Dale Jr. challenges Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin’s practice notion, makes bold prediction about its return

Dale Earnhardt Jr. challenged Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin for disapproving practice sessions amid Katherine Legge's controversial Phoenix entry. He argued that a more extensive practice session would help minimize driver error and improve performance.

In the latest Dale Jr. Download podcast episode, Earnhardt Jr. suggested reintroducing longer practice schedules as NASCAR addresses concerns over driver approval standards. However, some drivers like Chase Elliott, who is signed with Hendrick Motorsports, didn't want to participate in such a session.

According to Dale Jr., the reluctance to practice stemmed from the lack of significant performance gains.

"The reason why Denny (Hamlin) and a Chase (Elliott) or some of these guys don't really want practice is because their cars tend to show up relatively close and they're gonna spend an hour working on the car and likely not really finding a lot," Earnhardt Jr. said.

"I understand why they're like, 'Yes, more practice ain't [going to] change for me,'" he added.

Meanwhile, for drivers from smaller teams like Noah Gragson (No. 4 Front Row Motorsports), Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes longer practice sessions would help them improve their cars. The proposed solution would also help open car drivers like Katherine Legge get more familiar with their racecars and certain tracks.

"I predict that inside of two years, we have a form of practice return, not this 20-minute Group A Group B bulls**t. We'll have a legitimate like, 'Hey man, everyone out there, give it all you got for 45 minutes to an hour'," he concluded.

NASCAR has implemented an updated practice session for the 2025 season. The latest iteration includes a 25-minute shakedown each for Groups 1 and 2. Superspeedway tracks, meanwhile, don't host a practice session, though the Daytona 500 has a 50-minute pre-qualifying session.

The stock car racing league used to schedule a practice session every Saturday called "Happy Hour" but removed it as a cost-cutting measure.

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"We need to make sure everyone is ready to go": Chase Elliott on NASCAR Cup Series approval standards

Chase Elliott recently discussed the NASCAR Cup Series' approval standards. While the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports driver hasn't given much thought to the issue, he believes all entrants must be ready to compete at the highest level of stock car racing.

In a pre-race interview at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Chase Elliott said (via Bob Pockrass on X):

"Just my quick thoughts as they come to me right now are, this is the pinnacle of NASCAR, right? This is supposed to be the very top tier of what NASCAR has to offer within their sport and within this discipline, so I do think we need to make sure that everyone is ready to go." (0:13 onwards)

The 2020 NASCAR champion pointed out he wasn't directly referring to Katherine Legge. He welcomes everyone wanting to field a car on a Cup stage.

"I'm not saying that particular situation was or wasn't...This is not me saying I don't welcome these things or anything like that. I do, absolutely. We certainly just want to make sure everybody is geared up and ready for a race on Sunday," he added.

Legge, a part-time IndyCar driver with little to no stock car racing experience, made headlines after crashing at Phoenix Raceway in a lapped car and collecting Daniel Suarez. While Suarez didn't blame the British driver, the incident emphasized the need for stricter approval standards.

Chase Elliott finished the Phoenix race 10th before posting another 10th-place finish at LVMS last Sunday (March 16).