The final restart at the Xfinity Series race at Martinsville led to one of the more intense and chaotic races in a while. A barrage of wrecked cars left in the aftermath of teammates Sheldon Creed and Austin Hill fighting door to door ended up with JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier to capitalize and gain two positions to win the race on the line.
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The last lap was intense and exciting for the spectators, but not so much for Richard Childress, who’s teammates decided to wrestle each other out of the championship four following their recklessness.
Following the race Childress fumed and criticised his driver while speaking with the media for his shenanigans. Not so long after, JR Motorsports’ Dale Earnhardt Jr. also spoke with the press and empathized with RCR’s Martinsville meltdown.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. empathizes with Richard Childress after the chaos at Xfinity
Junior said, “I can understand Richard or Austin or Creed’s frustration, but they are doing what they have to do to win and it’s tough. You know, it’s hard to it’s the playoffs and the elimination races and everything puts us in those situations that we’ve never been in before with teammates.”
He added, “You got a car capable of winning the race but your teammate needs this, and another one needs that. You can’t really go out and just have an objective of your own and agenda of your own…”
“It’s not unfortunate is not the right word. But it just puts us in unique situations now that we’ve never really watched people experienced or been a part of before. I wouldn’t want it to be Richard at the end of that deal…”
Additionally, Junior commented on Creed’s post-race interview, stating that he agreed with Creed’s move on Austin Hill during the race. He acknowledged that using the bumper to move people out of the way is common on short tracks and that Creed gave Hill a chance to race without sending him into the wall.
The JR Motorsports owner did not see anything blatantly uncalled for during the race. However, he acknowledged that frustration is inevitable in such situations considering that Austin Hill is a driver that Richard Childress Racing believes in and wants to be a part of their long-term future. Meanwhile, Creed is on his way out of the team.
Earnhardt Jr. explains the dynamics in the Xfinity Series based on personal experience
Speaking further, Junior elaborated, “Something I experienced earlier in the year when you put fast race cars on the racetrack, they’re going to run up front, they’re going to run into each other. You got young guys out there trying to make a name for themselves. They’re not veterans. They’re not old teammates that have been buddies for decades.”
Lastly, Junior explained that the Xfinity and Truck series are made up of young drivers who do not have a strong bond with each other due to the frequent changes in drivers. He also acknowledged that these drivers are likely to bump into each other and get frustrated with each other, and have awkward moments like the one with RCR right now, but at the end of the day, that is just a part of the sport.
After what transpired at Martinsville in the Xfinity Series, RCR and Hill just have to wait for one more race before Creed leaves the team. Thereafter, hopefully, the intense teammate rivalry can finally subside a bit.
