Dale Earnhardt Jr. was one of those present for NASCAR’s announcement earlier in the month, revealing the return of The Chase and more emphasis put on points-racing.
He was a big fan of the changes, which those within the sport say adds legitimacy to the championship, even if the NASCAR Hall of Famer still prefers a full, 36-race format. He confirmed that in a recent episode of the Dale Jr. Download.
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“I’m a fan of the sport, and now I’m compelled to plug in every single week because I know there’s a long-form objective for my driver to accomplish to be able to give himself the opportunity to win the championship,” said Earnhardt as he reflected on the advantages of a full-season format, which he asserted is the best way to crown a champion.
He went on to say that you ‘couldn’t take a week off’ and that he just wanted to “devour the sport” as a kid due to the ever-evolving championship story.
“We had lost that,” continued Earnhardt. “I had lost that. I was not being drawn to the sport every weekend. I was not wanting to devour it up. I was sitting there going, ‘you know what, I kind of know who’s in the playoffs. I can kind of check out. I’ll see the highlights in the middle of the week. I can miss this one. I don’t need to tune in today.’”
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The format, which existed from 2014 through 2025 drew criticism for its unpredictability and not necessarily rewarding the best driver from the year.
“What we had become was so far removed and so gimmicky and contrived and complex, and hard to (expletive) follow,” said Earnhardt, who felt free to speak on it now that the format has been cast aside. “I was not looking forward — I had gotten to the point where it was like, man I don’t want to watch this because they’re just going to go all the way to Phoenix and four guys are going to go and see who wins it. It’s too much happenstance, too much luck. I need to truly watch this person build this body of work.”
Earnhardt then got very candid, adding: “I’m careful to admit this because (expletive) man, I’m a broadcaster. I got all kinds of roles and responsibilities. I don’t know if that hurts my position in the sport to say s***, I was falling out of love with it. I really was.”
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But the NASCAR legend finds himself excited once again. While the new format isn’t a full-season championship, it’s the closest the sport has been to one in years. There is one reset at Race #26, and the reset standings are based solely on that driver’s points position from the first 26 races. The drivers who make The Chase are simply the top 16 drivers in the championship standings, with no win and you’re in factor.
Read Also:
NASCAR reverts to the Chase for the Championship format in 2026
NASCAR drivers, legends say new format is about legitimacy
The pros and cons of NASCAR’s new championship format for 2026
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