Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently reflected on his team's lackluster performance at the second NASCAR Xfinity Series race of the season at the Atlanta Motor Speedway.
.JR Motorsports fielded four Chevrolets for the 163-lap race but couldn't churn out a desirable outcome. Sammy Smith stood the best among his teammates, scoring P10, followed by Sam Mayer at P11, and Brandon Jones at P14. #7 driver Justin Allgaier's run ended at the back of the pack at P28.
Post his team's dismal outing, Dale Earnhardt Jr. vented his anger about the strategic lethargy and unanticipated cautions destroying his team's prospects of running in contention. He posted the message on his X (formerly Twitter) account:
"JRMs opportunities and strategy unraveled late this evening. Frustrating for sure. Not sure how we can move away from fuel mileage racing. It’s always been a part of racing to an extent. Would be guessing on what the answer truly is."
Not only did the 2x NASCAR Xfinity Series champion highlight his team's poor performance, but he also expressed his dissatisfaction with the provision of insufficient fuel and the resulting fuel-saving strategies.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. drops his bitter verdict on Atlanta Motor Speedway's repavement job
The Atlanta Motor Speedway went under a lengthy repavement process after the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 in July. A time of 163 days and a whopping 17000 tons of racetrack compound was spread across the tri-oval asphalt.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. conveyed his displeasure with the reconfigured track. He claimed the smooth surface will "lose grip" as each season progresses. JR Motorsports owner voiced his concern on his X (formerly Twitter) account:
"With the way this surface used to be and the obvious change in its surface color, I’m hoping it will continue to lose grip with each season. Soon then it will be an anomaly, unlike any track on the tour. Drivers will be thrilled to see that happen."
Earnhardt Jr. went on to mention that the job done at the AMS was subpar and did not match the standards of race track construction of any track on the NASCAR calendar.