“As Good As Any I Can Remember”: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Finds Huge Support from Fans for COTA Take After Incredible Display

The third race of the NASCAR Cup Series season received praise from various quarters, including NASCAR stars like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Corey LaJoie. The 2025 EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix saw intense yet respectful battles for the lead as drivers got used to the layout changes at the Circuit of the Americas.

Many voices within the NASCAR community felt the season could not have embarked on a more auspicious note, with all three races receiving praise in some form or another.

Following the season’s inaugural road course race, Dale Jr. took to his X to express his elation, offering succinct yet powerful praise: “Hell of a race today. @COTA @NASCAR.” Responding to Earnhardt Jr.’s post, NASCAR fans chimed in in typical fashion. “We’ve had 3 awesome races to start the season. This may be the best start I’ve ever seen,” said one fan.

Meanwhile, part-time driver Corey LaJoie also weighed in with his thoughts, reflecting, “That’s 3 of the best teams in the sport sliding around, locking up and fighting for every inch of leverage for 8 straight laps. It really doesn’t get any better than that.”

One enthusiast praised the NASCAR road course race by saying, “The last 20 laps was as good as any I can remember,” while another remarked, “I normally don’t like the road course races as much, but this one was great!”

Furthermore, one admirer highlighted the circuit’s design improvements, noting, “I like the new track layout keeps the race more exciting throughout.”

The battle for the lead ignited right from the first turn on the first lap when Ross Chastain’s fateful dive-bomb spun Chase Elliott around. Despite several altercations, the race proceeded without a full-course caution throughout the initial stage, ending in Bubba Wallace winning the same.

In the subsequent stage, SVG initially led but was soon overtaken by Kyle Busch. However, the pit stop cycle shuffled the pack, propelling Ryan Preece to the forefront to claim victory in Stage 2.

The final stage started with the chaos of a collision between Daniel Suarez and Connor Zilisch, while Busch made a strong start. Until the final five laps, it appeared Busch was on the verge of breaking his 59-race winless streak. However, Bell, equipped with fresher tires, closed in on the leader, relentlessly pursuing the #8 car’s rear bumper.

The ongoing battle allowed William Byron to close the gap to the leading duo. The three drivers were neck and neck when Bell attempted an overtake and managed to pull alongside Busch.

As the NASCAR race neared its climax with 5 laps remaining, Bell overtook Busch at Turn-1 and secured the lead. Byron followed suit, surpassing the spent RCR driver’s #8 car. Busch, after leading 43 laps, began to lose ground in the final, ultimately succumbing to Chase Elliott, who finished fourth. Meanwhile, Christopher Bell claimed his second straight victory.

Bell talks about the respectful racing toward the end.

Throughout the battle between the top three drivers at the end of the race, Busch, Bell, and Byron were fiercely competitive. Yet, they were all determined to race with integrity, thus shaping their conduct on the track. Bell voiced his perspective on the same and expressed,“It was very refreshing and fun to see a clean race play out.”

“Last year obviously I had the mishap with Kyle Busch, and I pride myself on racing respectful, and I feel like my image around the garage is respected in that aspect, and people know that I race clean. William repaid that today. He ran extremely hard, but fair and clean. We saw a heck of a race out of it,” he added.

Looking ahead, the NASCAR Cup Series will advance to Phoenix Raceway for a 312-lap showdown on Sunday, March 9, at 3:30 PM ET, at the one-mile-long track in Avondale, Arizona.