In the wake of Katherine Legge’s calamitous NASCAR Phoenix Cup debut, renowned journalist Jeff Gluck found the perfect words to depict the current state of affairs: “Right now it just doesn’t feel like – it just feels like it’s broken a little bit.” His statement encapsulates the chaos that has ensued since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted NASCAR’s time-honored traditions, leaving the esteemed stock car racing series in disarray.
In an attempt to adapt to the pandemic, NASCAR curtailed practice times, even eliminating them for a period. Eventually, a meager 20-25 minute practice schedule was introduced in the post-COVID era. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s seasoned veteran, remains hopeful that the Cup Series will soon revert to its traditional schedule.
The 2025 season welcomed a myriad of international motorsports athletes to NASCAR. Helio Castroneves, the IndyCar legend, and English racer Katherine Legge were among those who ventured into the thrilling realm of stock car racing. Their foray, however, was marked by chaos, potentially prompting NASCAR’s decision-makers to rethink their strategies, as suggested by Earnhardt Jr.
Historically, NASCAR drivers enjoyed long practice sessions on Fridays and Saturdays, allowing them to sharpen their skills for the impending race. Each weekend offered unique challenges, from the aerodynamic complexities of superspeedways to the intricate turns of road courses. However, the current shortage of practice time has left newcomers grappling with these challenges. This was evident in the Daytona 500 in February, where Castroneves faced a multi-car skirmish on lap 71. Similarly, Katherine Legge’s No. 78 Chevrolet succumbed to two crashes in Phoenix.
Despite the series of unfortunate events, Dale Earnhardt Jr. remains optimistic. On a recent Dale Jr Download episode, he offered an audacious forecast, saying, “My prediction is in two years, we’ll be practicing…I think practice is coming back. NASCAR hasn’t said a word about it, they probably have no intentions of bringing it back. But I think that logic will prevail…I think if the teams just got a solid hour, they could bust that up into 30 minutes.”
Earnhardt’s sentiments echoed the views of many active Cup Series drivers who believe that increased practice times could alleviate these issues. This opinion gained traction following Katherine Legge’s tumultuous Phoenix race.
Despite her extensive experience in various motorsports disciplines, from the IndyCar Series to Formula E, Legge’s stock car racing experience remains limited. With only four Xfinity Series starts and one ARCA start marred by a crash, Legge was ill-prepared for the Shriner’s Children 400. She spun out twice during the race, the second time resulting in a devastating crash with Daniel Suarez’s No. 99 Chevrolet.
Suarez voiced his frustration after the race, saying, “We work very hard to get into silly accidents like the one from last week.” He called on NASCAR to give new drivers more practice time, arguing that it is unfair to throw them into one of the most challenging series in the world without adequate preparation. 2024 Cup Series champion Joey Logano echoed Suarez’s thoughts, questioning the wisdom of allowing a novice to race with just 20 minutes of practice.
Clearly, the paucity of practice time is a concern shared by many in the NASCAR Cup Series, not just Dale Earnhardt Jr. It remains to be seen if NASCAR will heed these calls, and if Earnhardt Jr.’s prediction of a practice resurgence will come to fruition.