Dale Earnhardt Jr. flatly ‘disagrees’ with Kyle Petty's verdict on NASCAR’s NextGen cars

On the latest episode of the Dale Jr. Download podcast on YouTube, former Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently talked about Kyle Petty's take on NextGen cars. During the podcast, Dale Jr. pointed out how he "disagrees" with the former driver's verdict on the NextGen cars.

Dale Jr.'s co-host, TJ Majors, pointed out that Petty recently claimed that the NextGen cars are producing satisfying results and feel "good." However, following his experience, the former Cup Series driver highlighted that the cars don't match his levels of expectations.

Reflecting on Kyle Petty's opinion, Dale Earnhardt Jr. further explained [01:21:28 onwards]:

"I don't know, man. I mean, Kyle's Kyle has Uh, Kyle. I really, really respect Kyle. Think the world of him. Um, and I appreciate his opinion, but I would just disagree that the car doesn't produce what I expect. Again, going back to 75 years. I know Kyle's been around a long time. The car doesn't produce the kind of racing that I know we are capable of at road courses and short tracks."

"The car does not produce the type of racing that I think should be our standard, and I know what we're capable of at road courses and short tracks. And I would not stop at trying to achieve amazing great racing at those style of tracks until we achieved it. I wouldn't stop trying to get there. And I don't think we're there. And I think it's mainly due to the race car. Right," Dale Jr. added.

Kyle Petty has secured eight wins in his NASCAR Cup Series career, with a fifth-place finish as his best in 1992 and 1993. Additionally, he has achieved 173 top-10 finishes and eight pole positions in 829 career starts.

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Kyle Petty got candid about Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s criticism of the NextGen cars in NASCAR

After the Iowa Speedway race, Dale Earnhardt Jr., the former NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, shared his thoughts on the seventh-generation cars in the latest episode of the Dale Jr. Download podcast on YouTube. He claimed that features like a rear diffuser, low-profile tires, large brakes, and minimal tire wear make it a "sports car."

Dale Jr. further claimed he doesn't "love" the car and the investment the teams have made since the introduction of the NextGen cars. However, Kyle Petty has a different approach. During his interview with PRN, he claimed that NASCAR hasn't had true stock cars since 1958. He added:

“We have not raced stock cars since about 1958. We don't race stock cars; we race NASCARs. This is the NASCAR car that we have today."

Kyle Petty also claimed that previous changes, such as the tubular chassis during the 1970s and the switch to radial tires, also drew significant complaints.

The next NASCAR Cup Series race is scheduled on Saturday, August 16, 2025, at Richmond Raceway. USA, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, and HBO Max will broadcast the 400-lap Cook Out 400 live at 7:30 pm.