"That is strategy": NASCAR Insiders defend drivers using fuel-saving strategies following Daytona 500 

NASCAR Insiders Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi recently shared their thoughts on the nature of superspeedway racing. During the post-Daytona 500 episode of The Teardown podcast, the two co-hosts shared their observations on racing at plate tracks as well as what can be done to fix it.

Gluck claimed that superspeedway races continue to be similar, as they end in overtime or a big wreck, something which he's okay considering the expectations. When he asked his co-host if there's something that can be done by NASCAR to fix it, Bianchi said it is now 'the nature of superspeedway racing.' He pointed to drivers being aggressive because of how difficult it is to make a pass, while also pointing to the fuel saving aspect of the racing.

This prompted Gluck to share his take on the same - the aspect of saving fuel. He claimed that he has 'come around' on it and doesn't disapprove of it all that much. Gluck described:

"To me the alternative to that, there's gotta be a part of the race where you log laps. Everybody has now figured out that you want to take as little fuel as possible so you can get your track position, so you can get up there. And yes, it's kind of weird because they all run the same half-throttle and they're all in three-wide packs and they're all burning laps, you kind of have a part where nothing is happening, they have a pit stop and they get clear enough that their crew chief tells them that they can now race. But that is strategy. I would rather have them doing that than running single file train against the wall like they used to for 50 laps and then still wrecking at the end." [13:00]

Jordan Bianchi explains why he prefers the current racing product at superspeedways in NASCAR

Speaking further on this subject, Jordan Bianchi said that every NASCAR race has moments where drivers play the long game regardless of it being a mile and a half track or a superspeedway. He spoke about how for so long on superspeedways, the drivers just fanned out, ride for a while, and then 'did this and that.'

However, Bianchi claimed that it's just a nostalgic image of racing because there were only 'some of those races.'

"There were a lot of races too where they were just ride and be smart until the last fwe laps and then it would just go haywire. This is just how superspeedway racing is. This is the air we're in. And I don't mind the fuel mileage thing. It's part of the strategy. I really don't mind it. I like it. I like seeing what innovative ways guys are going to bring out iPad on pit roads to try and save a millisecond. I like the team element," Bianchi described. [14:30]

He recalled how Toyotas had a plan at the spring race at Talladega in 2024 to work together, which went 'haywire' as they all wrecked in turn 3. Bianchi said he likes this element of the races.

Furthermore, Bianchi suggested two ways NASCAR could fix this issue. The first would be if they try to play up the stages and tweak them.

The second way could be removing stage breaks.