Would you be willing to attend a Formula One race, then drive roughly an hour to attend a NASCAR race on the same day?
Darrell “Bubba” Wallace Jr. clearly would be up for it. But Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a different story.
F1 last week announced the addition of a race outside Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium to its 2022 calendar. However, the exact date of the Miami Grand Prix has not been determined. Likewise, NASCAR has yet to announce the date for next year’s Cup Series regular-season race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, which is about an hour drive from the home of the Dolphins.
So, Wallace proposed a solution: an F1-NASCAR doubleheader.
Check out this tweet from the 23XI Racing driver:
Wallace’s plan probably sounds great to fans who only would watch the events on TV. But it might be a logistical nightmare for those who would attempt to attend both races.
Here’s what Earnhardt said during his latest “Dale Jr. Download” podcast episode:
“That’s asking a lot of people because Homestead is a bit farther. It’s like an hour drive. When I go to a race or sporting event of any kind, when it’s over with, I’m done. I’m tired. I’m ready to go home. Especially like a race weekend as an experience. People come a day or two ahead of time. They’re camping. And they’re doing whatever. I don’t know that you want to split that up.
“I agree it’s a very robust idea. You want to make as big a splash as you can make. But I doubt that F1 would want to share their event with anything else happening in the region, especially that first one. And NASCAR is not going to want to play second fiddle or be the closing act. It’d be tough to do. I don’t see how it would ever happen.”
Again, Wallace’s plan does sound fun. And a NASCAR-F1 doubleheader certainly would give motorsports fans a fascinating day to look forward to.
But Earnhardt is right: Wallace’s proposal ultimately is more interesting than practical.
