As the Daytona 500 draws near, drivers are becoming increasingly vocal about NASCAR’s practice restrictions. Drivers are divided on whether teams should have the choice to practice or not. Following Brad Keselowski’s outspoken disapproval of NASCAR’s practice policy, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has also joined the conversation.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced NASCAR to drastically reduce practice time, even eliminating it entirely for a period in 2020. Now, a mere 25 minutes is the standard, a one-size-fits-all approach that doesn’t sit well with some teams. But Earnhardt believes he has a better way forward.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Provides Solution to NASCAR’s Practice Debate
With JR Motorsports making its Cup Series bow this weekend, Earnhardt has more than just his team on his mind. The two-time Daytona 500 champion is a strong advocate for increased practice time, especially for newer and less well-resourced teams trying to find their footing. So, he echoed Keselowski’s stance on the issue.
“Here’s an idea,” Earnhardt started on X.
Here's an idea. Open the track up for practice. If you don't want to practice, you don't practice. If you want to practice, you practice. Crazy idea I know, but would you believe they used this method for decades with no real complaints. https://t.co/Ow0ABxQQql
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) February 12, 2025
“Open the track up for practice. If you don’t want to practice, you don’t practice. If you want to practice, you practice. Crazy idea I know, but would you believe they used this method for decades with no real complaints.”
The argument is straightforward yet compelling: teams should have the option to utilize track time as they see fit rather than being subjected to a rigid, blanket policy that fails to meet the diverse needs of the field.
A Deeper Look at NASCAR’s Practice Problem
Before the pandemic, teams had the luxury of two full hours of practice ahead of race day. Today, that has been slashed to just 25 minutes for most races.
However, for the prestigious Daytona 500, NASCAR introduced a minor tweak — granting teams a 50-minute practice session. Unlike other races, this extended session was mandatory for all teams.
Meanwhile, superspeedways will have no practice sessions at all. However, there’s a catch — smaller teams might skip practice due to the extra costs involved. In contrast, powerhouse teams like Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske have no such financial concerns and would gladly take advantage of additional track time.
NASCAR’s push to limit practice sessions is primarily aimed at reducing expenses. Yet, teams continue to pour money into simulation models, which remain the only practical substitute for on-track practice.
Here’s how Keselowski described it back in 2024:
“We put a lot of money and time into race car simulation. Whether that’s simulating the car statically with how it would perform aerodynamically in consideration to other things or whether it’s kind of a multi-body physics model, which is simulating the car going around the track.”
