Dale Earnhardt Jr.
is still upset after JR Motorsports lost control of the late stages of the Winn-Dixie 250 at Daytona International Speedway. Four days after the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series regular-season finale, Earnhardt Jr. used his podcast to address what happened and confirm a major change for his drivers on superspeedways.
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JR Motorsports had Carson Kvapil, Rajah Caruth and Justin Allgaier running first, second and third with only a few laps left. The three Chevrolet drivers appeared to have control of the NASCAR race. That changed when Caruth slowed to build a run on Kvapil, while Kvapil also lifted to protect the lead. Allgaier then pushed Caruth, sending him into the wall with three laps remaining.
The crash forced overtime. Ryan Sieg won the race. Kvapil finished third, Allgaier sixth and Caruth 32nd. Despite the crash, Caruth scored enough points to make the Chase.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Explains What Went Wrong at Daytona
Earnhardt Jr. called the Daytona
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finish “pretty, pretty disappointing.” He said JR Motorsports had the race under control with four, five or six laps remaining.
“Carson Kvapil leading the race. Rajah was second, and Justin was third,” Earnhardt Jr. said.
He explained that Caruth began backing up to Allgaier while trying to create a run on Kvapil. Kvapil then lifted to protect his position.
“And instead of, you know, just holding it wide open and driving away from Rajah and letting Rajah get this huge run on him, Carson’s also lifting,” Earnhardt Jr. said.
The reduced speed allowed the cars behind them to close the gap. Earnhardt Jr. said the three JR Motorsports cars were the strongest cars in the NASCAR race but failed to maintain their advantage.
JR Motorsports Changes Superspeedway Rules
Earnhardt Jr. said he had never created formal late-race rules for JR Motorsports drivers. He previously wanted his drivers to make their own decisions and race for themselves.
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“I felt like it was good to say to them, look, I’m going to lean on y’all to be creative, smart, try to win the race without ruining the race for the company or without crashing yourselves or your teammates,” he said.
However, Earnhardt Jr. said JR Motorsports has repeatedly hurt itself at Daytona by allowing teammates to race without a clear understanding of their responsibilities.
He pointed to Joe Gibbs Racing, Team Penske, Kaulig Racing and Hendrick Motorsports as teams with an unspoken culture that protects teammates when they control the front of a NASCAR race.
Earnhardt Jr. said he experienced that culture while driving for Hendrick Motorsports.
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“There was no way I was going to do something that would cost us both the race, because I knew that that would be awful for my reputation within the company,” he said.
Earnhardt Jr. Sets New Expectations for NASCAR Drivers
Earnhardt Jr. now wants JR Motorsports to develop the same understanding. He said drivers will still have the entire NASCAR race to position themselves for a win. But when the team controls the front late in a superspeedway race, teammates will have added responsibilities.
“We don’t have that here. It’s time for us to get it,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “It’s time for us to go in that direction.”
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He added that the change should have happened years ago.
“It’ll be quite understood going into Talladega. That’s for sure.”
Earnhardt Jr. also praised Caruth for making the Chase despite entering Daytona 15 points below the cutline.
“Still a great night for Rajah,” he said.
Caruth will race for the championship alongside Kvapil, Allgaier and Sammy Smith. For JR Motorsports, however, the Daytona collapse has already changed how its NASCAR drivers will approach the next superspeedway race.
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