps him engaged.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. on what NASCAR lacks: “We need some rock stars”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Connor Zilisch at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Source: Imagn

Over the past seven postseason races, from Darlington to Las Vegas, not a single event crossed the two-million-viewer mark, one of the lowest stretches since the playoff era began in 2004. Races that averaged 2.1 million viewers last year now sit closer to 1.7 million.

When asked what NASCAR must do to reach the next level of popularity, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said in the 12 Questions Podcast:

“We need some rock stars,” he said. “It’s all about having some driver come in here and captivate the hell out of us and make people who aren’t watching go, ‘Who the hell is that?’ That’s what it’s going to take. We’ve got cool people racing — guys I like and hang out with — but I don’t know how we get them to become mainstream stars.”

NASCAR’s ratings decline isn’t just about formats or broadcast deals. It’s about identity. The sport’s peak years in the late 1990s and early 2000s coincided with larger-than-life personalities like Dale Earnhardt Sr., Rusty Wallace, Jeff Gordon, and Tony Stewart. Today’s drivers are talented and media-savvy, but few resonate beyond the core fan base.

With the postseason struggling for viewership and storylines spread thin across media outlets, Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s call for “rock stars” is a reminder that NASCAR’s emotional pull has always come from its personalities as much as its product.