"It's getting harder for me to be happy about that" - Dale Earnhardt Jr. voices "frustration" over rumored NASCAR change

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has expressed disappointment after rumors about NASCAR scraping off Richmond Raceway from the 2025 season have been unearthed.

The 0.75-mile oval is renowned for showcasing a door-to-door battle of contention, courtesy of its narrower track compared to the speedways and superspeedway. Moreover, from 1998 to 2010, the Richmond Raceway hosted 25 consecutive races, which saw at least 6 cautions being raised, making the oval cherished by many fans.

However, in the last 11 stints, only a solitary race has witnessed six cautions or more and that's been a concerning point for the officials as they eye to enhance the viewership of races. Richmond's attendance is apparently unable to etch the threshold limit, following which it is speculated to be replaced with Mexico Street Race.

Lately, the second race from Dover Motor Speedway, Michigan Speedway, Pocono Raceway, and many more tracks got removed owing to their subpar showdown and now Richmond seems to be the next in line.

Despite a bid to soar the high-octane sport's reach, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has unveiled his displeasure about the speculated removal of the historic track from the NASCAR calendar. He said (via Dirty Mo Media on X):

"When we lose something that's been a historical part of our sport for a really long time, it's getting harder for me to be happy about that or be excited about that. The rumor is we're probably going to Mexico."

"It's frustrating for me because there's nothing wrong with Richmond and we're going to leave Richmond to go race in Mexico. We're going to leave all these traditional ovals to go race a road course," Dale Jr. added.

"Certainly it's not fair"- Denny Hamlin speaks on the probability of Richmond hosting only a single NASCAR Cup race next season

After wrapping up his Toyota Owners 400 run, Denny Hamlin defended Richmond's uncertain future in NASCAR as he gave his "biased" opinion.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver benefitted from a pitstop under caution and the subsequent jumpstart on the final overtime, sidelining his teammate Martin Truex Jr. to register his second Cup Series win this season at the Richmond Raceway.

Hamlin's adrenaline-packed run outing on the 0.75-mile oval got turned in his favor after snatching the opportunities from the likes of MTJ, Joey Logano, and Kyle Larson. The Virginia native led 17 laps before etching the 407-lap dash to his name.

After his triumph, the #11 Toyota driver outlined his love for Richmond Raceway near his hometown in Chesterfield and expressed his desire to keep seeing two Cup races at the quarter-mile track. He said (via Speedway Digest):

“Where else you going to go, right NASCAR owns it, so there’s going to want to go to another NASCAR track. If they have another NASCAR track, that’s already got a date as well. I don’t know what else you do. Certainly, it’s not fair because I’m biased and have grown up loving this racetrack, so I’m always going to vote for it to have two races, for sure."

12 races have been played so far at the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series, with Kyle Larson currently leading the Drivers' standings.