After the Easter Sunday race at Richmond, only one thing was on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s mind – losing one of the two dates at the track. NASCAR will likely move Richmond to just a single race per season.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is almost certain that Richmond is going to lose a race in 2025. For one of NASCAR’s most historic tracks, it will be a move that many longtime fans won’t approve of. But perhaps one that has to happen.
The crowd at Richmond has not been what it once was. There hasn’t been a lot of good racing at the track, even before the Next Gen car and its short track problems. Racing on Easter didn’t help the track, either.
Dale Jr. wants them to put sealer on the track, to create more grooves and more passing opportunities. It hasn’t been used for a long time at the track.
“They won’t do it. They like refuse to seal that f***ing race track, I don’t understand that,” he said on the Dale Jr. Download. “They’re going to lose a date, they’re going to lose a date because of how stubborn, I guess they are about it.”
The short track package, racing on Easter, and other factors have caused Richmond to lose support. Dale Earnhardt Jr. knows that means one thing – another road course.
“All of these things are going to cost Richmond a date and it does not deserve it,” he continued. “It deserves to have two dates and here we go we’re going to lose another short track race and probably end up at another road course.”
One of the big sticking points for Dale Jr. was the Easter date. He is not a fan of it, and the TV ratings reflect that others aren’t very interested either. Other sports, like March Madness, are going on at the time, but the NASCAR Hall of Famer doesn’t see it as much of a good thing.
“Racing on Easter is not helpful,” Earnhardt said. “I know other sports play on Easter and other things happen but I’m not going to those. I’m not ever going to be at a sporting event on Easter holiday, I’m not. Not happening. It’s not entirely necessary that we do that. That is not going to help your walkup crowd, your ticket sales, that is not going to help. And I don’t think it really helps your TV audience. People are doing s**t on Easter.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. wants Richmond on the schedule twice a year. It does not look like NASCAR believes it deserves two dates anymore.
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