Steve Letarte has had enough of all the chatter surrounding how non-playoff drivers should race contenders, or how owner-drivers like Denny Hamlin should approach battles against those in their own teams. That’s not what racing is about, and the NASCAR insider has recently called for a major change in the narrative.
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There are those who want to see sportsmanship on the track, but there is a line between being self-destructive and showing respect.
As far as Letarte is concerned, NASCAR drivers must put self-interest above all else. No matter how deep team loyalties run, every driver ultimately races for himself, and that is exactly how it should be.
Speaking on NASCAR’s Inside the Race podcast, Letarte didn’t mince words. “I’m so sick of team talk… I just want to say that… look, they’re teams, and they’re going to do all this stuff, but at the same time, we need as selfish race car drivers as possible because the group is too tough to think I’m so good that I’m going to get through, and I’m going to bring you with me.”
Letarte recalled, “Crew chief for Dale Jr. and Jeff Gordon. And we used to have those meetings. They would all talk about working together, and they would both be like, ‘Hey, man. I’m going to do the best, but if I can’t help you, yeah, don’t worry about helping me.’ Like, they were both very selfish, which is why they were so good at what they’re doing.”
The 46-year-old acknowledged that moments to help a teammate may still arise, but he prefers to see drivers go all out, even if it means trading paint within the same organization. For him, fierce competition is the lifeblood of the sport.
Former driver Kyle Petty has long echoed a similar sentiment, arguing that Hamlin’s unapologetic selfishness, which he showed at Kansas against Wallace, is precisely what keeps NASCAR entertaining. Without drivers willing to push their teammates to the edge, the races would lose their spark. Hamlin’s “I, I, I” mentality, Petty believes, fuels the intensity fans crave.
Meanwhile, Dale Earnhardt Jr. backed Hamlin’s competitive drive but urged a touch more restraint when dealing with his own team. According to Junior, Hamlin could have handled the situation with Bubba Wallace more tactfully, ensuring the battle didn’t hand a Chevrolet driver the win while Toyota teammates tripped over each other.
