Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a request for NASCAR after Connor Zilisch won the Xfinity Series race at Portland International Raceway this past weekend. On Dale Jr. Download, Earnhardt questioned NASCAR for not penalizing drivers who cut corners.
“What should be done about the cars that didn’t make Turn 2 that didn’t run the A-frame, but also didn’t get around the curb in 2?” Dale Earnhardt Jr. asked. Earnhardt then asked why NASCAR doesn’t hand out 10-second penalties if that happens.
“There’s probably some protocol or something already in place,” Earnhardt continued. “Everybody knew beforehand if you don’t run the A-frame, it’s like a lot of seconds. It’s like 30 seconds of some s**t, or your lap don’t count. Why didn’t they do that? I mean, it’s the most important lap of the race.
“I would argue that there are plenty of guys that run on the inside of the curbs there in the final few laps. We’ve had incredible races where, like Brad Keselowski going through the grass. I know it’s not the fastest way, they didn’t gain any advantage, but they did put four tires off the racetrack and cut the corner, and NASCAR hasn’t stepped in to do anything before.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. reacts to Connor Zilisch winning the Xfinity Portland race
Earnhardt made the comments after Connor Zilisch won the Portland race in controversial fashion. Zilisch had the lead off the final restart in overtime, but he appeared to lock up his brakes heading into the Turn 1-2 chicane. He then turned left and went through the A-frame penalty area once it became clear he was going to miss the corner. Zilisch then took the checkered flag, and Earnhardt said what Zilisch did was legal.
“I can’t argue that maybe how they did it at Portland wasn’t as much as a deterrent. I would just say I’m glad we’re not going back,” Earnhardt said. “It’s nothing to do with location or really anything else but the fact of that Turn 1 and 2 combination is just not good.
“… I just feel like that type of a turn being the first — that chicane or whatever you want to call it — that being the very first turn you’re going to enter after a restart for any racetrack is a bad idea. It’s just not a good design.”
On3’s Nick Geddes contributed to this story.
