Dale Earnhardt Jr Wishes NASCAR Would Eliminate This For Racing

One of the biggest debates in racing is whether or not NASCAR would increase horsepower in the racecars.

While current NASCAR drivers, including Denny Hamlin, are lobbying for the increase, Hall of Fame driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he isn’t convinced horsepower will make a big difference in races on a recent episode of “The Dale Jr. Download” podcast.

“I love Denny’s honesty, and I’m glad,” Earnhardt said. “… I can’t be sure that just adding horsepower is gonna make a big difference. But Denny drives the cars, and I would trust his feedback on that. And I’d certainly trust his feedback if he’s telling us about the cost being pretty much flat if you were to move from one horsepower to another — it wouldn’t change anything.”

Earnhardt may not believe horsepower is worth changing, but he does have one thing he would love to see NASCAR eliminate from the sport.

“I’m telling you, even with all of that (horsepower talk), I still want them to try and work on getting rid of the shifting,” Earnhardt said. “I do not think that even though they are getting to where it’s second nature to them to shift, having to drive into a corner and downshift and then do another shift on the next straightaway, doing that for every single corner, for 500 laps at Martinsville, right? That takes away from your processing on how to set the corner up, how to set up the car in front of you, how to make a difference in the corner.

“It’s such a distraction from what they really would love to be focusing on. And that is getting the car into the corner deeper and differently or trying to figure out a way to drive the corner uniquely to be able to set up a pass for the car in front of them. And so, I would love for them to continue to try and figure out a way to get the shifting out of the Ovals.”

Earnhardt, a two-time NASCAR Busch Series champion, has 26 wins in the Cup Series, including two at Daytona. He has never won a Cup Series championship.