Brad Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Concerns Magnified by NASCAR Fans Amid Latest San Diego Update

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr (left) talks to Brad Keselowski during the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.

NASCAR has currently set up camp in San Diego with eager anticipation. A deal between the racing promotion and the city, to hold street races for multiple years, is about to be announced as early as next week, according to RACER magazine. While a large section of the fandom sees this as a step in the right direction, there are many opponents to it.

Notably, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski have expressed strong concerns, arguing that there are already too many road course races on the schedule and that adding one more would move NASCAR further away from its oval-racing core. In 2025, there are six road/street course races. The million-dollar question right now is whether this is too high a number.

One fan responded to a post on X by Kelly Crandall, Chief NASCAR Writer at RACER, which revealed the news, “WE DON’T NEED MORE F***ING ROAD COURSES.” Another made a valid argument, “I want NASCAR back. If I wanted all of these street courses and road courses, I’d watch IndyCar.”

One more fan couldn’t quite recognize the sport that he once loved and cherished. His comment read, “This isn’t NASCAR anymore. Part IMSA/IndyCar/Sprint cars/with a little hint of old NASCAR.” A number of other fans with similar opinions expressed themselves on the platform and continue to do so in other avenues as well.

What do Dale Jr. and Keselowski think about adding another street race to the calendar?

Dale Jr. recently took to social media with a GIF of wrestler/actor John Cena that said, “You are absolutely correct,” to concur with the notion that there are too many road course races on the Cup Series schedule. Keselowski went a step ahead and gave a warning shot to the fandom about how there could be seven road course races next season.

He wrote, “We went from 2 to 6 Road course races, possibly 7 next year. NASCAR was successfully built as a primarily oval racing series. IMSA was built as the primary road course series in North America. IMSA will always do road racing better than NASCAR, and that’s ok. Yes, TOO Many Road courses in NASCAR.”

Their opinions could stem from the fact that they never had much luck on non-oval tracks. But then, that does not mean that they are wrong. Transitioning away from oval racing will be a huge disappointment for any fan who already knows what NASCAR is all about. These moves by the promotion appear to be aimed at attracting the next generation at the cost of the old.

Post Edited By: Abhishek Ramesh
Brad Keselowski Dale Earnhardt Jr.

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Gowtham Ramalingam

Gowtham is a NASCAR journalist at The SportsRush. Though his affinity for racing stems from Formula 1, he found himself drawn to NASCAR's unparalleled excitement over the years. As a result he has shared his insights and observations by authoring over 3000 articles on the sport. An avid fiction writer, you can find him lost in imaginary worlds when he is not immersed in racing. He hopes to continue savoring the thrill of every lap and race together with his readers for as long as he can.

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