Dale Earnhardt Jr. remembers the x-factor of old-school NASCAR fixtures following lackluster Bristol Cup race

Following Kyle Larson's commanding performance at Bristol, where he led 462 of the 500 laps, Dale Earnhardt Jr. offered insights into a distinctive aspect of NASCAR's past regulations that added intrigue to the races. Although he has consistently expressed reservations about the shortened practice sessions of recent times, Dale Earnhardt Jr. recalled the extensive 12-hour practice sessions at Charlotte Motor Speedway back in the '80s, starkly different from the brief 45-minute session at Bristol Motor Speedway.

During this year's practice at Bristol, Ty Gibbs posted the fastest times, while Alex Bowman secured the pole position, followed closely by Kyle Larson. Reflecting on how practice sessions once unfolded, particularly back in 1981, Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared his thoughts in a post on X [formerly Twitter], illustrating a bygone era of NASCAR racing that allowed for more extensive track time.

"For the 500 mile race at Charlotte in 1981 there was over 12 hours of practice in the week leading up to the race on Sunday. An open practice kicked off the week the Sunday before the race. Another open practice was available Tuesday, more practice Wednesday including qualifying for positions 1-15. More practice Thursday with qualifying for positions 16-30. More practice Friday in addition to qualifying for positions 21-40. Final practice on Saturday. 😅😅😅"

Previously, in one of the episodes of "The Dale Jr. Download" in April, Dale Earnhardt Jr. had supported the idea of extended practice sessions. During the podcast, the seasoned motorsport figure elaborated on the economics of practice sessions in racing:

“Teams might have saved money by not practicing. But they spent that money somewhere else.” [at 41:36]

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. says he will take an off next year

During a recent podcast episode, Dale Earnhardt Jr. hinted that the Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway might mark his last appearance. Despite challenges such as radio failures and equipment changes, he managed a commendable seventh-place finish after climbing from a starting position of thirteenth to nineteenth in Stage 1 and ninth in Stage 2.

Speculation had been rife that this might not spell the end of his racing days, especially after a resilient performance saw him secure a top-10 finish—his first race since October 2023. Yet, in his post-race interview, the racing veteran, soon-to-be 50, expressed a desire to shift his focus.

"I definitely do want to take next year off, focus on my broadcasting and get my boots on and get back to work there, make sure I’m doing a good job for that. That’s my priority, that and my family,” he stated. [via NASCAR]

This decision comes as Earnhardt Jr. prepares to undertake expanded broadcasting responsibilities with both Prime Video and TNT Sports as they embark on their first NASCAR coverage in 2025.