Dale Earnhardt Jr. was one of those present at NASCAR’s announcement earlier this month, revealing the return of The hunt and more emphasis on the points race.
He was a big fan of changes, which, according to sports stakeholders, adds legitimacy to the championshipeven though the NASCAR Hall of Famer still prefers a full 36-race format. He confirmed that in a recent episode of Dale Jr.Download.
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“I’m a fan of this sport, and now I’m forced to tune in every week because I know there’s a long-term goal that my driver needs to achieve to be able to give himself the opportunity to win the championship,” Earnhardt said while reflecting on the benefits of a full-season format, which he believes 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-changing history of the championship.
“We had lost that,” Earnhardt continued. “I had lost that. I wasn’t into this sport every weekend. I didn’t want to devour it. I was sitting there and I was like, ‘You know what, I kind of know who’s in the playoffs. I can kind of check it 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 to 2025, drew criticism for its unpredictability and did not necessarily reward the best driver of the year.
“What we had become was so remote and so fanciful and contrived and complex, and hard to follow,” said Earnhardt, who felt free to talk about it now that the format was set aside. “I wasn’t looking forward to it — I got 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 see who wins. It’s too much chance, too much luck. I really have to watch this person build this body of work.”
Earnhardt later got candid, adding, “I’m careful to admit it because (expletive) man, I’m a broadcaster. I’ve had all kinds of roles and responsibilities. I don’t know if it hurts my standing in the sport to say fuck it, I was falling in love with it. I really was.”
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But the NASCAR legend finds himself excited once again. Although the new format is not a full-season championship, it is the closest sport has come in years. There is a reset in race #26, and the reset standings are based solely on that driver’s points position in the first 26 races. The drivers who The hunt are simply the 16 best drivers in the championship, winless and you are in the race.
Read also:
NASCAR returns to Chase for the Championship format in 2026
NASCAR drivers and legends say new format is about legitimacy
The pros and cons of the new NASCAR championship format for 2026
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